snowsport snow plow

[kirklyn]

http://www.mysnowsport.com/ i did a search and didnt find anything on this sorry if it has already come up. but it looks like an easy alternative for 1500 avs to hydraulics and heavier plows. the only mod you need is a front receiver which is already available from what i saw on another post. no idea on price, but would like to know if anyone knows how well they work and what they cost.

$1140 i just found a site with them.

kirklyn

 

[TLwiz]

It depends on what you want to do with it, and what material you are plowing over. Since there are NO hydraulics and no electric motors, the unit relies on gravity. And, since the unit weighs only 120 lbs., you are not getting a great plow job.

If you have a paved drive, the unit should work fine. Be prepared to plow more than once during a large storm, and heavy wet snow will be a problem. You will also NOT get down to the pavement in most cases, since the blade will not be heavy enough.

SO, depending on your use, it may work fine. I would not bother with it, but it may suit your needs. I just found a site with it, tonnocover.com, and they have the plow ($1047), the receiver hitch ($11 and an angle mount option ($180) Sounds kind of pricey for the results in my opinion.

I know Home Depot was selling something similar, but I have no idea on the price.

 

[ductman]

I have it and it works great-see pic

 

[NJ-Black-02-2500]

I've been plowing snow for over 10 years....

If you want to clear your driveway then buy a snowblower...
Cheaper, maintenance is cheaper, and it does a much better job for a driveway...
Can do sidewalks, can get close to your garage door, can do your back deck...can make paths around the yard for the dog...just generally better for home owners....

on the other hand...if your doing a lot of snow removeal then get a real plow...
power angle, power up down....getting in and out gets old quick....

People who know snow removal just laugh at those toy plows....sort of like pushing a cardboard box down the street...or duct taping a few shovels to your bumper...

 

[paul_376]

no snow in texas

 

[NJ-Black-02-2500]

you have a fine grasp of the obvious.

 

[paul_376]

 

[ductman]

...I don't get out of the truck -I lift it up and down with an ATV winch on a bracket I welded to the plow frame.? I stay inside the truck with the heated seats on-I have a snow blower for the sidewalks, etc.? It is obviously not meant for commercial plowing but when you have a decent size paver driveway it makes life easy, is fun and does not harm the pavers(rubber blade).? I also use it to clear my parking lot at work-about 60 spaces, and I used it last year with about 14" of snow.? It takes longer but works.? It is also about 25% of the price of a real plow and is light so it does not wreck the front end of your truck like a real plow does.? I also have a front hitch that I can use all year and not ugly mounting brackets that you need to cut the front facia for.? Laugh all you want!
It does what I need it to do, just look at the pic

 

[Highland Ranger]

I am going through this now. The portion of Jersey I am from (in the mountains) gets significant snowfall and its time to prepare.

Re Snowsport: Problem one is that a front hitch for the 2500 is not available.

Problem 2 was: if you send away for their literature, you get a DVD of the movies on the web site; What I saw from the more detailed version on DVD that I didn't like was the assembly that holds the plow deflecting toward the hood/bumper as it hit the snow. Makes sense as essentially the whole thing cantilevers off one point (the hitch) on the front of the truck.

I can see myself slipping into a really big drift and denting my hood.

I hear they do work though and maybe I am being overly cautious.

For the same money, there is an alternative: http://www.snowbear.com

It is a "homeowner" class plow but looks heavy enough.? It comes with a winch to raise and lower it but angling is done manually.

Their plows are available at Lowes for $1150 (small 220lbs) and $1500 (large 320lbs).

BTW - By comparison, a Fisher Dealer quoted me $3500 for a "real" plow and the installation involved cutting the cladding (shudder.)

For more info, go to http://www.plowsite.com and look under the non-commercial section - there is a lot of discussion of both the Snowbear and Snowsport products.

From what I have seen, there are several "professional" firms that use them.? My UPS guy, who used to be a landscaper also used them and recommended them without reservation.

Word of caution: There are issues with driving around with these on.

First is cooling: it blocks the radiator and may be an issue at highway speeds (on the 2500 it would block the extra vent with the trannie cooler in it above the plate.)

Other is police issues: may block plate, may block lights and turn signals.

If you have the plow prep package, the cooling will not be an issue as you already have a different fan to accommodate the airflow restriction.

I plan on getting around both by using the dollies it comes with and putting in on, doing the few driveways I need to do and then dropping it off before heading to work.

Note that for some years, the plow prep package was not available with a sunroof . . . not sure what that means, I'll let you know if the roof bends and the sunroof will not close after I hit that first big snow drift.

 

[Brad 2500]

The cutting of the front bumper isn't too bad... 

 

[snomuncher]

Based on my experience plowing snow for over 15 years with a conventional plow setup, I could not envision how, using one of these lightweight plows, I would be able to handle wet snow or snow of any significant depth or be able to maneuver in driveways with close quarters that require the hydraulic angle feature.? Having seen the receiver attachment on the Snowsport and Snowbear, I?d think that the risk of damage could also be greater because of the lightweight nature of these brackets compared to conventional plow frame undercarriages.? Even when you?re careful, you may end up trying to push a heavier amount of snow than these plows could manage.

The angle feature is one that shouldn?t be discounted when choosing a plow.? Even using the plow on my garden tractor, having the angle feature is essential to displace the snow buildup to the side of the path you?re plowing.

If you have a short, paved, level driveway and can push a light snow buildup in front of the lightweight plow without overstressing it, maybe it would work, but anything else demands a professional plow setup, in my opinion.

Good luck with your decision.

 

[Highland Ranger]

The Snowbear models referenced above have "conventional" brackets that bolt to each frame rail.

They do also make a receiver mounted version which has the limitations of the snowsport.

 

[ductman]

You would be amazed what i have plowed with the snowsport-a dead end city block with drifts over the hood-it wasn't pretty but it worked and did not break anything-even with all 4 wheels spinning.  It does angle manually if you buy the angle option.  If you mount an atv winch on it it also goes up and down without getting out-It is not really necessary to have the winch because it works well without it-it does flip back when backing up but it does not even come close to the truck- The winch comes in handy when you want to pick it up and drive to your friends house-it is small so it does not block the lights and i have done 65mph with it up on the highway.  For long trips I throw a ratchet strap around it so it can't move.  It is a pretty cool product-and believe me if I have not been able to break it yet...its not breakable.
they do make a front hitch for the 2500-search under avalanche front hitches-a guy on this site has a warn hitch on his 2500-just my .02

 

[Highland Ranger]

Re Front Hitches: apparently 2005 2500 has some slight frame changes from previous years making it different.

I contacted all the major hitch manufacturers and no one makes one.

Curt claimed they made one but I got it and it did not fit.

What I did see on this site was some guy who was fabbing them himself.

Again - I heard the snowsports work, but cantilevering the load off a single point like that makes me nervous. If I can get the snowbear for the same price . . . . makes more sense.

(and if I had an extra $2k burning hole in my pocket, I would get a Fisher.)

 

[crstal]

http://www.plowsite.com/ that is s good site to answer anything u need to know about plowing and everything!

 

[ductman]

The cutting of the front bumper isn't too bad...?

This is much nicer though-no cutting-cheap-and useful for other accessories.  I'll post pics with the plow on as soon as I dig it out of the garage.

 

[Brad 2500]

http://www.plowsite.com/ that is s good site to answer anything u need to know about plowing and everything!

Cool link, lots of useful info.