Any of you guys plowing with a 1/2 ton truck? I always thought a 1/2 ton was to light but would like others opinions. Also would the wear and tear be to much to stick one on a newer truck?
Last question…….you guys who plow professionally what do you pay contract guys to plow for you who provide their own equipment?
Thanks
(BTW, if guys can talk ice fishing it’s not to early yo talk about snow 
)
It really depends on a few things. Is this plow going to be on a everyday truck?
I personally would never drive a half ton with a plow, there are lighter duty plows but the truck still takes a beating.
And is this for a big lot, or multiple. Or your own drive way. I’ve had a 97 chev 1500 with a plow for years but did my own personal drive way and a few neighbors, I’d never drive it around. I also put 2500 springs and shocks in it.
And another question, ya, I’ll steal your post. 
Manual transmission on 3/4 ton dodge diesel. How does that go for plowing? Does anyone plow with a manual transmission anymore?
If you are doing residential driveways half ton would work fine. Anything commercial you probably won’t cut it. Plenty of plow systems where basically everything is easily removable.
Will you be pushing the snow across the road with this light duty plow truck?
Have plowed for 49 years. When I started I had International Scouts. Then went to half ton Chevrolet’s. For the last 18 years have had 1 half ton and one 3/4 ton. My half ton has a straight power angle Western plow. The half ton works ok up to about 8 inches of snow. Big drifts are tough to handle till you get it broken up and a path to work it back.
The 3/4 ton has a Western V-plow. If you are going to do it commercially this is the way to go. You will need weight in the box to help with traction. I built a box framework to put 5 to 6 hundred pounds of bagged salt in the back. I used water softener cubes then use them up at home through the summer.
I have only had to replace 2 transmissions and 2 transfer cases in all those years. One of each was caused by idiot driver. Yearly fluid changes recommended. Any questions feel free to PM me.
Will you be pushing the snow across the road with this light duty plow truck?
x2!! lol
Will you be pushing the snow across the road with this light duty plow truck?
OMG! 
DT
And another question, ya, I’ll steal your post.
Manual transmission on 3/4 ton dodge diesel. How does that go for plowing? Does anyone plow with a manual transmission anymore?
My chevy is a manual tranny and I’ve never had a issue. It does get annoying but it works just fine
Our going rate to pay a guy with his own truck is $70 hour for a straight blade and $75 hour with a 9’+ V plow, and I would agree with others that to plow your own driveway a half ton will work with a light duty plow. Keep in mind a plow on a half ton voids your warranty. I bought an extended warranty for a 3/4 ton, and the insurance company that carried the warranty voided the warranty because it had a plow. I had to talk to several people at the dealer that sold the warranty to me explaining that they had sold me a worthless warranty on a new truck for $2700 that they knew I was installing a plow on. They did refund my money so that does say a lot about them being a reputable trustworthy dealer, and because of that I will continue to buy trucks from them.
Our going rate to pay a guy with his own truck is $70 hour for a straight blade and $75 hour with a 9’+ V plow
Thats what I was looking for
Thank you!!
I plow with a ’14 silverado 1500 and a boss htx v plow. The htx is made for 1/2 ton trucks, i put timbrens in the front. I’ve had zero problems with overheating, and I drive an hour to start my route. I plow 30 driveways and one small parking lot, and have had zero problems with my truck handling it
The old man had an older f150 and plowed one or two longer driveways. The thing wasn’t really built for it and would boil the tranny, over heat and the battery would die. Long story short it lasted a lot of years, but only about 70k miles. After 40k the tranny got so it want really reliable to use anymore. I guess my point from this would be if you want to keep it until it dies, you might be shortening the life considerable. I bet the math on that truck would have been cheaper to hire it out than lose 30-50% of the trucks life. He now has and f250 with v plow. That things acts like it was made to move snow!!
Hi In Depth Outdoors Community,
I am a senior mechanical engineering major at the University of Cincinnati and for one of our classes we are conducting polls on Autonomous Snow Plows for a Product Development project. If anyone would be able to fill out the form to help with the project that would be great!
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/HGPBXHW
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/HBN8S9F
I have a 2016 F150 and a straight snowway plow. It works great for my driveway. I only use it for my driveway. I don’t do any commercial.
Never had a problem.
Resurrected post from 2020… Plowing with a half ton is no problem with the right blade… you should see the little shovel I sometimes use. 
Yea where is Dutchy lately?! Is seems to be AWOL from the forums?? Some IF Ladies got him busy??
So if I buy a big diesel pickup and tack on a plow. Get a few contracts for snow removal, I can write off the rest as a business loss (depreciation) and now have a great vehicle for my ice castle ??
The number of trucks that I see pulling ice houses as I return from URL or LOTW is amazing.
by the way I do not own a towable ice house – yet anyways.
Will you be pushing the snow across the road with this light duty plow truck? 
[/quote Tsk, Tsk !
<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>MNdrifter wrote:</div>
Will you be pushing the snow across the road with this light duty plow truck?
[/quote Tsk, Tsk !
No, that house went bye, bye with the divorce. However I will be filling the ditches at this house.
Our going rate to pay a guy with his own truck is $70 hour for a straight blade and $75 hour with a 9’+ V plow, and I would agree with others that to plow your own driveway a half ton will work with a light duty plow. Keep in mind a plow on a half ton voids your warranty. I bought an extended warranty for a 3/4 ton, and the insurance company that carried the warranty voided the warranty because it had a plow. I had to talk to several people at the dealer that sold the warranty to me explaining that they had sold me a worthless warranty on a new truck for $2700 that they knew I was installing a plow on. They did refund my money so that does say a lot about them being a reputable trustworthy dealer, and because of that I will continue to buy trucks from them.
Our going rate to pay a guy with his own truck is $70 hour for a straight blade and $75 hour with a 9’+ V plow, and I would agree with others that to plow your own driveway a half ton will work with a light duty plow. Keep in mind a plow on a half ton voids your warranty. I bought an extended warranty for a 3/4 ton, and the insurance company that carried the warranty voided the warranty because it had a plow. I had to talk to several people at the dealer that sold the warranty to me explaining that they had sold me a worthless warranty on a new truck for $2700 that they knew I was installing a plow on. They did refund my money so that does say a lot about them being a reputable trustworthy dealer, and because of that I will continue to buy trucks from them.
When you bought your new truck did it have the factory snow plow prep package?
I thought about throwing a plow on my daily driver F150, but our go-to mechanic said to avoid it at all costs. Everyone starts by saying they will just plow a small driveway but eventually are helping friends/family, trying to move banks or piles that are too large, and pushing the limits.
We’ve got a nice V plow on an old F350 with a manual transmission that does the trick, but we’ve got quite a few buildings and driveways to deal with (takes roughly 3 hours to clean everything up). Now if we have a measurable snowfall or need to get things done in a hurry, one of us jumps on a tractor while the other runs the farm truck. After feeling the beating it puts on an old heavy truck, I would not advise doing it to a daily driver 1/2 ton.
I’m not sure what the issue is but I tried a couple times to reply to a post and it wouldn’t show up. To who asked if my truck had a snow plow package, yes it did. The factory warranty was fine, but the extended warranty was crap.
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