Snow plow

sota · **Joined:** Fri Aug 07, 2009 7:44 pm **Posts:** 379

TennesseeCRD wrote:

Thanks for the many and varied responses.

I really just need something to plow my own driveway. I do alot of plowing at the golf resort where I work in NC and we use Dodge 3500's but I want to just use what I already have. It is either the CRD or my other ride, a 2002 Chevy Tracker. It has a full frame but has a weak 2.0 4cyl and is much lighter than the Libby. I have to walk in and out many times per winter. My driveway is about 300' long and is kind of tight and up hill to the house and is also north facing so it doesn't melt once the snow lays on it. I don't need a commercial plow, just wandering if the Libby will be sufficient with a small plow for personal use.

I think alot of the arguements here are valid about possible wear and tear on a Liberty being used as a snow plow. That being said I think you'll get away with it IF...
1) you don't get a massively heavy plow (the SnowSport ones come in at about 200# for the plow kit itself. add another 60# or so for the front receiver and you're under 300# mounted on the nose)
2) you take care not to plow like a retarded kamakazi pilot
3) you plow periodically during a storm so as not to let it get too deep.

Also, keep in mind you could always mount the plow on the BACK, which is much more acceptable to supporting heavier weights. However you have to plow in reverse the whole time.

Now I'll grant you I'm a "newbie" to the Liberty in that I just got mine only a couple days ago, but I've spent the better part of 2 years off and on researching one, and one of the tasks I've planned for mine is indeed plowing of my driveway in the winters (maybe even running down to my mom's to plow out hers also.) I have a much smaller driveway to deal with but it's steep, gravel and my entrance gets plowed in heavily by the county's trucks every year.

With that all being said I'd say go for it and let me know how it works out.

1996xj · **Posted:** Tue Dec 14, 2010 10:02 pm

I work on City truck's from 3/4 ton trucks to 7500 internationls and trust me plow's put a lot of stress on balljoint's, axle's, transmission's, engines, frame's !! All I do when the snow start's fliyng, is weld broken gusset's, braces, braket's, HYD hose's, cylinder's. Then after the snow event is over Im looking for loose suspension, tierod's, balljoint's the list goes on and on !! :dizzy:

sota · **Joined:** Fri Aug 07, 2009 7:44 pm **Posts:** 379

1996xj:
I don't think anyone (including myself) would dispute that plowing will put stress on the frame, however I do think the comparison of city trucks (of various sizes) being used to plow 10s if not 100s of miles of streets several times a year with equipment out front that I suspect weighs far in excess of the type of plow choices the OP (and myself) would be looking at procuring and using is a somewhat unreasonable comparison. Honestly I'd expect my total plowing distance and time to be less than a mile and maybe an hour or two TOTAL each year. We won't be traveling at near highway speeds with the plow down, the cutting edge of the plow is rubber (at least the ones I'm looking at are) so it will give if it strikes something and the weight out front as well as the distance out from the front of the vehicle is significantly less.

Again I think it all comes down to implementation and usage. If someone thinks slapping a plow on the front of a Liberty and going out to try and plow an interstate at interstate speeds is a good idea well, they're wrong. However pushing around the snow on one's own driveway a couple times of year,ever getting out of 1st gear (probably even in 4LO too!) and not plowing like an idiot, I don't see that being so significantly stressful as to cause excessive wear and tear. It's all about being smart about it.

tommudd · **Posted:** Wed Dec 15, 2010 10:48 am

I guess no matter what is said some will never know until they have tried it
By the way are you installing heavier springs for the extra weight?
No matter if you are only doing 50 foot of drive way it still is going to put extra stress on everything
Plus look at the cost involved etc
Buy a garden tractor or 4 wheeler that you can use all year long and throw on a blade for winter much better use of $$$
Plus you say only your driveway, just wait till the neighbors see it, and then you'll find yourself plowing snow 4 hours every snow that falls :banghead:

sota · **Joined:** Fri Aug 07, 2009 7:44 pm **Posts:** 379

I have no need for a garden tractor, nor do I need or want a 4-wheeler. as for $$$ factoring the parts in question for the jeep would be about 1/3 to 1/4 the price of a 4-wheeler plus plow, or even a garden tractor. furthermore your average garden tractor (or as we call them, riding mowers) is neither strong enough nor HEAVY enough to push anything over a light dusting any distance down a driveway. I know this from the fact I set this same thing up for my mother and if she gets over 2" of snow it can't physically get enough traction to move more than a couple feet before the buildup is too great.

As for the neighbors... that's their problem. If they want me to plow them out sure I'd do it, for a price. The only driveway other than mine I'd possibly do would be my one neighbor's, and that's only because I technically do OWN his driveway due to easements. Oh and he's a nice older man who comes over and takes care of our cats when we're gone.

TAHOE · **Posted:** Wed Dec 15, 2010 1:26 pm

1996xj wrote:

All I do when the snow start's fliyng, is weld broken gusset's, braces, braket's,....

Now we know why they keep breakin...you're the one welding them.... :ROTFL:

HAHAHAHA, just kidding, you can weld anytihng for me anytime. :wink:

sota wrote:

as for $$$ factoring the parts in question for the jeep would be about 1/3 to 1/4 the price of a 4-wheeler plus plow, or even a garden tractor. furthermore your average garden tractor (or as we call them, riding mowers) is neither strong enough nor HEAVY enough to push anything over a light dusting any distance down a driveway. I know this from the fact I set this same thing up for my mother and if she gets over 2" of snow it can't physically get enough traction to move more than a couple feet before the buildup is too great.

Dude, don't know what kind of tractor you're using, but you need to get rid of it if it can't push more than 2" or you need to learn proper way to use it. I have a small "lawn" tractor with a snow blower that can blow 8-10" of snow at one time. I also have a 12 hp older sears "garden" tractor that will plow/push 4-6" of snow with ease. I am also looking to buy another older decent running sears garden tractor with plow this weekend for $200 WITH plow.... your Liberty plow can't match that price on any given day. There are others on craigslist for under $500 all day long with plow that could adequately do the job.

I'm not trying to argue with you as you stated you don't need/want either 4wheelers or tractor, just disagreeing with your money/costs statements,..... and the point of this thread is the stress put on the unibody of the Libbys' whether you're plowing a 50' drive or Walmart parking lot, something is eventually going to wear out/break using a plow. I had a buddy who owned a F250 built in Canada with snow plow package on it, it was one HD truck, all he plowed was our church lot and a couple of drives, he seemed to always be fixing something on it.

Yeah Tom....I do 4 other neighbors' drives, then have to load up on trailer and go do parents. :dizzy:

TennesseeCRD · **Joined:** Mon Jan 11, 2010 11:01 am **Posts:** 181

Yeah, I think a lawn tractor is out of the question. I'd have to settle for a small farm tractor with ribbed tires if I went that route. I do agree that if this was a full time plow rig that it would take lots of abuse but really it is just for my drive way. I have no neighbors for about a hundred yards or so and they all have better driveways than me. I think I am going to do this. I'm looking for a unit that is light weight and that I can put on and take off as the snow allows. That will leave my machine available for daily driving without having to worry about my wife running the plow into someone's car at the store

.

jinstall · **Posted:** Thu Dec 16, 2010 2:00 pm

TennesseeCRD wrote:

Thanks for the many and varied responses.

I really just need something to plow my own driveway. I do alot of plowing at the golf resort where I work in NC and we use Dodge 3500's but I want to just use what I already have. It is either the CRD or my other ride, a 2002 Chevy Tracker. It has a full frame but has a weak 2.0 4cyl and is much lighter than the Libby. I have to walk in and out many times per winter. My driveway is about 300' long and is kind of tight and up hill to the house and is also north facing so it doesn't melt once the snow lays on it. I don't need a commercial plow, just wandering if the Libby will be sufficient with a small plow for personal use.

For what you described, I think if you could find a small used plow, that would be your ticket. othere than an occasional use for a friends driveway, I would avoid it. The other option would be a used ATV/UTV with a plow on it, but then to costs rise. With the amount of snow NC gets, it is probably an option for your KJ. As long as you do not let it get too deep(3+") and do not run into anything as well as take your time doing it, you should be just fine. Always check the weight of your attachment to make sure it does not exceed any weight limits of a front mounted hitch as this can be a good guide for a plow size. It might take you longer to plow, but it will probably not inflict as much damage as a heavier plow. Also do not use it for anything other than snow, this will cause damage to the attachment as well as your KJ, it is called a snow plow for a reason. Just my $.02 on the topic.

LibertyCRD · **Posted:** Fri Dec 17, 2010 3:48 pm

I'm calling B.S. on all the negativity. They make tow hooks to attach to small portions of the frame that can withstand yanking and jerking the KJ out of a mud pit. They also make full receiver hitches that bolt to the uniframe in the front end that accept 2" ball mounts and are quite capable. So why the h*** couldn't you put a small snowplow on the front?? Especially if it's a fiberglass model. As long as you aren't getting crazy with it and trying to clear highways with 3 foot drifts, you should be fine. Get you a plow and have fun. These Jeeps aren't made of paper.

Straight6Jeff · **Posted:** Fri Dec 17, 2010 4:07 pm

atv plows are great if you have a place to put the snow, but if you have a valley driveway, or have multiple snows in short periods, the atv plow is not high enough to get the snow up and over the banks. I have plowed my Dads drive with my AC500, 7/8 of a mile, and after the 4th or 5th foot of snow, the Honda snowblower came out to launch the snow 100 feet.

sota · **Joined:** Fri Aug 07, 2009 7:44 pm **Posts:** 379

I'm going to start detailing out some info I've been accumulating about various plow choices and stuffing it into this thread for future reference...

SnowSport HD plow...
Weight: 165# including framework (excluding 2" receiver hitch)
Price: $1300 (84") shipped (w/o front hitch)
Pros: lightest weight of all plows I've found so far
.... usable in any 2" receiver so it can be moved to any vehicle easily
.... kinder/gentle to grass/terrain and should skim over gravel driveways
Neutral: aluminum body, rubber cutting edge
Cons: manual movements only for left/center/right
.... lay-back style so you can't "drag" snow with it
.... rubber edge won't cut through ice

SnowBear plow...
(Rocky Road's house-brand plow appears to be the same unit)
Price: $1779 shipped (84" blade)
Pros: powered up/down movement so you can "drag" snow
.... replaceable steel edge, so it'll cut through ice
Cons: Heavier (SnowBear's site says 274.5# assembled plow weight, guess that means framework too)
.... obscures vehicle lights when raised so will probably need light kit @ $189
.... $83 skids will be needed for anything other than hard surfaces
.... will prevent installation of a front receiver hitch since it bolts to the same holes.

Sno-way 22 Series plow...
Price: $3650 !!!!!
Lots of features though.
Hydraulic controls
Looks pretty heavy though

SnowDogg plow...
Price: ???
Cons: HEAVY SUCKER!! (420# to 480# depending on model)

(more to come.)

My opinions so far... subject change as I collect more info.

If you want the cheapest answer, don't have miles to plow, or get light to semi-light snowfall the SnowSport HD is probably the choice.
If you want something more substantial without crushing your front end into the earth and allows you to drag snow away from things I'd say the SnowBear/Rocky-Road unit.
If you want all kinds of bells and whistles then the Sno-Way plow is your choice.
I can't honestly see using the SnowDogg simply because of the suspension crushing weight out front. It's just too darn heavy.

Personally, I think i'm starting to lean towards the SnowBear/Rocky-Road unit and see if later on I can't adapt/modify the mount to work with a front receiver... or rather modify the bracketry for the front receiver to accept the mount. :mrgreen:

It's a bit more than the SnowSport HD (nearly 60% more) but the ability to raise/lower the blade from in cabin and to drag snow would be a plus for me.

sota · **Joined:** Fri Aug 07, 2009 7:44 pm **Posts:** 379

figured I'd update this thread rather than start a new one.

decided to start my search for purchase early this year, rather than wait for the snows to clobber me again and be all :furious:

found 2 other choices (well, 1 really...)

Fisher Homesteader and Western Suburbanite plows. Literally it's the same plow just different color.

Weight: 6'8" blade kit: 250# ... 7'4" blade kit: 270#
Price: 6'8 kit $3525
... 7'4" kit $3625
... shipping was included in these prices
... kit includes everything including correct vehicle specific "pecular" mount
Pros: easy on and off assembly. comes complete with everything including lights.
... blade can be set to float over surface or "locked" down for back dragging.
...... note this "locked" down position isn't the pump pushing the blade down, but they have a valving system that closes the line so that the blade can't push back up. guess you could call it a passive lock. seems to work though and it doesn't beat up the pump or rig trying to lift the front end up.
... blade can "spring" if you strike something, to lessen the chance of breaking the plow or damaging your rig.
... fully self-contained hydraulic system so no tying into things like the power steering pump.
... in-cab controller is easy to use for up/down and left/right.
... many reviewers have positive things to say to about the unit and the company behind it.
Neutral: poly blade edge.
Cons: a little portly. has many plugs you need to connect to the vehicle for things like lights, power, controls ,etc.
... a bit pricey, but is it a case of you get what you pay for?

based on reading my prior notes, it almost looks like these 2 give you the best of both the Snowaway (features, self-contained hydraulic action) and the light(er) weight of the SnowBear.

EDITED FOR PRICING QUOTES.

Snow plow

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