4 Considerations When Buying a Snowplow

Is your truck ready for winter weather?

As it continues to get colder out this fall, it’s time to start making preparations for winter weather. Maybe you’re thinking of making some money off this year’s big winter storms or simply want to stay ahead of the curve when it comes to clearing the snow from your driveway. Either way, buying a new snowplow requires a number of key considerations.

What Kind of Truck Do You Have?

Your truck will play a major role in determining the brand, size and model of snowplow you can get. Technically, any truck smaller than ¾ ton is not a snowplow truck, but many manufacturers still make plows that can fit SUV’s, Quarter-Ton and Half-Ton Trucks. Also keep in mind that diesel trucks have heavier motors that can limit the size of the plow you can get. Make sure you know your truck’s headlight style, FGAWR, RGAWR, and GVWR.

What Kind of Plowing Will You Be Doing?

Are you planning to plow small lots of big commercial lots? Driveways or apartments full of parked cars? Expandable plows are great for clearing lots of varying sizes because of the flexibility and plowing capacity they can provide. V-plows are superior to straight blades for creating paths and stacking/scooping with massive amounts of snow. A back-mounted plow will improve your efficiency if you are clearing a lot of driveways or backdragging.

What Materials Should You Choose?

Steel plows have been the industry standard for decades, but their susceptibility to rust has gave rise to poly and stainless as popular alternatives. Poly is the slickest material and snow will not stick to the blade as much as other materials. It is also corrosion and scratch resistant. Stainless steel has more visual appeal than poly and also corrosion resistance, but it’s more prone to dings and denting. Mild steel remains a snowplow workhorse with great durability, rigidity and excellent value.

Straight or V Plows

Both types of plows are tough enough to get the job done, but straight blades are typically the bigger seller as they are less costly. However, a v-plow offers multi-position capabilities and is able to better direct snow than a straight blade. For example, a v-plow can stack snow by using a scoop position. It’s also easier to slice through snow that has frozen overnight with a v-plow.

Truck Accessories from Trick Trucks

Looking to get your truck ready for your next road trip? Trick Trucks is here to help. .