Truck Snow Plow
Using a light weight snow plow you can now turn your truck into good use. To find out more I interviewed John Lavalle who knows a lot about snow plows and their usage.
Thrandur: Tell me a little bit about yourself and why you know so much about snow plows.
John: I am 60 yrs old and for 15 yrs I have owned 2 apartment complexes in the foot hills of the Adirondack Mountains of upstate New York that include 2 tenant parking lots and driveways, Over the years snow removal has often been difficult and expensive. For some time I used a Western Electric plow on a Chevy Blazer but often experienced problems with the electronics, hydraulics and the mount/removal of the heavy unit. Untimely break-downs were frequent. I then decided to hire a plowing contractor which due to a heavier usual snow fall season was extremely expensive. I purchased my first Snowsport Plow 4 seasons ago and have successfully used it ever since. I was so happy with the unit that I became a Snowsport dealer the second year.
 |
Thrandur: Describe a typical snow problem a 4x4 truck owner experiences and how the snow plow helps.
John: Getting to the removal of snow quickly is critical. The Snowsport HD Plow is easy to mount and therefor allows me to get to the new fallen snow before it is driven on and packed down.
Thrandur: What are the top benefits (3-7) your snow plow provides?
John: The Snowsport HD Plow is easy to mount, is turf friendly, requires no axillary headlights, has angle setting (left, right and straight pushing), has no electronic/hydraulic connections, Fits most 4X4 SUVs/trucks and is inexpensive to own (MSRP is under $1600).
Thrandur: How heavy is it and can one man handle the setup?
John: The plow blade itself weights just over 100 pounds and the push frame weight is under 50 pounds. One man can mount the plow in less than 2 minutes.
Thrandur: Describe the typical way I would use the plow.
John: After mounting you would drive up to the snow field, set the desired angle, remove the retainer pins to drop the plow blade, and begin pushing snow. When you drive in reverse the blade lays back and skips over the snow for the return pass.
Thrandur: How deep can the snow be in practice?
John: I have used this plow in 12"+ snowfalls.
Thrandur: What vehicles are best equipped for snow plowing (weight, engine torque, hp...)?
John: I use a Nissan Frontier PU with a V6 engine equipped with mud and snow tires. This combo works great. Larger or smaller vehicles have had equal results.
Thrandur: Tell me about maintenance and durability?
John: Making sure that nuts and bolts are tight is about the only required maintenance tasks. The aluminum extruded plow blade of course doesn't rust or require painting. I have repainted the steel push frame though twice in 4 years. The manufacturer, ACI now offers a three year warranty on parts.
Thrandur: Anything you would like to add?
John: The Snowsport Plow Comes in 3 different applications: The HD that I use, One for ATVs and a lighter duty unit called the 180 that can be used on any full size vehicle that has a 2" class II hitch. I have never used the 180 as the pushing is done in reverse.
Thrandur: Thanks for taking the time to make this interview John and have a great new year!
Thrandur
4x4OffRoads.com