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| | Plowing w/a half ton GM K1500? | |
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+5Pooge 1984twodoor boojum 95brmw Matt Trakker 9 posters | Author | Message |
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Matt Trakker
Posts : 5093 Join date : 2009-07-30 Age : 42 Location : Reading, MA
| Subject: Plowing w/a half ton GM K1500? Tue Jan 04, 2011 9:53 pm | |
| I'm toying with the idea of putting a plow on my Blazer next winter unless I have something else to plow with instead. I was always timid about doing so because it's a 1/2 ton truck, but I've seen a few 2 dr Tahoes with them. My friend has an F150 that's about 10 years old, with a 7.5' Fisher I believe, that he does driveways with, along with a few of my friends who have 3/4 tons (Ford and a Silverado). He says it's actually not that heavy for a steel plow and has a plastic or maybe urethane cutting edge on the bottom of it.
I've never plowed before but I think it couldn't hurt to have one to do my own as well as a few other driveways for extra cash. My truck has 233K on it now, but is in decent shape, and I think if I take it easy (no one else would be trying to plow with it), maybe it would hold up. It has has the 14 bolt in it essentially making it equal to the light duty six lug 2500s as I see it, just with a tighter turning radius. I do have my t-bars cranked an inch or two, blocks and helper springs in the back, and Bilstein HDs. I've been digging online and I've seen people mention "Timbrens", but I think they're just some sort of bump stop that's a different size or something? I don't want to collpase the hell out of my front end, one of the Tahoes I saw looked like Yokosuna did a bellyflop onto the hood from the top of an Olympic diving board the springs were so compressed down.
Anyone else plow with something lighter duty? I might have another truck by then, I doubt I'll be selling this one though. | |
| | | Guest Guest
| Subject: Re: Plowing w/a half ton GM K1500? Tue Jan 04, 2011 10:04 pm | |
| Dude, I have plowed with a jeep cj-5. I have even seen plow setups on subarus. |
| | | 95brmw
Posts : 1434 Join date : 2009-11-10 Age : 39 Location : Connecticut
| Subject: Re: Plowing w/a half ton GM K1500? Tue Jan 04, 2011 10:09 pm | |
| A friend of mine has a fisher plow on his 95 tahoe, its around 7.5'. He has never had any issues with it. I think as long as its 4wd your fine. | |
| | | boojum
Posts : 2182 Join date : 2009-01-21 Age : 36 Location : NH
| Subject: Re: Plowing w/a half ton GM K1500? Tue Jan 04, 2011 10:27 pm | |
| The Fisher is a bit heavy for that truck but it can be done. I have one on mine. I certainly wouldn't add a steel edge. The plow really lightens up the rear end, a lot. If I had to do it again I'd try get a lighter plow even though they don't work quite as good.
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| | | 1984twodoor
Posts : 4068 Join date : 2010-03-30 Age : 30 Location : Wilmington/Wakefield/Andover
| Subject: Re: Plowing w/a half ton GM K1500? Tue Jan 04, 2011 10:30 pm | |
| - 95brmw wrote:
- A friend of mine has a fisher plow on his 95 tahoe, its around 7.5'. He has never had any issues with it. I think as long as its 4wd your fine.
My friends dad plows with his wrangler. He's got a poly blade and airbags in front and its a BEAST! I'd look into a poly blade BOSS plow. | |
| | | Pooge
Posts : 1700 Join date : 2009-03-24
| Subject: Re: Plowing w/a half ton GM K1500? Wed Jan 05, 2011 11:53 am | |
| You can buy a "yard truck" with a decent plow, V8 power, and rust/rot for anywhere in the $1000 range. As long as you don't mind a spare vehicle around your property that is really the way to go.
3 years ago I bought a 77 F350 with an 8" hydrolic plow for $1200. The first year I put $7 into it, the next I put $18, and this year I am actually having a neighbor take a couple days and go through the brakes. I imagine I'll end up with $300 into it this year. So for 3 years of plowing it has cost me $1550 and I am sure the next couple years will be back in the sub $50 a year range now that the brakes are covered. There is really nothing else on the truck I care about not working as long as the 351 keeps chugging along.
It also comes in handy for pushing parts cars around during the summer.
Just my experience... I'm betting it would cost all of that $1550 to put a used plow on your truck and then the extra wear on the 1500 grade parts will help facilitate fast need for ball joints and such on a vehicle you drive all year long.
Doug | |
| | | onehunglo
Posts : 315 Join date : 2009-01-25 Age : 46 Location : Raymond, NH
| Subject: Re: Plowing w/a half ton GM K1500? Wed Jan 05, 2011 3:28 pm | |
| ^^^^^ That guy's wicked smaaht | |
| | | Matt Trakker
Posts : 5093 Join date : 2009-07-30 Age : 42 Location : Reading, MA
| Subject: Re: Plowing w/a half ton GM K1500? Wed Jan 05, 2011 7:46 pm | |
| - Pooge wrote:
- You can buy a "yard truck" with a decent plow, V8 power, and rust/rot for anywhere in the $1000 range. As long as you don't mind a spare vehicle around your property that is really the way to go.
3 years ago I bought a 77 F350 with an 8" hydrolic plow for $1200. The first year I put $7 into it, the next I put $18, and this year I am actually having a neighbor take a couple days and go through the brakes. I imagine I'll end up with $300 into it this year. So for 3 years of plowing it has cost me $1550 and I am sure the next couple years will be back in the sub $50 a year range now that the brakes are covered. There is really nothing else on the truck I care about not working as long as the 351 keeps chugging along.
It also comes in handy for pushing parts cars around during the summer.
Just my experience... I'm betting it would cost all of that $1550 to put a used plow on your truck and then the extra wear on the 1500 grade parts will help facilitate fast need for ball joints and such on a vehicle you drive all year long.
Doug This is what I was trying to get opinions on. My friends want me to get together with them and help do plow accounts, I just didn't really want to use my Blazer for it because I'm afraid I'd ruin it. I'd rather use something that's got an old 3spd auto and is at least a 3/4 ton, ya know? We'll see. Maybe if I have the cash this spring or summer I'll look around at trucks with plows. | |
| | | Matt Trakker
Posts : 5093 Join date : 2009-07-30 Age : 42 Location : Reading, MA
| Subject: Re: Plowing w/a half ton GM K1500? Sat Mar 12, 2011 6:41 pm | |
| With the weather getting nicer and the plow season winding down I've been seeing trucks/plows for sale-
I've been looking in the 3500-4500 range (that's the absolute highest I would bother swapping vehicles and everything for, and it would have to be nice and have a plow included) and have seen things from:
A mid 80s K20 pickup, clean body with apparently no rot, carb 350/TH400, mint interior, Fisher plow, real nice looking truck that supposedly has no issues and was well cared for.
...to things like 90s K2500s with plows for the same price range with Vortec engines and 150K~ miles on them.
Now, what would you guys consider to be the better of the two? An older truck will have lower insurance costs, and old Chevys like that are easy to repair and sturdy as hell with a TH400 being kind of indestructible and cheap to rebuild even if it happened... but the bodies can get ruined from salt. If I had something like that I'd have to go nuts "rustproofing" inside the doors, all underneath, try to find ways into the rockers and cabcorners, otherwise I'd feel bad about driving it in the road salt. Also, carbs kinda suck in the winter, right?
However a newer 90s K2500, while more rust resistant, practical, and economical in the MPG department, would likely have intake gasket issues at some point in its life if a Vortec motor, have certain things that suck to get at like brake light switches (if a 95-99 truck) compared to the old metal dash 80s trucks, have to pass emissions if a 96+ OBD2 vehicle, cost more to insure...
Kinda hard to decide what to go with! I like both kinds of trucks so I guess it doesn't really matter if it's nice. Maybe I should just focus on TBI trucks of any kind. I gotta get something, I'd like to start doing little minor landscaping jobs on the side via CL or whatever as well with it. | |
| | | sdstick
Posts : 4292 Join date : 2009-03-20 Location : Revere, MA
| Subject: Re: Plowing w/a half ton GM K1500? Sat Mar 12, 2011 11:03 pm | |
| Get something you can pay for in a season. Dont try to mate for life. Use it, abuse it, make your $ & flip it. Let it live for the present & make you money. Otherwise you'll spend more wiping its undercarriage then you'll pocket. Not specifically helpful advise on WHICH truck but maybe the dollars & cents will help you decide. | |
| | | 96Brougham
Posts : 819 Join date : 2009-02-02 Age : 36 Location : Easton MA
| Subject: Re: Plowing w/a half ton GM K1500? Sun Mar 13, 2011 10:03 am | |
| I'd get an older blazer or k10 with front leaf springs.. Trucks with torsion bars sag too much with a plow on the front, for my liking... | |
| | | Matt Trakker
Posts : 5093 Join date : 2009-07-30 Age : 42 Location : Reading, MA
| Subject: Re: Plowing w/a half ton GM K1500? Sun Mar 13, 2011 3:13 pm | |
| - sdstick wrote:
- Get something you can pay for in a season.
Dont try to mate for life. Use it, abuse it, make your $ & flip it. Let it live for the present & make you money. Otherwise you'll spend more wiping its undercarriage then you'll pocket. Not specifically helpful advise on WHICH truck but maybe the dollars & cents will help you decide. I'd do that, but I don't think I have the room for too many vehicles around, I'm trying to figure out a way for juggling stuff...lol I need a truck I can depend on for work and plow with at the same time...but, we'll see. Paul I was interested in that older 80s Chevy since it'll have leaves all around and no t-bars. I know the 2500s with the t-bars are "okay" but still... | |
| | | mega
Posts : 907 Join date : 2011-03-01 Age : 43 Location : Hyannis, ma
| Subject: Re: Plowing w/a half ton GM K1500? Sun Mar 13, 2011 3:37 pm | |
| i dont know if they still make em but ive seem those clear plows on like s10's with 4x4 so it is possible but id put a few cinderblocks in the rear just to keep it balanced. try here http://www.tsanchezltd.com/Blizzard_SUV_Snow_Plows_Detail.html | |
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