Homemade Snowplow

[willy]

I posted a while back asking if anyone ever made a homemade snowplow. I wont go into all of the details of the original post - here is the link:

http://www.millerwelds.com/education/projects/mboard/showthread.php?t=1905

Finally got it done
A friend of mine gave me a hydraulic pump so I scratched the idea of a manual angle blade with a winch for the lift. The free truck I got ended up shooting a rod out the side of the block before I could get it into the shop, not to mention the bellhousing cracked all the way around (the motor, tranny, and transfer case set me back a few weeks). Here are several pictures - I have reduced all of them for people on Dial up so you cant see a whole lot of detail. If anyone wants to see the larger sized pics let me know. I took it out today on its maiden voyage and everything worked great - just need to adjust the tension on the springs a little...enjoy

[willy]

More pics

a few more pics

[willy]

and some more......

[willy]

and some more.....

[willy]

More pictures.....

[willy]

Again, more pictures

[willy]

last page of pics

[migman69]

nice looking plow there! what was the cost difference between you fabing your own and buying a meyer max or something did you spend more or save money?

[TJS]

Nice. I did not see any pics of the trip mechanism. Can you post some pics of this. Also what pump do you have, belt driven or a self contained electric unit.
T.J.

[willy]

nice looking plow there! what was the cost difference between you fabing your own and buying a meyer max or something did you spend more or save money?

Kind of hard to answer that. Most of the metal I already had from other projects so I dont know about the cost there. Lift Cylinders, hydraulic lines and fittings were probably around $200 and Im sure there is another couple hundred for misc stuff - bolts, pins, sanding discs etc. I was, however, to the point where I didnt care what it cost as I was on a mission to prove a guy wrong that yes, a guy can build one Thanks for your comments!

[willy]

Nice. I did not see any pics of the trip mechanism. Can you post some pics of this. Also what pump do you have, belt driven or a self contained electric unit.
T.J.

I'll get some pics of that for you - maybe after you see it you may be able to give me a little advice on setting the springs correctly. The pump is a self contained electric unit. Not new by any means - it came out of an old State snow plow truck.

[KBar]

Willy, nice job on the plow, I would take it by and rub it under his nose now

If I may offer some advice though, it looks like your plow shoes are rectangular, this is ok if there are no obstacles but if there is anyplace where the shoe can turn sideways and catch something, it will (Murphys Law) I plow streets and had one do that at a set of railroad tracks, more fun than a roller coaster We now use all round plow shoes. Also, on your lifting chain, I would move that as close to the moldboard as possible, it will lift much easier putting less strain on the motor.

Also, you cant go wrong with such a nice shop foreman but where is his helmet ?

[willy]

Willy, nice job on the plow, I would take it by and rub it under his nose now

If I may offer some advice though, it looks like your plow shoes are rectangular, this is ok if there are no obstacles but if there is anyplace where the shoe can turn sideways and catch something, it will (Murphys Law) I plow streets and had one do that at a set of railroad tracks, more fun than a roller coaster We now use all round plow shoes. Also, on your lifting chain, I would move that as close to the moldboard as possible, it will lift much easier putting less strain on the motor

If it wasnt 30 miles to his house I'd go plow in his driveway
Pictures should be punishment enough for him.
Good advice on the shoes and the lift chain - never though of that. I'm just going to use it here at home so I really don't have any obstacles that I would hit, but I know how my luck is - you probably just jinxed me
Thanks for the advice - thats why I visit this site!

[KBar]

If it wasnt 30 miles to his house I'd go plow in his driveway
Pictures should be punishment enough for him.
Good advice on the shoes and the lift chain - never though of that. I'm just going to use it here at home so I really don't have any obstacles that I would hit, but I know how my luck is - you probably just jinxed me
Thanks for the advice - thats why I visit this site!

Our luck sounds the same.

To be honest, the shoes can even turn in stone and tear the heck out of things.

The plow I was using at the time was a 10' Valk plow on a 10 ton dump fully loaded for weight so you can imagine the ride I had. (60' wide street) Been doing it 30 years and getting too old for it, soon ready to retire from that part.

[ranchersam]

nice job! what's the spec on the moldboard "skin"? what guage steel etc, and how did you bend it to the contour of the ribs?