ATV Plow questions.

admin

recently picked up a 4x4 quad and would like to build a plow for it. I can't justify $500 for a store bought version.Does anyone one have either a home built, or store bought plow for their ATV? I'm looking for lots of pictures and measurements. Not sure if I want to do a straight blade or go all out and do an adjustable V blade. Pics, drawings, Measurements, and suggestions are all welcome. I've already got the winch for lifting.Thanks in advance.I should explain that I'm thinking about doing one that just goes into the hitch in the back as opposed to mounting in the middle of the quad. but will take suggestions either way. looking to do a 48" or 50" blade. It's a Polaris Hawkeye 300 4x4. and before you ask, the most snow I've seen here in the last 20 yrs is about a foot. so it's not going to be pushing a huge amount of snow if and when it gets used.There are no problems. There are only solutions. It's your duty to determine the right one.Hobart Handler 210Airco 225 Amp MSM Stinger
Reply:I've seen some home built ones, including some that hook to the hitch at the back.  Most get raised and lowered by the front winch.  Haven't seen one yet I would trade for the quick attach one I bought for mine.   Could have copied it and built one, but for $500 I didn't see much point in building one by the time you buy all the steel and get the plate for  the blade rolled."The reason we are here is that we are not all there"SA 200Idealarc TM 300 300MM 200MM 25130a SpoolgunPrecision Tig 375Invertec V350 ProSC-32 CS 12 Wire FeederOxweld/Purox O/AArcAirHypertherm Powermax 85LN25
Reply:I need to head over to the shop before Friday. I've got two or three old plows either from tractors or ATV's in the barn. I'm not sure how buried they are, but I'll try and shoot some picts where they sit and see if any of them are of use to you if I remember. If so I'll see about trying to get some more info when I get back to the shop later next week..No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth! Ronald Reagan
Reply:Originally Posted by DSWI need to head over to the shop before Friday. I've got two or three old plows either from tractors or ATV's in the barn. I'm not sure how buried they are, but I'll try and shoot some picts where they sit and see if any of them are of use to you if I remember. If so I'll see about trying to get some more info when I get back to the shop later next week.
Reply:Google "plans for ATV plow".  There a bunch of links for plans.  Don't know how good the are.
Reply:Originally Posted by shortfuseGoogle "plans for ATV plow".  There a bunch of links for plans.  Don't know how good the are.
Reply:This one is "close" but I would prefer it to just mount in the hitch only. that way it's a quick connect situation. pivot point in the back too.http://www.bigredforums.com/forums/g...snow-plow.htmlThere are no problems. There are only solutions. It's your duty to determine the right one.Hobart Handler 210Airco 225 Amp MSM Stinger
Reply:I built one a few years back and used water heater tank for the mold board (free).  Seem to remember alot of turmoil over its use at the time but it held up great to much use.  The plow was a cycle country copy and the "A" frame attached to the middle of the quad with two pins and raised via winch.  My new plow is a moose rapid mount 3 system.  I welded a reciever to the bottom of my winch mount and the plow mount slides in one pin and it pivots up out of the way so no ground clearance issues.  Don't have pictures of it but could get you some Wendsday if needed.  TB
Reply:Originally Posted by dichdocI built one a few years back and used water heater tank for the mold board (free).  Seem to remember alot of turmoil over its use at the time but it held up great to much use.  The plow was a cycle country copy and the "A" frame attached to the middle of the quad with two pins and raised via winch.  My new plow is a moose rapid mount 3 system.  I welded a reciever to the bottom of my winch mount and the plow mount slides in one pin and it pivots up out of the way so no ground clearance issues.  Don't have pictures of it but could get you some Wendsday if needed.  TB
Reply:Pick one up used on craigslist.... should be able to find one for $200-$300Far less fitment and design time, would recommend a legit blade edge upgrade though not the thin crappy stock version.Worked great for me and came with the quick disconnect so it's a snap to put on/ take off.Unless of course you're in need of a fairly complex project, or plan on getting by as simply/crudely as possible.
Reply:Originally Posted by bigshooterPick one up used on craigslist.... should be able to find one for $200-$300Far less fitment and design time, would recommend a legit blade edge upgrade though not the thin crappy stock version.Worked great for me and came with the quick disconnect so it's a snap to put on/ take off.Unless of course you're in need of a fairly complex project, or plan on getting by as simply/crudely as possible.
Reply:I don't have any pics for you but what I did when I built one for my Polaris 500 sportsman was to go to the dealers and look over the store bought ones. Made some mental notes and went home and built it. I did not have a winch at the time so I had to lift it manually. As far as "rolling" the steel for the blade, all I did was put it in the brake and broke it every 1.5 to 2" increments. One piece of advice I will offer is DON'T make it too light. I did on the first one I built and it would just bounce around. The second version would plow snow like a mo-fo. good luckps, I made the blade 60" wide.
Reply:Originally Posted by dave_dj1I don't have any pics for you but what I did when I built one for my Polaris 500 sportsman was to go to the dealers and look over the store bought ones. Made some mental notes and went home and built it. I did not have a winch at the time so I had to lift it manually. As far as "rolling" the steel for the blade, all I did was put it in the brake and broke it every 1.5 to 2" increments. One piece of advice I will offer is DON'T make it too light. I did on the first one I built and it would just bounce around. The second version would plow snow like a mo-fo. good luckps, I made the blade 60" wide.
Reply:My wheeler is a 250 Suzuki 4WD. My blade is one I found at the county dump made for a garden tractor so I adapted it to fit. It's 54" wide and 'ol Suzi has no problem w/ it.                                            MikeOl' Stonebreaker  "Experience is the name everyone gives to their mistakes"Hobart G-213 portableMiller 175 migMiller thunderbolt ac/dc stick Victor O/A setupMakita chop saw
Reply:just built a simple crude mount for a 660 grizzly to mount a Moose mid mount plow. i think it will break before the winter ends seems cheaply made.I agree on making it have some heft to scrape nicelywith the rear mount you want might have clearance issue so give a 2x4 a test on passing under the bike while wired up to the hitch to give you an idea on where you will need to put bends in the push tubes.  What do you have in mind for lateral control to keep it centered under the bike while pushing with the blade angled?
Reply:What? Do you think it's going to snow this year?  It's been pretty darn mild out our way.Check out this one made from an old hot water heater:http://www.mytractorforum.com/showthread.php?t=67335They have a commercial one across the street. Sometimes he does my side walk for fun. It's hand actuated and does a great job. Plus if you put a plow on the quad nobody bats an eye if you run around on it... without the plow and they write you a ticket.  It's as if the plow make you invisible.
Reply:Originally Posted by forhireWhat? Do you think it's going to snow this year?  It's been pretty darn mild out our way.Check out this one made from an old hot water heater:http://www.mytractorforum.com/showthread.php?t=67335They have a commercial one across the street. Sometimes he does my side walk for fun. It's hand actuated and does a great job. Plus if you put a plow on the quad nobody bats an eye if you run around on it... without the plow and they write you a ticket.  It's as if the plow make you invisible.
Reply:what make model do you have ?  Like stated,  check what is manufactured for your machine and duplicate. There are all kinds out there.http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=...plow&FORM=IGRECheck this out from another site.http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/s...d.php?t=183231 may require you to sign up to view pictures.Last edited by BD1; 01-15-2013 at 02:37 PM.
Reply:Originally Posted by BD1what make model do you have ?  Like stated,  check what is manufactured for your machine and duplicate. There are all kinds out there.http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=...plow&FORM=IGRECheck this out from another site.http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/s...d.php?t=183231 may require you to sign up to view pictures.
Reply:so I measured the grill and the main body is 35" long and has 40" of the circumfrance still in one peice and is around 1/8" thick. So I'll cut it in half lengthwise. then cut the ends off and weld the two sections together. Cut the smoker box the same and add it to the ends as wings. I may need to cut the width of the blade down though... otherwise the plow will end up 104" wide... I'll add a 1/4" cutting blade to the bottom and frame to the back to keep it from getting bent all out of shape.still need to do some research on how I'm going to build the mount. but The blade, which was the hard part, is well on it's way.There are no problems. There are only solutions. It's your duty to determine the right one.Hobart Handler 210Airco 225 Amp MSM Stinger
Reply:http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/a...1&d=1358264897  I found one that looks pretty easy.  Not fancy.
Reply:No hitch on the front of the quad, and masivingly limited ground clearance with that design.I'll only lose 1.25" of ground clearance with the design I have in mind. and with the plow up it should be above the front storage rack, completely out of the way.There are no problems. There are only solutions. It's your duty to determine the right one.Hobart Handler 210Airco 225 Amp MSM Stinger
Reply:I don't remember the exact thickness, I think it was 1/8" ,maybe a little less. The mount on one that I bought for a Polaris was just two plates that mounted onto the bottom of the foot boars with some u bolts. I took the mounts off in the spring.
Reply:Attachment 305091Attachment 305101I'd never seen this style when I bought the blade. Made the mount to fit the front receiver.
Reply:Dich,your attachment's don't work.There are no problems. There are only solutions. It's your duty to determine the right one.Hobart Handler 210Airco 225 Amp MSM StingerApparently Tappa Talk isn't my friend... Lets try again Attached Images
Reply:I'm still debating the mounting I'm going to do. I like the idea of having it be quick connect, but I don't want anything hanging down to get hung up on stuff when I don't have the plow on. and I'm not sure I want to weld a receiver under the winch mount.... gotta noodle it out some more. Keep the pictures coming on the different designs though. and thanks to those who have already posted pics.There are no problems. There are only solutions. It's your duty to determine the right one.Hobart Handler 210Airco 225 Amp MSM Stinger
Reply:The more research I do into these the more I'm apt to go with a mid mount system or trying to fab my own version of a Glacier 3 system. I'm going to crawl under the quad some more tonight to see what I think I can do about getting something mid mounted that doesn't hang down below the frame. I will keep you guys posted. Please don't stop collecting pictures though. I'm still not 100% of any design and the more I can see the better I will be able to make the appropriate choice.There are no problems. There are only solutions. It's your duty to determine the right one.Hobart Handler 210Airco 225 Amp MSM Stinger
Reply:for those of you with plows on your ATV's, what size material is being used for the push frame?From what I can tell, most use 1/8" plate for the mounting systems and maybe a 1/2" or 5/8" rod for a quick connect points. Why does this seem a bit light to me?There are no problems. There are only solutions. It's your duty to determine the right one.Hobart Handler 210Airco 225 Amp MSM Stinger
Reply:A Hawkeye is not big or heavy duty, putting a receiver in the front of the frame is not a great idea.  You want to go mid mount.  I sell the American Manufacturing Eagle plow almost exclusively.  Probably the nicest mid mount out there and unless you really need something to do; aside from being well designed, not a bad deal.  If you really have to build one that is what I'd copy.
Reply:the moose plow i have here did not come with a mounting plate i made it. but the pins are 5/16" and the push tube is a pair of 1.25" square (guessing) by maybe 3/32 wall, i will go measure the plow and snap a few pictures once the kids are down for a nap
Reply:Crash,Thanks alot, that would be greatly appreciated.Cd19,Pictures and measurements would be helpful. And yes, I really need something to do. and seeing as how I've already got most of what I need to build it, unless your's is under $120 shipped, It's more than I'm willing to pay. I'm definately willing to take a look at the design though.I don't like the idea of a receiver on the front either. The frame is only 1" square tubing. Not something I want to be bashing on to much. Like I said , We don't get feet of snow, so I think I should be good. We pay someone to plow the driveway at our cabin with a bulldozer, so I have not intention of taking it up there for that. Right now I'm leaning hard toward a knockoff of the glacier 3 design. where its a quick connect system that mounts on the front and the middle of the plow. I should be able to get the design done and only lose about 2" of ground clearance when it's on and 0 loss when it's off and no need to remove the mounts.There are no problems. There are only solutions. It's your duty to determine the right one.Hobart Handler 210Airco 225 Amp MSM Stinger
Reply:Seems i was off while guessing measurements a little.
Reply:so 1.5" square 1/8" wall, 3/8" pin. Is it safe to say the plate the pin goes through is 3/8" as well?There are no problems. There are only solutions. It's your duty to determine the right one.Hobart Handler 210Airco 225 Amp MSM Stinger
Reply:its 1/4" i need to grab another picture for you of the side profile of the push tube.In the first pic i posted about 3-4" behind the start of the push tube it bends up a few degres and back in the last 1/4 it does againred lines are where bends are you can see the depressed pockets the factory leftUploaded with ImageShack.us
Reply:yeah, I know most of them have a bend or two in the system. I'll see what design I go with, but right now the push tube has on "bend" (read angle) in it. I'll just miter the tube and add bracing at the joint.There are no problems. There are only solutions. It's your duty to determine the right one.Hobart Handler 210Airco 225 Amp MSM Stinger
Reply:crash,You said you made the mounting plate. can you get pictures of that too?There are no problems. There are only solutions. It's your duty to determine the right one.Hobart Handler 210Airco 225 Amp MSM Stinger
Reply:Thor,I didn't take any pictures of the mount when i made it was just a toss together to see what works and doesn't. it was a ROYAL pain to put on and on the bench fitment was good for the plow hook up laying on my back under the machine i wish i made it "looser" in the ears so there is more play (only left 1/16" on each mount)I took a load of pictures tonight when i went to put the blade on as its calling for a 4-10" drop of snow. I will snap some mount pictures when i get a chance tomorrow.  I suggest that since your making your own find a way to mount the plow on without having to lay on the ground. View standing on its faceblade held on table shows a 5-6 degree angle up from the center tube first bend roughly a foot from the end4 feet length of push tube
Reply:Crash
Reply:Thanks for the pictures Crash! Right now the plan is to copy the Glacier 3 plow design, where it attaches to the front of the ATV,  You then drive the ATV forward and it attaches in the mid point of the ATV. Both are quick connects with release cables that go to the front attachment point. All you have to do after that is attach the winch and you're ready to plow.There are no problems. There are only solutions. It's your duty to determine the right one.Hobart Handler 210Airco 225 Amp MSM Stinger
Reply:Originally Posted by ThorsHammerThanks for the pictures Crash! Right now the plan is to copy the Glacier 3 plow design, where it attaches to the front of the ATV,  You then drive the ATV forward and it attaches in the mid point of the ATV. Both are quick connects with release cables that go to the front attachment point. All you have to do after that is attach the winch and you're ready to plow.
Reply:I'm sure you'll be fine. because of the cross bracing already built into the push tubes you're already reducing the angle load on the tubes themselves. the stress is all at the attachment point and thats heavier by design.not to mention with the angle plowing you're not getting the full force and the lateral forces aren't as great as you might think. http://www.gearup2go.com/atv/polaris...m-2878228.htmlThere are no problems. There are only solutions. It's your duty to determine the right one.Hobart Handler 210Airco 225 Amp MSM Stinger
Reply:interesting mountPics of the mount i made in haste. and it was -25c out so that's what you get for now lol  its just a quick crude plate that has 2 cross bars over top of the frame the rear bar crosses over the plow pivot and the upper bar is against the frame braces keeping it from pushing to the rear any cross bars are 1/4" flat stock 2" wide i think  and the rear one has a 1/8 or 3/16 thick 3/4" flat welded on edge to give strength as its tighten down hard and the front without bows when tight
Reply:Crash,Thank you again for the pics. You really didn't need to got out in that could to get pictures. Honestly, it can wait for warmer weather.There are no problems. There are only solutions. It's your duty to determine the right one.Hobart Handler 210Airco 225 Amp MSM Stinger