Sod / Gravel Guard for snow plow

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Been trying to get time to get this done for a couple years now and finally got it done.Not an original idea, but rather an honest attempt at piracy on my part.sorry, no closeups of the welds... but picture a newbie with moderate skill running 3/32" 6011 @75amps, and that's what they look like.the bolts holding it to the plow are 5/16" gr 5 bolts with the first nut torqued to 7 ft-lbs, and the second nut torqued to 17 ft-lbs (the correct way of using a jam nut)the only thing left to do is close up the ends to prevent them from cracking.  I plan on cutting some half-moon shaped pieces and weld that to the pipe and strap to close it up. I'll do that at the end of the snow season.  i'm not taking it off if i don't have to.any and all comments are welcome!
Reply:I think making what Fisher uses would have been easier..See part# 100....I have some I would have sent you for free......zap!Last edited by zapster; 11-27-2013 at 12:33 PM.I am not completely insane..Some parts are missing Professional Driver on a closed course....Do not attempt.Just because I'm a  dumbass don't mean that you can be too.So DON'T try any of this **** l do at home.
Reply:Yeah. I use a set of "shoes" like Zap posted to do the gravel lot at the shop. I've also seen several other "shoe" designs besides round. I think either Meyers or Western used flat shoes.I pop the pins and pull off the shoes when I go to do the roads because I want the cutting edge right down on the pavement. However the weight of the blade digs in too much unless the ground is 100% frozen, so at the shop on gravel, I use the shoes..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:I had the shoes on my bobcat snow blade, but my dirt roads get a little rough from tractor traffic, hence the "had shoes." I break them off every time I hit a pothole or bump in the road. The past few years I've been just adjusting the height with the hydraulics. This year I might try to get one of those rubber cutting edges. So far, the rain is washing the snow away as fast as it comes.Lincoln Precision Tig 185Lincoln Power Mig 256Hypertherm PM 45Everlast 140STSmith O/A
Reply:How far down do your shoes drop when the blade is raised? Mine have a bunch of washers that you stack under or over the support to set the height. You set the lower washers by adding them until the cutting edge is above the ground the correct height. Any extra washers get stacked over the support before the pin, so the shoes don't drop too much if they hit a hole. They only drop maybe 1/4", then  blade bottoms and the washers keep them from dropping down any farther..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:yeah, my plow came with a set of shoes, and that's what i've been using up until now.the shoes do tend to gouge the gravel and sod a bit, though.Everyone i've talked to that uses a pipe like this said they would never go back to shoes, so i thought i'd give it a try.
Reply:I like the pipe works better on soft ground or if there's a crown in the road.
Reply:Nice design, and I understand the purpose and I give you a pat on the back and a few brim of the hat head shakes and a pull over the eyes! But! I think you would wear that pipe out really fast! Plowing eats up everything in short order. I think milled out round bar may have been the way to go, but time will tell. Other than that, it came out nice and I hope it holds up for ya! I hate being bi-polar it's awsomeMy Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys
Reply:I plow industrial area, and I use shoes and a rubber cutting edge. I also have a rubber edge on my skid steer box plow. It doesn't scrape the ground, leaves a coating. I don't give two hoots, I would give up plowing if I was required to use a steel edge. I'm not tearing my truck up for a few dollars when salt will take care of the rest."Where's Stick man????????" - 7A749"SHHHHHH!! I sent him over to snag that MIC-4 while tbone wasn't looking!" - duaneb55"I have bought a few of Tbone's things unlike Stick-Man who helps himself" - TozziWelding"Stick-man"
Reply:If I put a pipe on my Farm Plow and it stopped pushing gravel and peeling up the sod, then it would be sweet!May do some mid-winter experimentation. Right now its bitter and raw Cold!
Reply:I tried shoes, they were destroyed in less than a mile.My neighbor runs shoes but they set up an oscillation and result in a very rough surface.I tried a schedule 40 pipe and it worked fine .... for about 2 days, after which it was worn clear through.I ended up welding a curve to the cutting edge to simulate the curve of a pipe.    Used 3/8 material and then hard faced it.   I have to freshen up the hard face at the end of every winter, but otherwise it works great.I've never tried a rubber edge but that might work well, too.    Whether it would last is my question.I maintain about 19 miles of gravel road, so a typical push is 38+ miles.
Reply:for what it's worth, the piece i got was 2" X-Strong, which is about .218" thick.for my purposes, i'm hoping it lasts for ever, but if you were using it for miles and miles of road, i could see it not lasting very long.around my place, i probably push more on sod than i do on gravel.  and if i help out our church this year, that is all sod, so i don't see wear being a big issue for me.but ... time will tell.would be fine if i don't ever have to use it too
Reply:just got done doing the yard (twice) ... and all i can say is WOW!!!Those ski's will NEVER go back on the plow (unless i break the pipe). the pipe is SOOO much better than the feet in every way, except back dragging.the plow doesn't rattle, doesn't trip anywhere near as much, i can push bigger piles, and does every bit as good of a job as it did with the ski'sthe pipe is to ski's as a plow truck is to a loader tractor with no cab -- it's just that much better.i couldn't be happier!if someone is thinking about trying one ... DO IT!!! it works that well, at least for me it did.
Reply:Glad to here it looked like it was going to work good . No snow at my house yet north of Boston .
Reply:I have a chunk of 2 inch sch 80 pipe,  might have to try it.  I mostly do lawn around my wood pile and shop area have never used the plow on a hard surface.  Might work out better than having to reseed every spring.
Reply:I saw a few guys that replaced the shoes with caster wheels. Those work slick!
Reply:Forgive my ignorance, but I don't understand the design.  I'm very interested in making this mod on the small plow I use on my gravel driveway.  So the tube is forward of the cutting blade?  Wouldn't it just ride up on the snow and compact it instead of cutting into it?I don't get it, but if it will make it easier to plow for me, I'd love to do it.TA Arcmaster 300CM3XMT 304S22P12 suitcase feederX-Treme 12VSOptima pulserTA161SMaxstar 150STLHypertherm PM45OP setupStihl 020AVP, 039, 066 Magnum
Reply:Originally Posted by Drf255Forgive my ignorance, but I don't understand the design.  I'm very interested in making this mod on the small plow I use on my gravel driveway.  So the tube is forward of the cutting blade?  Wouldn't it just ride up on the snow and compact it instead of cutting into it?I don't get it, but if it will make it easier to plow for me, I'd love to do it.
Reply:Thanks for the clarification.TA Arcmaster 300CM3XMT 304S22P12 suitcase feederX-Treme 12VSOptima pulserTA161SMaxstar 150STLHypertherm PM45OP setupStihl 020AVP, 039, 066 Magnum
Reply:Conveyer belt flap works well. We did that to several of out blades. Probably works better than the snofoil on my Fisher. We did have to add a heavy bar to the bottom edge on our big plow though since the weight of the snow would tend to fold it back over the blade. The bar added enough weight and stiffness to keep the flap down. If the snofoil on the one truck finally dies this year, I may replace it with a piece of conveyer belting if I can get my hands on another piece long enough..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 DSWConveyer belt flap works well. We did that to several of out blades. Probably works better than the snofoil on my Fisher. We did have to add a heavy bar to the bottom edge on our big plow though since the weight of the snow would tend to fold it back over the blade. The bar added enough weight and stiffness to keep the flap down. If the snofoil on the one truck finally dies this year, I may replace it with a piece of conveyer belting if I can get my hands on another piece long enough.
Reply:Originally Posted by mtngunI tried shoes, they were destroyed in less than a mile.My neighbor runs shoes but they set up an oscillation and result in a very rough surface.I tried a schedule 40 pipe and it worked fine .... for about 2 days, after which it was worn clear through.I ended up welding a curve to the cutting edge to simulate the curve of a pipe.    Used 3/8 material and then hard faced it.   I have to freshen up the hard face at the end of every winter, but otherwise it works great.I've never tried a rubber edge but that might work well, too.    Whether it would last is my question.I maintain about 19 miles of gravel road, so a typical push is 38+ miles.
Reply:in case anyone was considering building one, i thought i'd show how it worksthese were taken this morning after plowing our last snow yesterday.I'm REALLY happy with how it works.  it just glides over the ground without gouging and doesn't rattle the plow to death as you push.  It will leave a layer of snow pack (as you can see), but that's much preferred to gouging or plowing all of your gravel up.  The best part is, even if the snow pack and gravel gets soft if the temp warms up, there is no danger of digging in to the gravel.not sure if you'd like the results or not, but i'm ecstatic!
Reply:more pics:I'm really happy with it!  but, YMMV.
Reply:Originally Posted by Meborderdid you put the bar horizontal along the bottom?Wondering if that would keep it down while driving ... it worked pretty good with the now we had, but at 35mph or so on the road the belt sticks straight up.  just wondering how i can keep it down going down the road (which isn't very often, to be honest).Same thoughts here. Lots of guys on plowsite and the other snow removal forums use pipe, but they generally slit the pipe and pout it over the cutting edge.EDIT:  I see the OP did that... Originally Posted by Drf255Forgive my ignorance, but I don't understand the design.  I'm very interested in making this mod on the small plow I use on my gravel driveway.  So the tube is forward of the cutting blade?  Wouldn't it just ride up on the snow and compact it instead of cutting into it?I don't get it, but if it will make it easier to plow for me, I'd love to do it.
Reply:I took 2" heavy wall tube and cut it in half, welded it to 2" angle the bolted the angle to the cutting edge. I will try to figure out how to attach a picture.
Reply:[attach=config]926431 Attached Images
Reply:If I looked out the front door in the morning, and saw all that white stuff, I'd go back to bed till AprilMost I've had to contend with the last few days is an annoying drizzle that never seems to let up"Any day above ground is a good day"http://www.farmersamm.com/
Reply:has anyone thought about using UHMW plastic on the bottom of the plow instead of Metal,  the plastic is just as hard as metal but won't mark up concrete and asphalt like metal will,  and if setup right you could just replace it
Reply:Plastic is just as hard as metal?12v battery, jumper cables, and a 6013.I only have a facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/pages/VPT/244788508917829
Reply:Just as hard was a bad way to say it. It takes a beating like metal but could be a lot easier to replace down the road. We put the on the bottom of ice huts and drag them across pavement no problem.
Reply:Originally Posted by wowzer893Just as hard was a bad way to say it. It takes a beating like metal but could be a lot easier to replace down the road. We put the on the bottom of ice huts and drag them across pavement no problem.
Reply:Well we make bearings for farmers and slides for conveyer belts. It could worth a shot.
Reply:Some guys on Plowsite.com use plastic pipe...
Reply:Plastic doesn't last long against the grinding wheel, I'd imagine it would be nearly the same in a parking lot?12v battery, jumper cables, and a 6013.I only have a facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/pages/VPT/244788508917829
Reply:Originally Posted by VPTPlastic doesn't last long against the grinding wheel, I'd imagine it would be nearly the same in a parking lot?
Reply:Originally Posted by VPTPlastic doesn't last long against the grinding wheel, I'd imagine it would be nearly the same in a parking lot?
Reply:Luckily I haven't had to put a cut edge on mine yet but I did notice it is starting to round out a bit. Mine as well has the flat "shoes" on both sides. I plow cement, blacktop, gravel, and some grass areas. Normally not much problems with digging in especially if there is a good frost in the ground. I do like that the cutting edge does somewhat "grade" the gravel and dirt areas over winter so they are nice and flat in spring.Now those rocks and tree roots that are in the drives. Those sum biches will wake you up.12v battery, jumper cables, and a 6013.I only have a facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/pages/VPT/244788508917829
Reply:Yup, should have mentioned that.  Those that use them do so on dirt roads... Originally Posted by mike837goRemember, this is specifically for dirt roads and parking areas with grassy shoulders that you don't want to tear up when the ground is not fully frozen.The shoes on my plow are almost adequate under those conditions. But after the thanksgiving storm, there were ruts from the shoes in many places.