It’s an annual event. The temperature gets cold, the snow starts to stack and you realize your driveway and parking area may be a little too large to shovel or clear with a snow blower.
Yet you have a perfectly good UTV setting in your shop collecting dust until spring. Doesn’t it make since to multi-purpose your powersports toy to a productive contributor for winter work?
All it takes is a basic plow install and not only do you have an easy way to clear the snow, but you also have a means to take advantage of your toys during the winter. Remember, snow removal doesn’t need to be hard, you just need to make your wife think it’s hard.
There are a few things you should know when it comes to selecting a snow plow to attach to your UTV. First, there are some well-known brands, such as Boss, who make plows for trucks and offer some smaller conversions for UTVs. Also, some outdoors and sporting stores such as Cabela’s offer plows through their box stores. But both these options are basically throwing a piece of metal on a mount and hoping it somehow can be adapted to your specific UTV.
What general consumer companies don’t consider is whether your UTV has sufficient horsepower to work the blade, or whether the design of the plow is conducive to the capabilities and needs of the vehicle.
So what do you need to consider before making a plow purchase? First, do you need a straight blade or one that folds in the middle like a V. The V is perfect if you live in an area where the snow stacks deep and you need to clear paths. It cuts through the snow smoothly while shoving snow equally to both sides.
The straight blade is great for clearing a large area quickly. It either pushes the snow to the left, to the right or straight ahead. It has less moving parts than the V, so there are fewer things that can go wrong. It is also a little cheaper than the V style.
You want to make certain that whatever blade you go with, it has a good trip system (something that allows the blade to fold under) in case you hit something buried in the snow; if the blade doesn’t give, then something’s either going to bend or brake.
Also, you want to find a mount conversion system that is easy on and easy off so you’re not intimidated when installing or removing the system. Again, you want to utilize your UTV when needed, not commit it to the task for the entire winter.
Some mounts will sit higher and provide better ground clearance. Some utilize a simple receiver hitch system that allows an easy-on, easy-off. Although convenience is nice, make certain whatever system you choose offers a structural integrity for your UTV.
Next, consider the type of material you need for your blade, whether it be steel, stainless steel or poly. Steel tends to collect snow. Stainless and Poly tend to reduce the amount of snow sticking to the surface.
If snow is constantly sticking to the blade surface, you will have two issues: first, the snow buildup will restrict the effectiveness of your blade; second, the additional snow means additional weight, which will rob your UTV of precious horsepower.
Finally, you need to consider the plow’s lift system—whether it be hydraulic, manual or winch. Many UTVs feature front winches, making this the most practical and affordable way to go. But we’ve also used the other two and find advantages and disadvantages with all. Keep in mind the more complicated the lift system, the more wiring and installation issues you will have. Although you want to keep things as simple as possible, if you’re expecting a ton of work from the plow, you may want to make its function as convenient as possible.
Hopefully this will give you some ideas as you consider the best plow system for your needs. We’ve included a couple of plows made specifically for UTVs that are designed to match the power and performance of your powersports toy.
Fisher Trailblazer UTV Plow
Designed to fit a wide variety of UTVs, the Trailblazer Straight Blade Plow moves more snow with its high-strength, low-weight alloy steel blade.
The professional-grade Trailblazer UTV straight blade plow is built to stand up to commercial use, just like its V-plow companion. Because the straight plow blade is lighter, it fits a wider variety of UTV models.
Both the Straight and B-plow designed by Fisher Engineering, offer easy-on/easy-off attachment and removable receiver brackets, allowing for greater ground clearance when the plow is removed. They also offer Scrape Lock, enhancing scraping and back dragging.
Other features on the straight blade plow include a 6-foot powder coated, high-strength, low-weight alloy steel blade, four vertical ribs to give the plow added strength, a standard high-carbon steel cutting edge and a full-trip blade protection to protect the plow and UTV from impact and stress.
For more information contact www.fisherplows.com.
Western Impact UTV Plow
A 6-foot commercial-quality UTV snow plow offers more versatility and is designed to fit most makes of UTVs is available for this winter.
The Western Products Impact straight blade plow is professional-grade and built to stand up to commercial use. It is designed to complement Western’s other popular UTV snow plow, the Impact V-plow. Both plows are designed to use the easy-off attachment and removable receiver brackets, allowing for greater ground clearance when the plow is removed. Each also offers Scrape Lock, which enhances scraping and back dragging.
Other features on the straight blade plow include the 6-foot powder coated, high-strength, low-weight, alloy-steel blade, four vertical ribs to reinforce the plow while giving it additional strength, standard high-quality 5-inch steel cutting edge and a full-trip blade protection to reduce stress on the system.
For more information contact www.westernplows.com.
