[AT] O/T Meyers or Western plow

[Mike Sloane]

Like Cecil had, I have an '87 Ford F-350 dump truck for plowing snow. 
Unlike Cecil's, it has the old IH 6.9L diesel and a electric over 
hydraulic 8' Western plow. Prior to that, I had a '79 Dodge WD150 with 
318 engine and a Meyers engine driven hydraulic plow. The Dodge was just 
not heavy enough to handle my needs, which include a two mile, very 
hilly, dirt lane - I managed to get it stuck more than once due to 
insufficient ground clearance and poor traction - I ended up having to 
carry a dozen concrete blocks in the back all winter. But the plow 
worked fine and never let me down.

Most of the contract snow plow operators around here use either Western, 
Fisher, or Meyers. I see advertisements for those plastic blades and the 
ones that are split, but have yet to see one in actual use.

The combination of the Ford and the Western is excellent for my needs, 
and I really like the "joy stick" controls (compared to the awkward 
levers coming under the dash on the Dodge. The only complaint I have at 
the moment is that the paint is finally peeling from the blade face and 
will have to be replaced with one of those plastic overlays (or 
something) that will help the snow slide off. The biggest problem 
plowing with a dump truck is poor visibility when backing up, especially 
at night in a driving snowstorm, but the extra weight of the dump body, 
the high seating, and the dual rears make up for that inconvenience. 
Another advantage of a mason dump is the short wheelbase, making for 
much easier maneuvering in tight quarters. I don't think having a long 
wheelbase pickup would work for my needs.

As far as driving the Ford on the road, I have to say that the steering 
seems to be neither good nor bad, but maybe that is the nature of the 
bigger truck. I also had an '83 F250 2WD, and that didn't seem too bad, 
for a truck. More recently I drove my employer's F-550 18' rollback a 
fair number of miles, and that seemed OK also. Maybe I haven't driven 
enough other trucks to know what I was missing. I guess, as someone else 
mentioned, I expect a truck to handle like a truck, and a car to handle 
like a car. But I concede that the 6.9L engine could use about half 
again more power for towing home my antique tractors.

Mike

Cecil E Monson wrote:

> 
> 
> 
>     I have a special spot in my heart for my Dodge 2500 4WD pickup
> with the Cummins diesel. It is one helluva nice tow vehicle. The only
> criticism I have of it on the road is the engine stays at the same pitch
> so much of the time it can make you drowsy listening to it. That is
> saying a lot considering most of my trips start out by taking I-80
> across those PA mountains while towing either the 30 foot camper or an
> equipment trailer. Mine is a 97 with 160K miles on it. Has the old style
> and very loud Cummins diesel engine. The 98s came out with a much quieter
> engine.
> 
>     I have had the 98 GMC one ton 4WD dump truck for a year and a half
> now. It has the GM diesel. Doesn't have the power or the lugging strength
> of the Dodge pickup but it is a dream to drive. Even my wife says you
> would never know it is a dump truck by the nice ride. I don't have much
> to say about that GM diesel except that it needs about 75 more horespower.
> It is also a nice rig for plowing snow. Good visibility and good traction.
> Nice handling and very nimble for a truck. This truck would be a lot better
> if it had a standard transmission with a granny gear to help it get up 
> hills
> while towing a load. Too bad the transmission didn't come with 2WD low 
> range.
> This truck has 120K miles on it now and still drives like new.
> 
>     As to Fords, I've had quite a few of them. My last two were 4WDs -
> one an F-250 pickup and the other an F-350 dump. Neither one would turn a
> corner in 4WD without lunging as they turned.
> 
>     Some of the guys around here call the Ford diesels "Powersmokes."
> I wouldn't know as I've never had the pleasure of owning a Ford with a
> diesel engine.
> 
> Cecil
> 
> Cecil

-- 
Mike Sloane
Allamuchy NJ
mikesloane at verizon.net
Images: <www.fotki.com/mikesloane>

I'm always amazed that people will actually choose to sit in front of 
the television and just be savaged by stuff that belittles their 
intelligence. -Alice Walker, writer (1944- )


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