Economics of plowing
 

Tossing around the idea of picking up a small plow and an older pick up to do a few driveways locally. Any input? Have some road and parking lot plowing experience years ago, but was someone else's equipment. Always dependent on how many storms and breakdown/maintenance costs. Last winter was slow for work, but am I crazy to even consider this? Or is it just blood money I'm looking at?Pretty sure I could get a dozen driveways minimum. Would want to keep initial investment under 5k. Would consider unloading it in spring. Already have an Ariens snowblower my driveway is small.

If you don't need one for your driveway and don't want a 4wd don't bother with the investment. If you have a 4wd, time and need to plow your own drive then it might make sense. Otherwise I think you need to be all in or out.

don't forget liability issues and insurance cost...
my thought is that 5k is not going to get you anything but a old headache of a rig.....
I have thrown this idea around for years....never could justify the expense or effort.

a decent new plow runs around 5 grand, 2500 for a decent secondhand.. a decent 3/4 ton or one ton 4X4, used, well...crapshoot.. if you buy one that's plowed before.. you have already thrown a seven.

transmission shops love guys that plow... always keep that in mind, especially guys that keep it in 4 high range and power the chit out of it. tranny and transfer case work escalates immensely for these shops once we are into snow season.

keep the 5 K in the bank, keep the blower running and the shovel sharp, buy bonds with the money you save.

Bingo

the problem with doing it w/ an old truck is maintenance on the equipment. plowing beats on trucks - i have a 8 yr old f250 that is on the verge of needing to be replaced. if you can do your own repair work than an older truck may be an option but what are you going to do when it breaks down in the middle of a storm. customers don't want to be inconvienenced at all in this day and age, they will start calling and bitching. that being said - plowing is a great additional income when it is slow in the winter. thank god for snow - like little white dollar signs falling from the sky

Pennies from heaven.. Not $100 bills is what my dad says.
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To embarrassed to tell you how long I've done it.
Iwould suggest just doing a dozen neighbors on your street with the snow blower and put --all--the money in the bank.

If yer buying 2nd hand,,do I have a deal fer yoo.All kinds of junk fer sale

forgot to mention, if you do buy a truck, make sure it came with factory snow plow prep package, had a tech explain to me in detail the importance of that, as if the truck did not come with all that is in the prep package, suspension, drivetrain wise, etc. it will become an issue as soon as you overtask the truck.
I was truck shopping earlier this year..not impressed with ANY of the new ones, but you can build a decent one, if you choose wisely off the order sheet. Fortunately, I lucked out, and got a clean 10 year old truck with very low miles, that will do what I want it to, and the best part is, I didn't have to get another payment book..took me 3 months of looking though.

To embarrassed to tell you how long I've done it.
Iwould suggest just doing a dozen neighbors on your street with the snow blower and put --all--the money in the bank.

If yer buying 2nd hand,,do I have a deal fer yoo.All kinds of junk fer sale

You Sir, would know!.. .Nice to put a face to that name, and you look nothing like a goat... capesams is still older than you tho, I would venture! least he looks it! :uhuh:

I have an 02 suburban Z71 that will be on the market soon. 158k and oil changed religiously. Shows like new. Good rubber too.
That being said, nothing is more true than the blood money part. Driveways are good,but if you are subbing for a town or state it can get personal.Read some of Fisherman Tim's posts from last winter for examples of an assache.

you guys make it sound like staying up for 36 hrs straight and drinking so much coffee that you're twitching isn't fun

did 76 hours in a 1962 GMC 6 wheel dump truck, blizzard of 78, last man standing, town of Brewster, biggest POS ever, Highway supervisor figgered i be the first broke down, he pulls me over on Lower Road 3 days later, to tell me at that point, I am the only one still mobile... no brakes, no clutch, no lights for the most part, but still rolling... manual pump on the plow, and NO power angle.. fun... NOT.. only time you know you nodded off was when the headache went away, for a few seconds, can't figure out dawn from dusk, nor how many days have past.. well.. it does resemble hard core surfcasting at that point.

For a minute I thought you meant the blizzard of 58.
Don't cha love siting in your sweat on a plastic seat while your feet are freezing and you have to open the door every ten minutes to clear the wiper arms from the snow pileup. Don't forget trying to backup with one of those four inch round lollipop mirrors that were before the west coast mirrors.
All that for five bucks an hour. That's truck,fuel,and driver.
Yup .what a killing. The things you do to feed your babies

:D You know it O.G.!

A guy that used to be on our aux. police force always plowed. Always had an F-150 or 250. Always bragged about how he made 25 K every winter. Its funny how he had to spend 10 or 12 K every spring in the repair shop, ( I know I watched as the repairs were done), so he could tow his fifth wheel down to Pocasett. Three year old trucks so rusted underneath you think it lived on Chappy all year round.

1991 Ford F250 8' Plow 79071 miles,

that is prolly as good as 5grand is gonna get you.

Plowing in Marblehead is a pain. Driveways and yards are small; no place to put the snow. For residential work you would want a Jeep or a regular cab Ford Ranger or Toyota Tacoma. Tough to find a decent one with a plow for under $5K.
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Snow Is Here - 93 Jeep Cherokee Plow Truck

you wanna go light duty, this has potential, plow early and often, a 3/4 ton can handle up to say 14-16 inches of average snow, lighter vehicles, start removal at 3-4 inches, and keep going back, remember tho, light duty, so go easy, and most likely more repairs.. the blower will do the job, and cost you less in the long run.

So Karl, did the air conditioner hold up? :huh: LOL

What I used to do and make a bit was the exits off the midcape, 2wd F350 6 wheeler, 4 years, 1 set of kingpins and 3 C6 auto trans's. Went to a handshaker and got 2 seasons out of it then realised it wasn't worth it timewise. Didn't get the job done fast but it got it done and did pull quite a few landscapers in newer 4x4 trucks out of snowbanks......
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almost a tranny a year, and C6's are damn tough...I've heard the on and off ramps are a good gig... a 2WD 6 wheel dump with a sander in the back is usually a damn good set up, rear diff is usually not an open set up, so you do get the posi benifit.. kingpins...yep, front ends take a pounding for sure.

So Ross.. what you decide???

Best option for me is to keep the 1973 Ariens happy... Keep my focus on generating the work I do, remodeling/finish carpentry. The few trucks I've looked at were beat, overpriced, or needed work from the get go. I'm far from a mechanic, so between the maintenance and the fear of breaking down during a storm and leaving clients in the lurch has pretty much sealed the deal. Unless I meet a little old lady with a sweetheart truck and plow that she only drove to church....nah, that's not gonna happen. Just had to run through the process.

:btu:

Ross,
November is the time to find a deal on a lawn mower or tractor. :uhuh:
When time to replace or upgrade my trucks I look and find deals after the winter is over, lots of guys looking to unload them then.
Also, if you have an in at auctions (as I do) thats where you find the deals.
I usually buy a truck with no plow. Got a few plows that have been on 4 different trucks as I replaced them.

been that route... save yourself the trouble.. at one time I had 4 trucks on the town and did driveways with my private vehicle... unless you have a in home welding shop and are a mechanic with enough of a bank roll to sit on reapairs for awhile forget it .. just use the snow blower... people tend ( especialy companies) to drag out paying the snow plow guy.. also everyone wants to be first and last.... I had some people that never did pay me after the "blizzard" of '78.. and quite a few since then until I gave it up.. they just move on to the next victim that thinks they are going to get rich with a snow plow...knowing that the average working man ( trying to make an honest living) doesnt have time to go to court..

I was reading the thread and going to post the exact same question:).

Great Idea Ross, We have a F-350 that came with a plow
I hate plowing and would rather shovel than fire that plow truck up
Driving the truck on the Beach with a 300 pound camper on it beats on my wife's truck enough