# ATV Plow?



## 2manyfish (Feb 17, 2003)

I have about a .25 mile driveway. Thinking about getting a 4x4 quad with a plow. Looking for pro's/con's. Will it handle the job? Pretty good investment I would hate to be disapointed.


----------



## wally-eye (Oct 27, 2004)

I plow just about that much. I have a Yamaha Grizzly 4X4 450 auto with a 60 inch cycle country blade. Haven't met a snow fall that it didn't like....I like making 8 foot tall snow piles.....:evil: I live on a private road and I usually clear a 1/2 mile of it also......

No cons for me.........but I've been a Yamaha guy since 1970.....

My quad w/winch and blade was $7649 OTD.........


----------



## old professor (Oct 26, 2008)

I went from a 4X4 truck mounted plow to an ATV mounted plow and like it much better!


----------



## kaler9969 (Feb 25, 2005)

I would qualify an ATV as an adequate tool for plowing snow. It has it limitations mostly due to the light weight of a four wheeler, but its a whole lot more fun than a shovel. It has an even higher entertainment value when compared to passing a c-note(or more) to the plow man.


----------



## davi5982 (Mar 8, 2010)

I use a Honda rincon 650 with a 60 inch cycle country plow. Love it, you can het so much closer to things. No shoveling at all!!! 

I wouldn't trade it for a 4X4 truck with a plow. 

sent from me to the world wide web


----------



## ENCORE (Sep 19, 2005)

I have two quads, both with blades. My small quad is a 2002 Polaris Sportsman 400. I've used that for plowing six years. I have 300 feet of driveway plus, a very large driveway area. I also plow most of the trails on the property, which would amount to well over 1/4 mile itself. The blade on this machine is only a 48" Cycle Country. Although narrow, its probably the best to also push sand, topsoil, or gravel. Of which I've pushed and spread five or six full dump truck loads. Never have had a problem moving snow or dirt with it. However, I have learned to repair winch cable very well and quickly.

The other plow is for my 2011 Polaris Sportsman 800efi. I decided that I wanted something wider, especially with the increase in power so, I bought the Polaris Glacier III system and the 60" blade. I don't have to get down and under this system to connect it or to disconnect it. Fortunately this year, I haven't had to use it..... yet.

One thing you should always do when plowing with a quad, always use LOW range. Ya, some machines have enough power to push snow in HI but, many of them end up replacing clutches and/or belts.


----------



## glockman55 (Mar 9, 2006)

Hard to beat the Grizz, I've got the 660 with a 60" blade, and a Teryx with a 72" blade. Of course I use the Rex more but never had an issue plowing my 800 foot drive with the Grizz.


----------



## Swamp Monster (Jan 11, 2002)

You won't have any problems. And you'll find your investment will pay off in other chores around the house and just plain enjoyment. 
I had a Kawasaki Brute Force 650 with a 48" plow and Warn 2500# winch that plowed like a champ. A buddy has it now and it still plows like a champ. Like Glock, I use the Teryx now with a 66" blade and it will push snow like nobodys business. The atv was a bit more manueverable in small spots however. 
Any 4x4 in the 450-550cc range and up will work. Personaly, I like a quad with a fully locking differential. Yamaha, Kawasaki, Arctic Cat, and Suzuki all offer this. The Polaris and the Can Ams are "all wheel" drive. They work just fine, but they work on slippage and I just like to have control over the drive train. Also, a very important feature imho is a reverse lock out button. Most quads have a rev limiter in reverse.....this limits how fast you can back up but more importantly it limits power to the rear wheels if you get stuck. With a blade on, sometimes going forward is not an option. You need full power to the rear end. I have a few roadside ditches with a moderate drops that I plow into and backing out sometimes required some effort, especially if I was a bit throttle happy going in! 

If I were to buy a new 4x4 with plowing in mind, I'd probably buy the Yamaha Grizzly 550 or 700. They have all the features necessary, are compact in size compared to some of the bigger sized 4x4's and you sit nice and high compared to others and that helps with being able to see well in tight spots. I'd get a Warn winch, minimun of 2500# and mount the the switch opposite of my throttle hand so I can work both the throttle and the winch at the same time....which is imperative imo. I'd probably get the Warn XT version of the winch which comes with factory synthetic cable....a nice upgrade since plowing can be hard on winch cables. Buy a 1 or 1.5 amp battery tender and keep the quad plugged in whenever it is not in use. Constant winch use is tough on batteries, not to mention the cold weather. Maintain the battery on a tender and you will eliminate a number of potential issues. When the day comes to replace the battery, buy a good one. The factory tires on most quads are fine but upgrades are worthwhile. Upgrading to a more aggressive mud tire that is 6 ply or 8 ply is nice. Most factory 4x4 tires are 4 ply and are made for all around use. The 6 ply tires will have a stiffer sidewall and will handle better under the weight of a plow, not to mention they are more durable. Keep the air pressure up as well. Chains and cables are options, but rarely are these necessary with todays 4x4's. 

Sorry so long winded....these are all things I learned after I started plowing.
I'm sure others can add to my suggestions. Let it snow!!

Oh, I'll add, the limiting factor with these things is blade weight. Unless you spend big money to buy a hyrdraulic system, (and you can, including V-plows!) you really relay on the weight of the plow to get under the snow. If the snow is packed or gets packed before you plow, getting down to the pavement can be a challenge. If I had an atv again, I'd go with the 60" blade over the 48" blade based on blade weight alone.


----------



## 2manyfish (Feb 17, 2003)

GREAT feedback guys. Thanks. Lots of things I would not have known/thought of. I have been looking on craigslist for a used machine with limited success. I did begin to call around today for new pricing. I have owned trucks that cost less. All part of the fun.


----------



## j-rock (Dec 17, 2008)

get a snowblower


----------



## 2manyfish (Feb 17, 2003)

Well- I ended up getting a 2012 Yamaha 550 grizzly. I did not pay extra for the eps option. I got a cycle country 52" plow and a warn 2500lb xt winch. I have to put it all together. Not dealer installed. Hopefullly it goes smoothly! 

Thanks again for the input.


----------

