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Posted: 7/3/2024 8:54:24 PM EDT
How are the UTV for snow plowing?  
Any problems plowing with the UTV?
What would be the minimum size to plow snow with?
What options needed?
During the rest of the yr I would use it for yard work and running into town.

I am using a atv now for plowing and the other stuff.
Link Posted: 7/4/2024 10:18:54 AM EDT
[Last Edit: rfb45colt] [#1]
I have a 2009 Arctic Prowler 700XTX with an Arctic Cat 72" factory plow. It does a very good job on all but the wettest snow.

I also have a 2004 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon with a 4.0L 6cyl and 6.5' Western Unimount plow. I use this when it's too heavy for the UTV. Last winter, I only used the Jeep twice. A typical winter over the past 5 with both units, I use the Jeep about 5-6 times. UTV handles all the rest. If I didn't have the Jeep, I may have to plow more than once during a heavy snowstorm. UTV will handle 6" with ease, but not a foot. It struggles to move that much, so you will have to know your machine's limit, and that's when you must plow, even it storm isn't over. Easier to plow 6" twice, than 12" once. You probably know most of this stuff already, if you've been plowing with an ATV. Biggest difference is it's more comfortable being in a *cab rather than out in the open, you'll have more HP, and a bigger blade. *you'll need front & rear windows, roof, and full doors with windows.

The differences between the two are:

The Jeep can pile it higher because the blade will lift at least 18" higher than the UTV. So when plowing with the UTV I start my "plow piles" further back into the woods. I can pile it 6' high wih Jeep, only about 4' high with UTV... so the snow piles need more room with UTV.

The Jeep obviously has much more power, so it can push more snow, but the UTV actually surprised me at it's capability. I can lock both Dana 44 axles on the Jeep being a Rubicon, but only the rear on the Prowler.

The plow on the Jeep can be angled remotely and to any angle you choose. The blade's angle on the UTV is manually operated, and has 5 preset positions. Straight ahead, 20 degrees left or right, 40 degrees left or right. It gets raised & lowered on a UTV by a front mounted winch, just like on your ATV.

Dont got cheap on the plow. Make sure you get one with a heavy guage metal. It must be wider than your wheel width by a few inches WHEN THE BLADE IS ANGLED FULLY. Most likely you'll need a 6' minimum blade width. You will need a winch for raising & lowering the blade. Don't go cheap here either. I have a Superwinch LT4000 now, and I love it. It has a dashboard mounted up/down button and also a corded remote  - this is important, as you will get "backlashes" in your winch on occasion, and if you are alone, you need to stand at the winch and have control of it too, to remove the backlashes. You can't reach a dashboard only control and feed cable at same time (make sure you have heavy leather work gloves whenever work with the cable). I found that out when my first winch was a cheap $89 Champion from Menards. One winter was enough and I went to the much superior Superwinch. If you got the bucks, go with a Warn.

When plowing with a UTV, the lower roller fairlead on your winch will take a beating from all the ups & downs, if you have a steel cable. There are two options to avoid this. Either a synthetic rope, or a flat strap especially designed for a winch for snow plow use. Not all winches allow this, my Superwinch instructions say it can only use the steel cable, but I've never tried otherwise. After 4 winters, I flipped the entire roller fairlead assembly 180 degrees, and removed about 10" of frayed of cable at the hook end of the 45' cable that comes on the winch. I can buy 3 roller fairleads for the price of a synthetic winch rope.

I made my own doors from a 1/4" thich HDPE 4'x8' sheet from Menards (about $80), and heavy guage clear flexible plastic from Amazon for windows. I use a "Little Buddy" propane heater when it gets real cold, but just blocking the wind is a huge help.  

My wife works at an Arctic Cat dealer, and we got the 09 UTV in 2018 for $3500. It was a trade in on a new one, it had 5,000 miles. I found the $800 factory Cat plow on Facebook for $300.



Link Posted: 7/4/2024 7:00:31 PM EDT
[#2]
Thanks,  After getting the frayed ends of a wire rope through leather gloves I went with synthetic rope after that.  I have a fel on a small tractor to take care of the heavy stuff my atv can't handle.  
I am thinking being inside would be nice when plowing snow.
Link Posted: 7/9/2024 12:32:20 PM EDT
[#3]
My Polaris Ranger Crew does awesome unless its a wet heavy snow thats around 12".
I love being able to plow in tennis shoes and a hoodie.
I have a 72" blade and I have a hydraulic turn ram to it so I can angle it without getting out.

I have synthetic rope on the winch but they will break. Cable is better for plowing in my opinion.
Link Posted: Today 9:58:06 PM EDT
[#4]
My old man has a pioneer 1k with moose plow. I swear it goes through almost as much as a truck.

You mentioned you have a fel. I have a small tractor(kubota bx). I picked up a utv plow. Then took a cheap set of Amazon pallet forks that clamp to bucket.  Cut them roughly 2’ long. Welded the utv plow mount to the cut down forks.
    Now I can clamp the plow to my bucket in 1-3 min tops.  It works surprisingly good!
    I don’t have a quick attach bucket so that’s why went with clamp on.
     I added some straps to help with bucket flex because now there is a couple hundred ponds that 2’ infront of bucket.  
    It works so well I didn’t even put the plow on my atv last year! Whats even better is I can push/lift the snow pile 7’ in the air with it.  Only down side is that I’m still out n the elements with no cab…
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