ATV Plowing Tips:
Tire Traction:
When plowing snow with an ATV, sometimes tire traction can be a problem. Chains can be used, but require purchase, installation, adjustment, and overall, can be a great pain to deal with. They can wear out and may cause damage to driveways as well. Montana Jack’s recommends the use of sand bags placed on the cargo racks. This can be very effective because they cost only a fraction of tire chains and cause no damage to driveways. For best traction and performance, load each rack to the manufactures suggested cargo capacity. Also, tire air pressure is very important. A lower pressure will deliver greater traction. However, do not under inflate, doing so could cause new problems.
Plow Blade Break In:
Breaking in a new plow blade and/or a new wear bar is very important to achieve best overall performance. First of all, we recommend the lubrication of all pivot points initially and as an on going maintenance procedure. The use of 90 W gear oil is great, although many other lubricants will also work well.
Second, is wearing the heal off of the wear bar so that a “Chisel Shaped” leading edge is formed. This chisel shaped edge will cut through packed snow and other hard material better than the shape of a new plow or wear bar. To do this, set the plow to the ground and adjust the skid feet so that they don’t touch any surface by approximately 1/4 inch. Operate the plow on a hard surface such as pavement or concrete for a period of time and then observe the adjustment of the skid feet. If more clearance is needed, re-adjust as required until the wear bar has a sharp leading edge. When this is obtained, adjust the skid feet so that the wear bar and skid feet strike the ground at the same time. In this way, the wear bar and skid feet will last the longest and the ability to cut through packed snow will be the greatest. This procedure works well for most applications, but variations may be necessary depending on plowing conditions.
Plowing soft surfaces:
We at Montana Jack’s have found that having a thin layer of packed snow on a soft surface such as dirt or gravel really helps. Drive a vehicle back and forth over the snow first and let it pack down between 1 or 2 inches before plowing.
Click here to see our ATV snow plow blades and push tube/plow bases
Click here to see our UTV snow plow blades and push tube/plow bases