Author Topic: Big Snow  (Read 1950 times)

pa-outdoorsman

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Re: Big Snow
« Reply #15 on: February 16, 2021, 07:24:50 PM »
Are you having any trouble with the KFI mount bending? I am speaking of the tab where the plow attaches to the machine.

As a matter of fact, yes, but not as a result of normal use of the plow. As you may or may not be aware, having that plow mount on the front of your machine serves as one heck of a skid plate during the summer riding season. It's great armor for the front underside of the machine. Unfortunately, when you come down on big rocks and such, it also definitely has a tendency to bend those little tabs where the plow pins attach. And they are a bugger to bend back. Fortunately for me, mine are bent in such a way that I can still attach the plow quite easily. Yeah, it's a hair off center, but I just use washers on the pins to prevent the plow from being able to slide side to side once mounted and it all still works just fine.

Not sure if you can get away with a similar solution, but even at the worst-case scenario, that mounting plate alone is only a $50 item. So, you could easily install a new mounting plate at a very reasonable cost relative to the $700 or so you paid up front for the entire plow kit. I know I bent mine doing off-road riding, which is my own fault. If you bent yours just using the plow, you could always contact KFI as another responder said and they may help you out by sending a replacement mount.

Good luck. If I get a chance, I'll try to take a couple pictures of how my plow is mounted with the bent tabs and washers to take up the space.
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CROSSBOLT

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Re: Big Snow
« Reply #16 on: February 16, 2021, 11:12:33 PM »
Today, our UXV500i got a workout and it was a payday in that it was worth having the machine. Water froze in the house so had to get water from next door to....ah...take care of necessities. Had to dump the trash, too. It started reluctantly because of the cold. The lawn and garden battery is better than the OEM but it worked. The snow was the big obstacle and did NOT want to play in snow with the car. Steep driveway. I spent the morning and early afternoon in it running water can and whatnot. It earned its keep. No snow plow. Might need to consider a blade in the future....
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randyo

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Re: Big Snow
« Reply #17 on: February 17, 2021, 12:10:24 AM »
wish we got 12" snow, instead, this storm, we got 6" slush, the 450i plowed it ok, but tomorrow, my snowbanks will become concrete walls, I am quickly running out of room to push snow
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airshot

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Re: Big Snow
« Reply #18 on: February 18, 2021, 05:23:47 PM »
I hear ya, had that issue a few years back, ended up buying a big blower to use for drifts and when snow gets pild deep. The blower will throw about 40 ft.  Used it this last srorm to move the 3 ft drifts,  then finish plowing last couple inches with utv, that helps keep large piles from developing along edges.  I even use the blower out in the yard to move or reduce size of drifts out there.  I keep the skids set high so it doesnt tear up grass.

scooterfan

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Re: Big Snow
« Reply #19 on: February 18, 2021, 06:26:12 PM »
Quite interesting. At this side of the pond I obviously do not know much about snow and snow blowers - but my son in Bondurant IA also had to buy a snow blower a couple of years ago.
My daughter in law is a nurse and to my understanding the local outhorities in their area make a spesial effort to clear roads for medical staff to get at work in time during heavy snow on the roads. Problem is, aparantly the trucks or whatever they used to remove the snow in front of my son and daughter in law’s house actually blew the snow from the road on there driveway - then they were completely stuck.
So my son had to buy a snow blower to clean their driveway - ontherwise none of them would be able to drive out of their driveway.
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pa-outdoorsman

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Re: Big Snow
« Reply #20 on: February 18, 2021, 09:38:35 PM »
Here are some photos of how I attach my plow with the bent ears on my mounting plate. As I said in a previous reply, it is bent in such a way I can still line up the holes and get the pins in without issue. However, the plow no longer fits in between the "ears" on the mounting plate but rather sits outside them. I just use the washer to take up the excess space on the pins, which prevents the plow from sliding side to side while in use.

I have been using it this way all winter, and so far, so good. As I said, trying to bend the ears on the mounting plate back to their original position proved futile -- at least with the plate still attached to the machine, and I really don't feel like taking it off. Maybe in the summer (though I doubt it, since this seems to work just fine) but not during plowing season.
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randyo

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Re: Big Snow
« Reply #21 on: February 19, 2021, 12:59:46 AM »
my problem with plowing, is that I have confining retaining walls, I quickly run out of room to push snow, a snowblower works better blowing the snow up and over the wall. But, I have a large gravel drive & parking area, it eats snowblowers, what I really need is a tractor with a front end loader. I have a "Toe Hoe" backhoe that I can awkwardly move snow, but somehow got water in the hydraulics, and need a couple days well above freezing, to drain & replace
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pa-outdoorsman

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Re: Big Snow
« Reply #22 on: February 19, 2021, 01:33:22 AM »
No rest for the weary. I gotta go out and plow agsin right now. Next week though we are supposed to get a couple days in the mid-40s. Some melting would be good.
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randyo

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Re: Big Snow
« Reply #23 on: February 24, 2021, 06:43:23 PM »
I don't know howmuch damage I have done, plowing, I've bent my plow 2 both top corners, I got one corner bend back, but having a hard time getting the other side done (don't have anything suitable to push against)

we haven't got what I call big snow, but 4" last nite, 5" the nite before, that kind of thing, adds up, and I have run out of space, I may have to pay a contractor to come up here with a front end loader, wouldn't be the first time
RandyO
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