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SW48 plow size

JaxTrax

New member
Does anyone have experience with putting a wider than stock size plow blade on an SW48? Could I use a pow off pkup truck and still be able to push and angle it?
 

300 H and H

Bronze Member
GOLD Site Supporter
No personal experience with SW48's except been with them on a trail ride. Even though they are heavy, to push a blade as wide as your thinking would be a stretch unless the snow was not all that deep. It stands to reason as blade width increases, the capability of the unit would suffer correspondingly.. In other words the blade would control the cat, not the cat controlling the blade.. If what your thinking would work well, I have a feeling those guys up North at Bombardier would have sold some thing like that as an option. Track length is good for side loads, and the track length is short for it to handle an 8' blade with authority.. Just my opinion, your mileage may differ...

Regards, Kirk
 

Bobcatbob

Active member
GOLD Site Supporter
Kirk is spot on. When I plow with my SW48, any material amount of snow (that’s not powder) on an edge of the blade....will shift the machine (I plow on a gravel driveway). If blade is fully engaged (say a 1st pass)....steers relatively straight (even with blade angled). So a wider blade would likely only work with no angle , full snow engagement.

Bob
 
I own a JW 67 that I put an old Western snow plow on. The plow was 7’8” and it was efficient on flat roads with light snow but terrible in deep snow. The length made escape in reverse impossible due to the plow overhang on the side of the unit and as has been mentioned, turning while plowing isn’t an option. The other issue is the forces exerted on the front of the JW began the auger the pin holes out of round. I just cut this plow down to 5’ and it has been a game changer. You can only raise the plow 12 inches so with the new shorter width I can back out of trouble unlike before. I get more work done now with out having to lift the plow. 21646489-45F3-4D06-8403-3DC4A05CD817.jpegAE5337C4-E614-4B35-AFCE-FFC66A728E0C.jpegD1091F40-E0F6-431F-8868-3345B418FD51.jpeg
 
This Western plow was a direct fit into what our machines come with, with the exception that I had to cut off the metal doughnut the V plow bolted to and I drilled a new 7/8 of an inch hole for the new plow to pivot on. I removed the doughnut and cut this plow shorter using metal cut off wheels in a Mikita 4 inch grinder.
 
I plow my community with this JW and I’ve gained experience running it, sometimes I take on 4 foot drifts and this thing will really produce. They’re a snow dozer, my neighbors kind of doubted it in the beginning. They don’t realize it’s over 100 hp and 4700 pounds. As we have debated what machinery to acquire for snow removal with many people here being fixated with snow blowers, I think this Bombardier is the perfect choice. It turns on a dime, it is compact and easy to repair. I don’t think anything out there will compare with these Bombardiers for the money. They are far more efficient than a snow blower because they can be driven at higher speeds. I even found an alternative tire for it. The mini spare tire Yokohama T135/80D-16. I have one ordered, I think it will work perfect. With the newly shortened plow I can push through deep snow drifts were before I was stopped by the former plow width. I still have to take several cuts but what an improvement this has been.
 
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