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What Kind of Battery Does My Snow Plow Need?

2024-10-22T11:53:00-05:00

Making sure you have enough juice in your battery to cover both your truck and your snow plow is important. Always make sure you test and re-test your equipment before a big storm to make sure everything is working correctly. It's also a good idea to test your equipment in sub-zero temperatures whenever possible so when that big storm comes, you'll be ready!

According to numerous Meyer® service manuals, it is recommended that your truck be equipped with:

Battery - 70 Amp Hour Minimum or 550 Cold Cranking Amps
Alternator - 60 Amp Minimum

According to numerous Meyer-« service manuals, it is recommended that your truck be equipped with:

Battery - 70 Amp Hour Minimum or 550 Cold Cranking Amps
Alternator - 60 Amp Minimum

Salt Spreader Maintenance

2024-10-22T11:53:00-05:00

When winter rolls around and it comes time to salt, hopefully you'll have your salt spreader already prepared for the season. Although salt spreaders are for winter use, they should be maintained year-round in order to keep them functioning correctly. You should prepare your spreader for the upcoming winter in the late fall. When retiring the spreader after the winter season, you should prepare it for storage so it can be ready when it comes time to use it again. If you're looking into owning a salt spreader for yourself, there are four types that you can purchase: a walk-behind spreader, a tailgate spreader, under-tailgate spreader, or a hopper salt spreader. The price significantly varies between the walk-behind and other spreaders, along with the maintenance and upkeep. Click to view our salt spreaders.

Walk-Behind Salt Spreader

Walk-behind spreaders are exactly what you'd think'you walk behind them. They are very simplistic and easy to maintain; they are much more basic and smaller versus larger tailgate, under-tailgate or hopper salt spreaders. But with any salt spreader, whether it's a walk-behind or tailgate, a good visual inspection should be the first step in ensuring its functionality. If there is any obvious damage to an essential part, that should be fixed right away. Cosmetic damage isn't necessarily as important, unless the hopper is becoming corroded (due to improper cleaning, salt build up, old age, etc.), which can cause your hopper to develop holes. Wash your walk-behind spreader with water and dry before the season even starts. Continue to wash and dry during the season every so often to ensure that your will not have any buildup of salt'buildup of salt can cause major damage, and eventually make your spreader unusable. Cleaning is very important at all stages of the maintenance process, and is especially important if you also use your salt spreader for fertilizer. After the spreader is cleaned, make sure all the moving parts move the way they are supposed to. Moving parts should be cleaned and greased from time to time. There are no electric parts on a walk behind spreader so you don't need to worry about damaging any wiring or electrical connections during maintenance. As long as you take the proper steps to keep it functioning well, you should have no problems with this type of spreader.

Tailgate, Under-Tailgate and Hopper Salt Spreaders

If you do heavy-duty salt spreading, these spreaders are your best friend in the wintertime. A tailgate spreader gets mounted on to the bed of a truck and plugged into its electrical system. An under-tailgate spreader is mounted underneath the tailgate of a dump body truck and is either powered with hydraulic fluid or electricity. Hopper salt spreaders are mounted into the bed of a truck and hooked into the vehicle's electrical system. When mounting or removing any kind of spreader, be cautious not to damage your vehicle. Make sure all the harnesses are secure before taking it anywhere. Like the walk-behind spreader, a visual inspection should be made, moving parts should be greased, and a regular cleaning with water should be done. The same precautions you would take for the walk-behind spreader should be taken with these types of spreader, but because these spreaders are much more complex, you must handle it with more caution and importance. Between uses, the salt should be cleaned out so it doesn't fuse together and cause issues for the next use. Make sure all electrical connections are out of the way of any salt, snow, water, or any substance that could damage the connections. Check all the tensions of belts, chains, and conveyors before, and multiple times throughout the season'be careful not to over-tighten! When storing the spreader, use dielectric grease on all the electrical connections to help prevent corrosion damage. Every spreader is different, so refer to the operating manual for specific details on further maintenance.

The winter season can be rough, but if you do the proper maintenance, you'll be ready for it!

Walk-Behind Salt Spreader

Tailgate, Under-Tailgate and Hopper Salt Spreaders

The winter season can be rough, but if you do the proper maintenance, you'll be ready for it!

Snow Plow Maintenance

2024-10-22T11:53:00-05:00

Snow - it comes around at the same time every year, leaving roads, parking lots, and driveways covered in its path. It can be a hassle in the morning when you're trying to leave for work or school. But snow plows keep our roads, parking lots, and driveways clear. Combined with salting, snow plowing is the most effective way to clear a slippery, snowy area quickly. With the right maintenance, a snow plow could last you for years.

There are two main types of snow plows; Straight plows and V-plows.

Visual Inspection

To start preparing your plow for the winter, the first thing you should do is make a visual inspection. If there are any clear signs of damage that could potentially interrupt the normal use of your plow, get it fixed before the season starts.

Trip Springs & Eye Bolts

Next, tighten the trip springs and adjust the eye bolts. Without proper adjustment, the moldboard (blade) could be damaged during use. Refer to your owner's manual to get your plow's specific tightening instructions.

Lubrication, Cutting Edge & Runners

In order to keep a smooth cut, make sure to grease moving parts (such as the pivot and cotter pins) and check the cutting edge. If the cutting edge is worn past 4 inches, get it replaced, as further use can damage the moldboard. Also, inspect the runners and ensure that they are cutting at -+ inch above the ground when ready to plow. If they are wearing through, get them replaced immediately. Continue to check the wear and tear of the edges and runners throughout the season.

Power Unit Maintenance

To ensure that your plow maintains good power angling, monitor all of the hoses, couplers, and rams. Make sure that there is no damage; such as rust, leaks, or cuts. Failure with the hydraulic system will result in the plow being completely dysfunctional. Before the season starts, make checking your hydraulic fluid a habit. Specific fluid levels and instructions for your pump/power unit can be found in the owner's manual, as every plow is different.

Electrical

Your plow's electrical system should also be reviewed before use. Replace or repair any melted, damaged, or corroded wiring, harnesses, and connectors. Dielectric grease can be added to any electrical connections to help prevent corrosion. Loose wires can be very hazardous, so make sure all wires are safe, secure, and away from any hot engine parts.

Review Owner's Manual

If you have questions or any other concerns with the upkeep of your snow plow, refer to your owner's manual, as there will be more detailed instructions for troubleshooting your specific plow model.

Checklist

Visual inspection
Tighten trip springs
Adjust eyebolts
Grease moving parts
Check cutting edge and runners/shoes
Monitor hoses, couplers, and rams
Check for rust, leaks, and cuts in hydraulic
Change oil/hydraulic fluid
Inspect wiring and electrical parts/add dielectric grease
Secure all wires
Read owner's manual

Visual Inspection

Trip Springs & Eye Bolts

Lubrication, Cutting Edge & Runners

Power Unit Maintenance

Electrical

Review Owner's Manual

If you have questions or any other concerns with the upkeep of your snow plow, refer to your owner's manual, as there will be more detailed instructions for troubleshooting your specific plow model.

Checklist

Visual inspection
Tighten trip springs
Adjust eyebolts
Grease moving parts
Check cutting edge and runners/shoes
Monitor hoses, couplers, and rams
Check for rust, leaks, and cuts in hydraulic
Change oil/hydraulic fluid
Inspect wiring and electrical parts/add dielectric grease
Secure all wires
Read owner's manual

Avoiding Surprise Snowplow Breakdowns

2024-10-22T11:53:00-05:00

There's no better way to avoid untimely snow plow breakdowns than to properly prepare in the pre-season. No matter what the breakdown is, when it happens, it only means one thing: you're dead in the water. Following these tips will help you preventatively avoid surprise breakdowns and keep your truck moving snow through the next big storm.

Whether you're working with a team or you're the "lone wolfGÇ¥ plow, the last thing you need is a surprise. The best way to avoid surprises going into a new season is to properly train and prepare in the pre-season. The best maintenance is simply using the plow the right way because many problems stem from improper or hasty plow use. Spending a little bit of time in the pre-season each year training and working with your equipment will help build good, long-lasting plow habits. Coupling basic plow training with these preventative maintenance tips will help you or your crew easily transition into the snow removal season.

Mark Your Turf

When training with and preparing your plow in the pre-season, we recommend going through your route and marking any landscaping objects or large immovable objects with driveway markers. This will not only help make sure you see your clients drive way lines clearly in deep snow, but will also help prevent any surprises buried in the snow from damaging your plow.

Grease All Electrical Connections

One of the most important preventative tasks you can perform in the pre-season is greasing all of your electrical connections with non-conductive dielectric grease. This process helps seal the electrical connections from moisture. If moisture makes its way into the electrical connections for your plow, it's likely to corrode these connections and can cause serious damage to your plow's electrical system. Many common electrical problems with plows can be prevented by greasing these connections well in the pre-season. Performing this simple step can help you save big on costly electrical repairs mid-season.

Clean and Paint Any Exposed Metal

When metal is in contact with water, the water begins to oxidize the metal or rust it. In combination with the water from the snow and ice being removed is the corrosive effect of salt. The salt we use to de-ice our roads, driveways and parking lots acts as a catalyst to the oxidation process. When the salty water makes contact with raw metal, it oxidizes or rusts it much faster. The powder coating on your plow's metal components is designed to act as a barrier between the raw metal of your plow's parts and this salty water. Any nicks or scratches in this barrier that expose the metal the parts are milled from are liable to start rusting. Inspecting your plow's powder coated parts and cleaning, preparing, and painting any exposed metal will help protect essential parts from rusting.

Collapse Lift Cylinders and Lubricate Lift Rods

If your chrome lift rods begin to rust, they can begin to flake. When this happens, these flakes can potentially make their way into your plow's lift cylinder and cause costly damage to your cylinder and hydraulic system. We recommend being proactive about this issue by collapsing your lift cylinders fully and lubricating the chrome rods. This will help prevent your chrome lift rods from rusting, as well as helping to prevent any rust or other contaminants from entering your hydraulic system.

Drain the Hydraulic Fluid

Moisture or condensation builds up inside your plow's pump over time. It's important to drain your hydraulic fluid before your pump is stored to avoid damaging it. As you use your pump the condensation that collects inside begins to build up. By allowing this condensation to build up you create a situation where moisture in your pump reservoir can begin to oxidize the metal components inside, essentially rusting it from the inside out.

Inspect the Iron Thoroughly

Snow plows are very susceptible to being worn down over time. The plows cutting edge is usually in contact with concrete or asphalt while the plow mountings and frame are under the constant stress of the weight of your plow, the pump and the pressure created from pushing and pulling snow. Over time, all of these parts start to wear down and will begin to show signs of damage. A good preventative measure to take when working with equipment that is very susceptible to wear and tear is a good thorough inspection of your plow's iron components. Look over the plow closely, looking for signs of wear, metal fatigue, or cracks in the metal. Check all of your plow's welds and re-torque nuts and bolts.

It's important to maintain a solid plow. If your plow's parts start to work themselves loose, they can negatively affect the performance of the plow as well as create a dangerous operating condition for your plow. Having loose parts or components in your plow could also lead to one part wearing out another.

As with any piece of equipment, the amount of use will determine how often you'll want to inspect your plow. During an average snow season, a good visual inspection should be performed daily, if you're experiencing a slower snow season and aren't plowing as frequently you can reduce the frequency that you inspect your plow. Conversely, if you are experiencing a heavier than normal snow season, you may need to check your plow several times a day in between clients.

Top areas to inspect when looking over your plow

Cutting edges GÇô If any of the sections of your plows cutting edge are damaged or showing signs of wear it's time to replace it. This is your first line of defense to protect your plow blade from damage so be sure to replace this as soon as damage is noticed!
Trip Springs GÇô Check your trip springs for proper tension; make sure they are intact, and tight.
Mounting Points GÇô Closely look at your mounting points to make sure nothing is cracked, chipped or damaged, make sure any fasteners are still in place and secure.
Wear Shoes GÇô When inspecting the wear shoes on your plow, make sure that all the nuts and bolts are accounted for, in place, and secure. A worn down wear shoe is something that you'll probably notice after a full snow season or multiple snow seasons. Wear shoes should never be worn down after one day of use or only a few uses. These parts shouldn't need replaced frequently.

Continual Maintenance

The best way to avoid costly breakdowns and repairs is to couple pre-season preparation with continual maintenance. One of the first things on your list of regular maintenance should be checking your pump's oil level. With the lift piston fully retracted, remove the filler cap and dip the straw into the fluid reservoir. Your fluid should be about 1-1/2GÇ¥ below the filler hole. If your fluid is lower than this or looks dirty, refer to your owner's manual for instructions on filling or changing your pump's hydraulic fluid.

Closely Monitor your Hydraulic System

Closely monitor the condition of your pump's hydraulic hoses and couplers. Any bubbles or cuts in your hose can lead to a leak in your hydraulic system. A rusty or leaky coupler will do the same thing. These issues will cause a loss in oil pressure and will result in power angling failure. Inspect your angling rams for any signs of rust or leaks. If either signs are present, your angling ram may be allowing water into your hydraulic system. Allowing water into your hydraulic system can have two negative effects, the first is that your pumps reservoir will be likely to begin to rust and corrode from the inside as previously discussed. The second issue with water getting into your hydraulic system is that it reduces your hydraulic fluids ability to perform in below freezing temperatures and leads to pumps freezing-up. Essentially the hydraulic fluid turns into a slushy inside of your pump.

Monitor Your Vehicle's Electrical System

Monitoring your plow hydraulic system is important but just as important is maintaining the vehicle that operates your plow. For best results, the vehicle that is operating your plow must have an electrical system with at least a 70-amp/hr battery and a 60-amp alternator. Making sure that your battery terminals are clear of corrosion will help ensure that you're receiving the full amperage from your battery.

Just like we discussed with your plow pump, a great way to prevent corrosion on your battery terminals or in other places throughout your automobile electrical system is to apply dielectric grease to them. It's a good idea to check the electrical connections in your vehicle's electrical system often to make sure none are corroded and that all are tight and properly connected. While checking your electrical connections, you should also look to make sure your vehicles wires are clear of any hot or moving engine parts. Also check to make sure that your wires are clear of any sharp sheet metal parts, you're pretty much looking for anything that can damage the protective shield covering your wires. Anything that can cause a breach in this can cause your electrical system to malfunction. Keeping your vehicle's battery, alternator and regulator in top condition is essential to maintaining the maximum electrical output for your vehicle.

Following these tips will help you get your plow ready for a long snow season. As well as help you keep it in top operating condition throughout the snow removal season. Avoid surprise break downs with proper preventative maintenance!

Mark Your Turf

Grease All Electrical Connections

Clean and Paint Any Exposed Metal

Collapse Lift Cylinders and Lubricate Lift Rods

Drain the Hydraulic Fluid

Inspect the Iron Thoroughly

Top areas to inspect when looking over your plow

Cutting edges GÇô If any of the sections of your plows cutting edge are damaged or showing signs of wear it's time to replace it. This is your first line of defense to protect your plow blade from damage so be sure to replace this as soon as damage is noticed!
Trip Springs GÇô Check your trip springs for proper tension; make sure they are intact, and tight.
Mounting Points GÇô Closely look at your mounting points to make sure nothing is cracked, chipped or damaged, make sure any fasteners are still in place and secure.
Wear Shoes GÇô When inspecting the wear shoes on your plow, make sure that all the nuts and bolts are accounted for, in place, and secure. A worn down wear shoe is something that you'll probably notice after a full snow season or multiple snow seasons. Wear shoes should never be worn down after one day of use or only a few uses. These parts shouldn't need replaced frequently.