One Way Snow Plow

[CAT140H]

Is there anyone out there that runs a One Way Plow on there Grader?
We are thinking about getting a One Way Snow Plow for a Cat 140h Grader and I'd like to hear from grader men that have used one. How do you like it?
I've never used one so I'm kind of interested in how they work.
Thank you

 

[Grader4me]

We have one way plows for all of our graders. If you are considering buying one for your grader, I can tell you it would be an excellent investment. I have personally run a front plow on a grader for 20 plus years.
What kind of snow removal do you do with your grader? parking lots,roads? Do you have a wing on it as well?

 

[plowking740]

I ran a one way plow on a 740 Champ for 6 years in Manitoba. I loved it. it made the job a little easier and I found it was easier on mouldboard blades as well. Once you start using it, you like it.

there are a few little things you might want to add that dosent usually come with the plow, for starters, I would go Double blades. makes it a little heavier and I have found that I got a lot more wear. I used to put new ones on in the fall and I might have to change them in Feb, depending on how much snow fell

 

[Grader4me]

I find it funny as this type of plow has different names (depending where you are from) some are as follows:

One way
Sweep
Flanger
Flange
Dust pan
Pan
Front plow

I always called it a Dust pan, but in the area that I now live it is called a Flanger.

 

[Steve Frazier]

We call them funnel plows here.

 

[CAT140H]

Thanks for the replys.
Grader4me:
This plow would be used only for gravel roads in a Rural Municipality in Saskatchewan.
Did you run skids or tires?
There's an outfit in Saskatchewan that makes them just for graders and it's a very heavy plow, they have tires on them instead of skids. It would cut out the replacement of skids but then flat tires might be a problem.
We also run wings on our Cat 140H's

 

[Dozerboy]

Get the tires filled with foam.

 

[Grader4me]

We call them funnel plows here.

Now that is one I have never heard tell of!

CAT140H,
I honestly have never heard tell of a one way plow with tires, so I cannot even comment on how they would work. Curious on the set up for that....

The skids you are referring to would be plow shoes and this is the type we run. If you have these shoes adjusted properly they will last the life of your blade unless you strike something and break one. When/if you purchase a one way make sure that the shoes can be adjusted. The crank adjustment is the best.

We have the same plows on the graders as the trucks have. I prefer these over the heavy ones. A one way(any type) is only going to handle so much snow, and you will know its limit as it will start kicking you sideways. Also a big old heavy one causes more strain on the front end when lugging it around.

Plowking is right about double blades. Single blades cut better but wear out quickly.:yup

Anything else you need to know about the plow, shoe adjustment, plowing tips, let us know

 

[plowking740]

one way plow

I think I know the out fit in Sask that you are talking about Cat140h, I have seen there plows in use but have never tried them. they also make a few different types of wings as well including a wing setup that is postless on the front. There stuff looks good and strong, and simple to maintain, but time will tell


When I ran a one way, I wound up taking the shoes right off and letting it ride right on the blades, like i said the double blades help, carry a bit more weight, dosent want to dig in as bad. it worked great on asphalt and Chip seal roads which both Manitoba and Sask. seem to have a lot of but the gravel was a different story. usually you had to wait till some snow built up and froze to the road, and then the plow would work good. unitll then, I would set it down close to the ground to get most of the snow and then use the mould board to catch the rest.

the only real problem I can say I ever had was plowing into a wind that blew the snow back across the grader. remember you get twice the snow that a V plow would give. I had a few problems with the breaks frezing on the grader, and it could get packed pretty tight in the articulation as well.

 

[Grader4me]

When I ran a one way, I wound up taking the shoes right off and letting it ride right on the blades, like i said the double blades help, carry a bit more weight, dosent want to dig in as bad.

To each his own but...I have seen to many plows go under, operators hurt and equipment damaged due to plows being set up improper.
The shoes are there for a reason and set up right they can help prevent the plow from going under.
I could tell you story after story of this happening. No matter how frozen the ground is or the surface you are plowing, or how much of a base(gravel roads) you have, you can still catch. It can be a seam/crack on a ice/snow packed road, soft spot, etc etc.
Correct plow angle is also important. The further the plow is laid ahead the harder it cuts, rolled ahead to far then it becomes dangerous (some do this as it cuts and cleans better) but they are taking a big risk.
This is just my two cents worth but please set up your plow right. Sorry PlowKing that we probably don't agree on this issue.

 

[srs_mn]

One Way Plowing

We never messed with the skid shoes on our plows either... we just cranked them all the way up out of the way. After all, the object is to get the snow and ice off the road, and it's not going to happen if the cutting edge is above the pavement riding on shoes or wheels. You DO have to be somewhat on your toes for trouble, like railroad tracks or frost heaves and boils, but after a few times plowing the same roads over and over a guy learns what to watch out for. One way plows, at least around where I live, are pretty much useless on gravel roads in the early fall and late spring though... once the frost starts going out they will dig in and spill your coffee! That's when you go back to using the moldboard, and leave the one way plow back at the shop.
srs MN

 

[Grader4me]

Why would you crank your shoes down so hard as to lift the blade off the road? If you want to lift them all the way up then go for it. :yup
All you have to do is put your plow down on level ground, place an inch board under each shoe then adjust the shoe so that it hits the board. If the plow catches the springs on each side will compress the shoes will hit and most times this will bring the plow back up.
As the roads(gravel) get softer (spring and fall) put more weight on the shoes and when plowing soft roads put some tension on the lift chains and go very slow. Most times in these conditions you would use the moldboard but I have seen some pretty heavy snow storms in the spring that was to much for the moldboard to handle.
But hey..to each his own, but when you see a coworker and friend being loaded into an ambulance because he never took the time to set his plow up properly....

 

[plowking740]

I do agree with Grader4me on the angle of the plow. too far forward and it will dig in too far back and it wont cut any thing. but that was where I used the mouldboard. I cant tell you what angle it was, but it was a little less than half way on the tilt.

I have never had it dig in, maybe my time is comming. The wing on the other hand has dug in a few times and sent me for a 90 degree turn more than once. ( thanks to all the farmers who plow there driveways and pile it on the other side of the road. which is against the law and has wound up costing a couple of people a fair amount in fines)

 

[Grader4me]

The wing on the other hand has dug in a few times and sent me for a 90 degree turn more than once. ( thanks to all the farmers who plow there driveways and pile it on the other side of the road. which is against the law and has wound up costing a couple of people a fair amount in fines)

Yup, you can get yourself into quite a mess with a wing as well. it rides along pretty good when everything is froze up good but when the ground is soft.... All you can do then is go slow and keep tension on your front/back ends.

We have a lot of people that push their snow out of the driveways, across the road and dump it onto the shoulder. It wouldn't be to bad if you could get around and shove these places back before the next storm but most times you don't get a chance. When you hit them with the wing it will send you for a loop.

We even have ads in the local newspapers warning people not to do this, but they keep doing it just the same. I guess law enforcement is not so tough down here.