How to Pick Plow Attachments for Tractors

Tractors provide the necessary power and traction to handle heavy loads, making them ideal for snow and ice management. Additionally, using a snowplow attachment on a tractor can save time and effort. That’s compared to using smaller equipment or other manual methods. Plus, with greater fuel efficiency and fuel tank capacity, tractors allow you to complete more jobs while making fewer trips to the gas station.
Whether you choose to buy, lease or rent a tractor — it comes down to what makes the most sense for your business and what is available. As tractors continue to become more popular for plowing snow, and as additional attachments are introduced to the market each season, let’s talk about how contractors can reap the rewards of adding a plow attachment to their tractor.

Finding the Right Fit

With exceptional turn radius and “crab” or “quad” steering for tight spaces, compact tractors excel at maneuvering. They are great around curbs and obstacles, making them ideal for snow removal with minimal surface damage. Depending on the size of your tractor, there are various plow styles available. These include straight blade plows, V-plows, winged plows and pusher plows. Understanding more about these options will ensure you choose the best plow for your specific needs. This will enhance your tractor’s overall capabilities and productivity.

Straight Blade Plows

• Affordability: Straight blade plows tend to be the most popular. They’re straightforward and come at the lowest price point compared to other plow types.
• Easy Operation: The straightforward design with easy up, down, left and right operation makes a straight blade an excellent choice for anyone new.
• Simple Maintenance: Since there are fewer options and less moving parts on a straight blade compared to winged or V-plow, less can go wrong. This means fewer repairs and simple maintenance.
• Application: They’re perfect for driveways, small properties and open lots with few obstacles.
  Regionality: They’re best for use in areas receiving at least two to three snow events each season. These should range from 1 to 6 in.

V-Plows

• Versatility: This plow blade is hinged in the middle. It uses hydraulic controls to adjust the blade from V-mode to straight mode to scoop mode.
• Efficiency: A V-plow allows you to easily change from one mode to the other. This is all from the comfort of your vehicle cab.

• V-Mode — easily break through deep, hard packed snow
• Scoop — increased snow stacking and hauling capacity by 30 percent
• Straight — back drag and windrow in large, open spaces

• Application: These plows work best in parking lots with various obstacles. They are also great for cities and tight areas where space is limited and you need to stack snow high.
• Regionality: They’re ideal for areas that receive more than five storms a year with at least one event dropping more than a foot of snow.

Clear snow like a pro with these compact utility tractor tips.

Winged Plows

• Versatility: Winged plows with full hydraulic control allow you to independently extend the wings. By windrowing on a left or right angle, you can reduce snow spill off and extend for a wider pass, directing snow into the moldboard for a cleaner scrape.
• Efficiency: With fully expanded wings, you can move more snow with a winged plow than any other style type. Easily switch it from a standard blade size to an extra wide blade size. By covering more space, you can reduce the number of passes to get the job done faster.
• Application: They’re perfect for large areas that have obstacles and narrow areas. These include packed parking lots, outdoor storage areas with aisles and jobs where you need to quickly carry a lot of snow.
• Regionality: These plows do best in highly populated and concentrated areas like a large commercial or industrial parking lot where a wing plow can really shine.

Pusher Plows

• Efficiency: Pusher plows, also known as box plows, are designed for heavy-duty snow removal and can handle large volumes of snow in a single pass. They are effective in clearing wide areas as they can push snow directly into the box, which then lifts and deposits the snow away.
• Application: These plows are ideal for clearing expansive, flat areas such as large parking lots, driveways and open spaces. They are particularly useful in areas where consistent snow removal is required without the need for extensive maneuvering around obstacles.
• Regionality: They’re best suited for regions with large, open spaces where snow accumulation is substantial. Pusher plows are effective in areas that require straightforward, high-capacity snow removal, such as large commercial or industrial areas with large, open spaces.

Erin Hunt is product manager, snow control, for Douglas Dynamics.