SSQA snow plows

[TheOldHokie]

Yes, both plates are 1/2" thick.

I thought as much. My plow is considerably smaller and lighter so I think 3/8 is probably fine. Here is my sketch-up. I always have to add my own touch so I made the pivot hole 1-1/4" with the idea of putting a flanged bushing in the hole to retain the plate and act as a spacer to allow the bolt to be fully tightened. I will send this off to the laser cottier for a quote tomorrow.




Dan

 

[GrappleDave]

On mine I used a Fisher plow and A frame, I shortened the A frame to just where the cylinders mount, about 6". I use a chain attached to the front of the A frame and to a receiver tube I put in the top of the quick attach plate thereby having the ability to float without putting the loader in float mode.

 

[D2Cat]

On mine I used a Fisher plow and A frame, I shortened the A frame to just where the cylinders mount, about 6". I use a chain attached to the front of the A frame and to a receiver tube I put in the top of the quick attach plate thereby having the ability to float without putting the loader in float mode.

Dave, is your quick attach plate 3/8" or 1/2" material?

 

[GreensvilleJay]

geedave.... your plow springs seem to be missing the 'keepers' (bolt +nut) on the top of them ?

 

[mcmxi]

I thought as much. My plow is considerably smaller and lighter so I think 3/8 is probably fine. Here is my sketch-up. I always have to add my own touch so I made the pivot hole 1-1/4" with the idea of putting a flanged bushing in the hole to retain the plate and act as a spacer to allow the bolt to be fully tightened. I will send this off to the laser cottier for a quote tomorrow.




Dan

View attachment 77335

Very nicely done!

You might be interested to know that the two bolts that reside in the slots are 3/4" diameter. The slots are 1-1/8" wide and there's a bushing that the bolts pass through that's probably 1" in diameter and that bushing rides in the slot. The slots are not parallel sided, but as your drawing shows are centered along the circumference of a circle with an approximate radius of 10" whose center is located at the pivot bolt.

Are you providing the 3/8" plate to the machine shop? I paid $260 a couple of weeks ago for a 48"x32" piece of 3/16" floor plate .... crazy!

 

[TheOldHokie]

Very nicely done!

You might be interested to know that the two bolts that reside in the slots are 3/4" diameter. The slots are 1-1/8" wide and there's a bushing that the bolts pass through that's probably 1" in diameter and that bushing rides in the slot. The slots are not parallel sided, but as your drawing shows are centered along the circumference of a circle with an approximate radius of 10" whose center is located at the pivot bolt.

Are you providing the 3/8" plate to the machine shop? I paid $260 a couple of weeks ago for a 48"x32" piece of 3/16" floor plate .... crazy!

The bolts in that drawing are on a 11.5" radius and the slots are 1" wide. I like the idea of the bushings/spacers in the slots and I will adjust accordingly.

I am not providing material to the laser cutter - the cost I posted was their online quote for a 24" x 12" laser cut rectangle of 3/8" A36. It don't expect it to be much more for the added details. I just had them cut and bend 10 of these from the same material - they are 6 x 10 and were $22 each. They do excellent work at very reasonable prices

Dan

 

[mcmxi]

The bolts in that drawing are on a 11.5" radius and the slots are 1" wide. I like the idea of the bushings/spacers in the slots and I will adjust accordingly.

I am not providing material to the laser cutter - the cost I posted was their online quote for a 24" x 12" laser cut rectangle of 3/8" A36. It don't expect it to be much more for the added details. I just had them cut and bend 10 of these from the same material - they are 6 x 10 and were $22 each. They do excellent work at very reasonable prices

Dan

View attachment 77382

Excellent prices for sure and those pieces look great!

 

[TheOldHokie]

Excellent prices for sure and those pieces look great!

They quoted $55 - done deal..

Dan

 

[Dieseldonato]

For what it's worth, I plowed with a 624H deere loader with a 12 foot, quick hitch one way plow. Spring trip. There were skid shoes on the mullboard, and wheels back near the hitch. You basically got you angle right and let the arms float. Never really had to adjust anything. The weight of the loader arms put a decent but of down pressure on the plow. It worked better then the plows on the trucks. Just didn't angle.

 

[kubotasam]

geedave.... your plow springs seem to be missing the 'keepers' (bolt +nut) on the top of them ?

That is a Fisher Plow. The springs are compression springs. When the plow contacts something the bottom cutting edge folds back compressing the springs. On other plows with extension springs when you hit something the plow folds forward extending the springs.
The Fisher does not have a bolt in that location, the design of the way the cutting edge hinge bolting to the plow keeps that assembly (that holds the spring) in place.

 

[GreensvilleJay]

nice to know how it works, for you.and others...
if it was mine, I'd hit 'something' and the blade would launch away from the springs, they'd then go into orbit and I'd be singing ' where or where have my plow springs gone' !

 

[GrappleDave]

Dave, is your quick attach plate 3/8" or 1/2" material?

It's actually only 1/4" but that plow is an sd or something, very lightweight with a plastic cutting edge and was put on a diet by good old northeast road cleaner upper stuff.....lol

I don't think this one ever had bolts in the top of the springs.

 

[D2Cat]

Thanks for the info. I've got a Hiniker I won't be using so I'm going to modify it for QA on my L42140. I'm going to leave it 8' to see how it works, and if need by make it narrower. We don't get much snow here at any one event, so I'm thinking I'll be fine. Just want it to clean a 200' drive and parking area and play in the neighbor's snow!

 

[TheOldHokie]

Excellent prices for sure and those pieces look great!

Laser cutter turned the push plate around in less than 2 days.. Now all I need is the cylinder brackets to mount the plow. If they don't ship soon I am going to cancel the order and make my own.

Dan

 

[GBJeffOH]

I am in the process of converting an old Meyers ST78 truck plow to SSQA hitch for use on my L3901 and LA525 loader. I am trying to decide on exactly what type of A frame attachment to use. I have researched plows from a number of leading suppliers including Buyers, Boss, Western, Meyers, Land Pride, and Virnig. They all have different setups but they all fall into three basic designs:

1. Meyers went the easy route and they simply pin their Classic mount to an SSQA adapter plate (see picture below). My main objection to that design is it puts the plow way out in front of the tractor. It does however let the plow float just like a frame mounted truck plow.
2. Land Pride uses a rigid A frame weldment that brings the plow in tighter to the adapter plate. Now the plow acts more like a bucket and you have to let the loader float the blade. Not sure how well that works in practice.
3. Most of the others go high tech using a rigid A frame like #2 but with an oscillating king pin attachment to the adapter plate. This lets the plow rotate along the vertical plane of the SSQA plate to follow any camber on the road surface and it also brings the plow in tighter to the tractor. But it also requires the use of loader to float the blade. I am also concerned about wear on that king pin becoming a maintenance issue.

I would like to hear pros/cons and actual user experience from people that own and/or use plows with any of these designs. I am leaning towards the oscillating design primarily because I can get the plow in tighter to the adapter plate. If the king pin fails to hold up in service I can simply revert to version #2 by welding the A frame push plate to the SSQA adapter plate


Dan

View attachment 77273

Keep it as close as you can. The plow steers the tractor a lot.

 

[GBJeffOH]

I am in the process of converting an old Meyers ST78 truck plow to SSQA hitch for use on my L3901 and LA525 loader. I am trying to decide on exactly what type of A frame attachment to use. I have researched plows from a number of leading suppliers including Buyers, Boss, Western, Meyers, Land Pride, and Virnig. They all have different setups but they all fall into three basic designs:

1. Meyers went the easy route and they simply pin their Classic mount to an SSQA adapter plate (see picture below). My main objection to that design is it puts the plow way out in front of the tractor. It does however let the plow float just like a frame mounted truck plow.
2. Land Pride uses a rigid A frame weldment that brings the plow in tighter to the adapter plate. Now the plow acts more like a bucket and you have to let the loader float the blade. Not sure how well that works in practice.
3. Most of the others go high tech using a rigid A frame like #2 but with an oscillating king pin attachment to the adapter plate. This lets the plow rotate along the vertical plane of the SSQA plate to follow any camber on the road surface and it also brings the plow in tighter to the tractor. But it also requires the use of loader to float the blade. I am also concerned about wear on that king pin becoming a maintenance issue.

I would like to hear pros/cons and actual user experience from people that own and/or use plows with any of these designs. I am leaning towards the oscillating design primarily because I can get the plow in tighter to the adapter plate. If the king pin fails to hold up in service I can simply revert to version #2 by welding the A frame push plate to the SSQA adapter plate


Dan

View attachment 77273

My cylinders only have one hose.

 

[D2Cat]

That's because you connect one cylinder to the other, then the pump. When one is extending the other is contracting.