Preparing your snow plow for winter is a necessity each year. The best time to plan your snow plow prep is before the snow flies. Having your snow plow prepped and ready to go well before Halloween means an October snowfall won’t trick you into using your snow plow before it’s ready, but will make being prepared for business a treat.
Preparing Your Snow Plow
It’s a good idea to have a checklist of routine snow plow inspections to run through each year in preparation for plowing season:
- The hydraulics in your snow plow do a lot of work each winter. Moving the plow up and down dozens of times a day as well as tilting and moving the blade creates a lot of friction. It’s important to check your hydraulic system for any leaks and be sure that your hydraulic oil is at the proper level.
- Proper tension prolongs the life of your trip springs. But you may have released some of the tension when going through your snow plow prep prior to storage for the summer months. Check the tension, tighten if necessary, and remember that trip springs incur a lot of wear. They are the most frequently – and easily – replaced parts on a plow. So, if they appear worn, replacing them prior to a new plowing season can be your best bet.
- Taking a few minutes at the beginning of the season to inspect your mounting bolts is one of the easiest steps in prepping your snow plow. Check them for rust and make sure they are tightened properly.
- Lubricating your plow’s pivot points and greasing the pins is another straightforward step to take when completing your pre-snow maintenance checklist.
- Clean your plow. Hopefully this is a step that won’t be necessary if you cleaned your plow prior to storing it. But if you’re new to the plowing business you may not have known that storing your plow for the season without cleaning the salt, sand, and grime away can encourage corrosion. So, if you get your plow out of storage and it’s dirty, give it a good cleaning so you can inspect it for signs of corrosion.
- The best way to check for any mechanical issues is to take your plow for a test run. There’s nothing worse than finding out after the snow falls that there’s a problem with your plow which requires repairs.
- The last step in snow plow prep is taking the time to do another quick inspection after your first day on the road. After being in storage for several months, it’s good to check how everything held up after being put to work.
Preparing Your Truck
Once you’ve completed your checklist for snow plow prep, it’s time to make sure your truck is in tip-top shape. A plow can’t move much snow if there’s no vehicle to drive it! Keeping that vehicle in good condition is critical to your business – and the best way to keep you from getting stuck in a snowstorm.
If you are not that familiar with vehicle maintenance, schedule an appointment to get your vehicle serviced. It’s better to do it now than to wait until something goes wrong.
For those who have experience with vehicle repair, here are steps for a truck maintenance walkthrough:
- Check tire pressure and rotate your tires if this wasn’t performed at the end of the season prior to storage.
- Change the oil, check all fluid levels
- Check the rear differential and transmission
- Test your batteries
- Check your alternator
- Check for signs of rust damage. The snow and salt in your wheels can increase these chances
Need a New Snow Plow for Winter?
Maybe your snow plow has seen better days and it’s time to invest in a new one. With a huge inventory to choose from, Semi Service can help you find the ideal snow plow and system for your vehicle. We carry top brands for snow/ice removal and can customize your vehicle to give you the edge over your competition in the area!
Contact Semi Service Today!
No matter which plow you are interested in investing in, Semi Service offers snow plows for sale, thousands of parts and expert service to get you through those intense winter months.
We have only the best in snow and ice control equipment from top brands like Wester, SnowDogg by Buyers, and Henderson. Contact us online or give us a call at (800) 442-6687 to get started today!
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