With October just around the corner, snowfall is nearing. If you operate a snowplow business or do contract snow plowing around your area, it’s time to start preparing! Snowplow pre-season maintenance is an important part of getting ready for the snow season to ensure you can complete jobs thoroughly and efficiently!
Read on to learn tips for snowplow pre-season maintenance to get your plow in working order.
Check the Cutting Edge
Your cutting edge is a critical component of your snowplow. As part of snowplow pre-season maintenance, it’s important to give your cutting edge a lookover to make sure it finished last season in good shape. As your cutting edge wears, maintenance and adjustments can help prolong it’s life, but at a certain point it will need to be replaced.
Ignoring a worn cutting edge won’t just make your snowplowing harder, it can damage the moldboard. The last thing you want to do is compromise the structural integrity of your plow – it will lead to repairs a lot more expensive than replacing a cutting edge!
If everything looks good, make sure to verify the alignment and you’ll be all set for a clean scrape this snow season.
Trip Spring Maintenance
If you’re an experienced snowplower, you know that the trip springs are the number one part you’ll be replacing on your plow. As they wear, trip springs become loose and can cause your plow to trip a lot more easily than it should.
Before your first plow of the season, inspect your trip springs to verify their tension and make sure they’re in good order. You can adjust them with the right tools to help extend their lifespan. If the springs are too far gone, replace them sooner than later!
Mounting Bolts
It’s good practice to keep a close eye on your mounting bolts throughout the season. However, at the season start, it’s the best time to inspect them and make sure they’re fastened tight. If they’re loose, tighten them up. There’s not much to this part of snowplow pre-season maintenance, but it’s still a critical step!
Light Check
Visibility and safety are essentially the same when it comes to plowing on the snow-covered roads. Especially during the heavy snows when you’ll be plowing in a blizzard, you need to know that your vehicle is as easy to see as it can be.
A broken or dead plow light can make you as much of a road hazard as the snow or ice you’re clearing. It can also lead to tickets depending on local laws! Replace dead or dying bulbs as soon as you see them.
Lift Piston
One easily overlooked part of pre-season maintenance for your snowplow is checking the lift piston to make sure it’s ready to go. Your manual for your specific snowplow will have instructions for maintaining it, but the general steps include:
- Collapse the lift piston all the way
- Use a dipstick to check the fluid level
- If it looks dirty or low, empty the hydraulic fluid
- Top off with new hydraulic fluid
The specifics of your process will depend on your make and model. The important thing is to make sure your hydraulic fluid and lift pistons are ready for the winter season to avoid issues when trying to make full use of your snowplow!
Check Your Plow Vehicle
In addition to these key steps, snowplow pre-season maintenance means having a reliable vehicle behind (or in front of) your plow! There are a lot of important steps to take when it comes to checking your plow vehicle before the cold hits, but here are the main steps to take:
- Check tire pressure (continue to check throughout the season)
- Inspect your vehicle battery for corrosion
- Test the electrical system to ensure it’s operating correctly
- Check vehicle fluids and replace as necessary
Ready for a New Snow Plow?
If you’re ready to equip your truck with a new snow plow, we can help answer your questions! The snowy season is here, so let our experts help you sooner rather than later.
Contact us online or give us a call at (801) 895-4419 to get started today!
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