[fordguy2]

I am considering buying a powerstroke to plow snow this winter. A lot of my buddies are telling me that its going to gel up and im not going to like the turn radius on it. Has anyone had any problems with plowing with a powerstroke and what should I be aware of. And are there any upgrades I should do to the truck that might help out, such as with the suspension. Thanks

 

[Austin G]

Turning radius is going to depend on wheel base, a ex cab short bed is going to be allot better then a crew cab long bed. It won't gel up if you add anti-gel additives. There are a ton of powerstrokes out there plowing snow every year.

 

[fordguy2]

I know there is 911 for if its already gelled up. Is there a product that I can just put in the fuel everytime i fill up>?

 

[7.3Lariat]

I know there is 911 for if its already gelled up. Is there a product that I can just put in the fuel everytime i fill up>?

Yes they sell it at stores and dealers. Just add it when you fill up.

 

[Austin G]

I know there is 911 for if its already gelled up. Is there a product that I can just put in the fuel everytime i fill up>?

Diesel kleen. Forget what color the bottle is. But there is a winter one.


Sent from my iPhone

 

[JEL]

The white bottle of DK has the anti-gel agent.

 

[fordguy2]

Alright. Thanks guys.

 

[capcalvin]

Been plowing with mine for 3 winters. This will be my 4th if they want to pay my hourly rate. CCLB dually. You can push a pretty big pile of snow with a diesel truck. Yes turning radius sucks in tight places. I just stick to the big jobs like parking lots and subdivisions. Never gelled once. Just make sure you charge enough to make it worth it. Otherwise, you end up working for free.

 

[rufushusky]

I am considering buying a powerstroke to plow snow this winter. A lot of my buddies are telling me that its going to gel up and im not going to like the turn radius on it. Has anyone had any problems with plowing with a powerstroke and what should I be aware of. And are there any upgrades I should do to the truck that might help out, such as with the suspension. Thanks

Like others have said, the shorter the wheel base the better it will be.


Don't be too worried about gelling, unless your running fuel from july in febuary you should be find depending on where you live. I live in Mass so it doesn't get that cold, but even when it has been below 0 I have never had a gelling issue even when I had my dodge with two unheated fuel filters sitting on my frame rail.

 

[fordguy2]

You think a 2003 ford f250 will do fine with plowing big parking lots or would a f350 be better?

 

[late_99_PSD]

You think a 2003 ford f250 will do fine with plowing big parking lots or would a f350 be better?

F-350 would be better, but only because the springs are a bit stiffer. A F-250 will do just fine.

Oh, and I've never had a problem with fuel gelling. The oil companies put additive in the fuel in the winter so it wont gell.

 

[fordguy2]

What kind of springs should I get if I were to upgrade them?

 

[goodyFAB7.3]

i wouldnt upgrade the springs in a 250 youll be fine unless you run a huge blade , they sell helpers in all shapes and sizes( springs and bags etc)

diesels work in the snow everywhere this will be my first year with my own but i will say this if you are used to plowing with a gas job, you have a little getting used to in a diesel at least when i used my gas job then jumped in the company 7.3 its weird at first the diesel has no off idle torque, it takes time until the turbo builds boost but once it does you could move a house if you have traction...

 

[fordguy2]

I never thought about that really. Its going to be my 2nd year plowing going from a chevy to a ford. Im still in the process of finding one but its definately going to be a ford after all the problems I had with the chevy. Thanks everyone for the help.:thumb:

 

[dieselmac99]

Don't know where you're at, but in about 18 years of owning diesels neither me or my dad have had a gelling issue in any of the trucks we've had over the years. There's plenty of additives in winter blend fuel. I throw the motorcraft anti-gell in if its 20 or below just for peace of mind. Only cold related issue so far was a ruptured oil filter in the duramax when it was about 10 below 0 five or six years ago. As with any winter vehicle you're going to work, don't beat on it until its warmed up and they'll love you back.

As far as turning radius, get a truck/blade combo that will suit your jobs best. For me its a 450 extended cab with a easterner dump with a 9' straight fisher, because I spend 85% of my plow time pushing on the highway. For my buddy, its 350 extended cab short bed SRW with a 8' straight for driveways and small lots. And my uncle had until a few months ago a 250 reg cab/long bed with a 8.5' v boss... he swore by that truck.

 

[dieselmac99]

Oh and I forgot to mention the new GM's (like every other GM I know) are nearly bottomed out with a 9' blade off the front. Boss has an 09 3500 LMM dually dump and it bounces off the stops CONSTANTLY. Driver is a complete moron, so all the damage he accumulates every year I try not to blame on the truck. But it definitely DROPS. 98 3500 dually dump 454 with the same blade rides on the stops all the time (blade up).

I invite you to check out plowsite.com too. I know a bunch of us snow-belt guys are on there. I got the same user name.

 

[daveyburt]

additives will take care of gelling.

I added a full leaf to my front spring stacks to accept a 8' Fisher HD. I wonder if I should have added two leafs but, I think it would have made the ride to harsh without the plow attached.

 

[Quickhorse]

I use the red containers of dry gas from Walmart and i throw a quart of their supertech marine tcw-3 2-stroke oil in with each tank also. I also keep the Amsoil diesel 911 on hand as well just in case.

I added a single leaf to the front of mine only b/c I keep the ranchhand bumper on with the 8' Western blade. Plus i like the look of a leveled truck vs the nose divers!

 

[ridiculously_necessary]

either would work, a D60 front woudl be helpful in durability and rapair cost.

you shouldnt gel, like husky said, the fuel in winter should already be treated.

 

[rufushusky]

What kind of springs should I get if I were to upgrade them?

If you want you could go get x-springs. But really you don't NEED them, unless you have a huge blade on the front of the truck. Timbrens are another option. Some good ballast in the back of the truck helps with weight distributions, sag and traction. Last winter I had about 750 pounds of sand bags in the back of my dodge and it REALLY helped. :thumb: