Snow Plows.

For a multi-truck commercial fleet running route-density work in Ontario, Québec, or the Maritimes, Boss and Western dominate — Boss for V-plow operators who stack heavy and scoop wide, Western for contractors who want the deepest dealer parts network. The Boss Power-V XT and DXT have the fastest hydraulic cycle times and the strongest A-frame in the segment, which matters when you are doing 80–100 push-back cycles per route. Western's MVP3 V-plow is slightly slower hydraulically but uses a more forgiving trip-edge design that survives curb strikes better. Fisher XV2 is the Western equivalent for contractors in the Maritimes and eastern Québec. For a single-truck operator just starting out, SnowDogg VMD or SnowEx Heavy Duty V-plows deliver 80 % of the performance at 70 % of the price.

Installation labour for a new snow plow on a current-model truck runs four to six hours at $130–$160 per shop hour, so $520–$960 in labour. Add the mount kit ($550–$850 depending on truck and brand), the wiring harness ($350–$550), and any required ECU recalibration ($100–$200). A complete installed price for a Boss DXT V-plow on a 2022 Ford F-250 is typically $10,200–$11,200 including the plow, mount, harness, and labour. For pre-2015 trucks the labour can climb to twelve hours because the wiring is more complex and the headlight modules often need replacement. We do not separate the plow price from the install — every quote is "out the door, ready to push."

A straight blade is faster on long, narrow residential routes where you mostly windrow snow to one side and never need to stack against a building or curb. It costs 25–35 % less than an equivalent V-plow and the cutting edges and trip springs are half the price to replace. A V-blade is the right choice for commercial lot work because the scoop position cradles snow on the diagonal push, the V position breaks through hard-packed end-of-driveway windrows that would stop a straight blade, and the back-drag mode pulls snow away from loading docks and overhead doors. Most contractors running both residential and commercial routes carry a straight blade on their lighter truck and a V-plow on the heavier one.

For a 7'6" residential straight blade, any half-ton truck (F-150, Silverado 1500, Ram 1500) with the factory snow plow prep package is rated to carry it. For an 8' V-plow or expandable wing plow, you want a three-quarter-ton (F-250, Silverado 2500, Ram 2500) with at least 4,500 lb front axle rating. For a 9'–10' commercial V-plow, a one-ton single rear wheel truck (F-350 SRW, Silverado 3500 SRW, Ram 3500 SRW) is the minimum. Cab-chassis dump trucks running 11' wing plows need a regulated front axle, hydraulic central wing controls, and usually a tag-axle conversion. Mounting a plow that exceeds the truck's front axle rating voids the manufacturer warranty and is illegal under provincial commercial vehicle regulations.

Yes — and for rural driveways, cottage roads, and acreage in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, rural Ontario, and rural Québec, an ATV snow plow is the right tool. A 60" or 66" plow on a Honda Foreman, Polaris Sportsman 850, or Can-Am Outlander 700 clears 100 m of rural driveway in 15–25 minutes and handles snow up to 25 cm. A side-by-side (UTV) like the Polaris Ranger or Can-Am Defender carries a 72" plow and works up to 40 cm. ATV snow plow kits run $700–$1,800 depending on whether they are manual lift, electric winch lift, or hydraulic lift. The right setup for a homeowner is electric winch lift — you sit on the ATV and raise/lower the blade from the handlebars without dismounting.

A commercially used straight-blade snow plow on a contractor route lasts 8–12 seasons before the moldboard needs to be re-skinned or replaced. The hydraulics — pump, angle rams, lift ram — typically last 6–10 seasons but are serviceable, and a $400–$700 hydraulic rebuild buys another five seasons. Cutting edges wear out every 1–3 seasons (200–800 hours of road contact) and are replaced as a maintenance item. Trip springs, plow shoes, A-frame bushings, and pivot pins are all serviceable. A used Boss, Western, or Fisher snow plow with a documented service history can be back in commercial service for 4–6 more seasons with a $1,200–$2,000 refresh. We document every wearable component on every used plow we list.

A snow plow has a moldboard that angles left or right, allowing the operator to windrow snow to one side of the route. A snow pusher (also called a containment plow, box plow, or pusher box) has fixed side walls and a straight cutting edge — it cradles snow and pushes it straight ahead without spilling out the sides. Pushers are the right tool for large open lots (warehouse parking, big-box retail, hospital lots) where you want to move maximum snow per pass to a single stack-out zone. Plows are right for routes with turns, curbs, and discharge variability. Many commercial contractors run a V-plow on the truck for streets and turns, then drop a pusher on a skid-steer for the open lots.

Yes — March, April, and May are the best months to buy a new snow plow. Dealers move out current-year stock before the summer trade-show season introduces next-year models, and prices typically drop 8–15 % off MSRP for in-stock units. End-of-season trade-ins from contractor fleets hit the used market in April and May, and a 1–2 season Boss DXT or Western MVP3 from a retiring contractor often sells for 50–60 % of new. Spring is also when installation labour is cheapest — most plow shops are slow in April and May, so you can get an install done in four days instead of the four weeks it takes in October. We track spring snow plow sales across Canada and notify customers on our request-a-price list when their target SKU drops.