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I am looking into getting my own side business off the ground and start making a daydream a reality. Aside from shipping and delivery service I will also plow snow in winter and do lawns in summer. So Ive decided an old ford diesel or a 1st gen dodge CTD is my rig of choice to start plowing with, Im not using my 02 because of the wear and tear it puts on the trucks and that 47re might not hold together and thats the commuter and the truck that stays nice and pretty until its paid off in 10 months and is sold for a new one

Any reccomendations for what year? manual or auto? What problems or issues do 1st gens have? Thanks

JD730

I have a 93 with a 8ft. Western plow. Truck has a utility bed and a limited slip in the rear so the extra weight, 7800lbs empty, plus the rear really help keeping it moving.
Mine's an automatic and I wouldn't want a plow truck setup any other way unless you go in one direction all the time. What else are you going to do with the truck? Stock automatics leave much to be desired when you start towing with them.
Friend of mine has a plow on a 5 speed truck(1st gen also) and I ask him how his left leg is everytime he uses it to plow.
The only problem I've had with mine is trans cooler lines leaking. Visibility is also limited with the utility body on.

Any year would probably do fine, but I've seen the early trucks, 89 to 91 with the smaller frame have issues cracking the frame around the shock mounts with a plow hanging off the front.

MoparMarv

I have a plow on my truck. I only used it on my house this winter. My truck is a manual and it killed my foot after about 15 minutes of use. If you going to use it for a plowing bussiness get the auto. Also on a side note in the meyers manual I printed off, it listed automatic transmission as one of the requirements for having a plow. Why I have no clue but its there.

Boatnik

Snow? What's snow? We have haad two warm winters back to back. No acumilation of the white stuff. The factory service manual on the '93 Dodge actully tells how to instal the optional snow plow from Dodge. Having never done that I cannot give any advice other than I have owned a 1988 F-250 with a 460 gas guzzler and a manual 4 speed with a granny gear. The Ford originally had been used as a plow. I know because it cost me $750 to have the front end rebuilt. All the universal joints were shot and the leaf springs were sagging. It ddid not fair well for what little snow Virginia gets. The independent front suspension on the 3/4 ton trucks didn't hold up. Now the one tons have a solid front axle and better springs.

tractorfix

For towing, I like the longest wheelbase I can get, and a 5 speed. For plowing, if you're just doing driveways and small lots, you can't beat a Ramcharger with a 7.5 blade. For bigger jobs, I'd suggest a 3/4 ton truck, but personally, I would always stick to gassers for pushing snow. You could probably buy a 2wd diesel truck and a Ramcharger for the same price as a really nice 1gen 4x4. just my 2cents

EClancy

i plow with my '92. i used to have a western frame/setup that i took off a late 60's ford, and adapted to fit mine. we got a huge snowstorm on valentines day, and i was out pushing snow, and hit a wellcasing buried in someones yard, and bent my plow frame really bad, and broke one ram on the plow's tilt frame.

luckily, later that week, i had taken a car to the dismantler, and he happen to have a late 80's 250 he was going to crush, which had a fisher frame on the front of it. i ended up trading him a '92 accord with a rod through the block for the plow frame and an 8 foot blade which he is going to use for the rest of the winter, then give to me. i also stumbeled over (literally) a western plow pump/hydraulic control unit laying on the ground, which he also gave me to use as parts for my western pump. so basically so far i have peaced together a fisher speedcast frame, a western pump/controller, and i have a 7.5 fisher plow from a chevy that i am running in ther meantime.

i love cobbeled-together messes!

tractorfix

Ain't it great when you're in the right place at the right time!