From the sounds of it, Old Man Winter is fixing to beat the stuffing out of pretty much the entire eastern half of the US this weekend. We’re getting sub-zero temperatures at my new house, and my old house is going to get at least a foot of snow, maybe more. So it only seems fitting that we look at a couple of winter-fighting trucks today. With one of these, a snazzy jacket, and a catchy jingle, you can make some extra money on the side. Just remember it’s not nice to plow in your ex-girlfriend’s garage.
Well, it looks like yesterday’s results were no Harlequin romance. The poor multicolored VW Golf got absolutely creamed by the winged Honda Civic. It sounds like the Golf’s weird ignition switch issue scared off more of you than its oddball color scheme. Only one or two of you wanted to keep the wing on the Civic, though, which I see as a good sign.
Me, I’m taking the Golf, for nostalgic reasons. I haven’t had a VW in more than thirty years, and I kind of miss them. I’m not sold on the Harlequin theme, though; I think I’d be tempted to give it the same paint job as author Jasper Fforde’s Porsche 356 replica. I’ve been tempted to do that to a couple of cars.
Back when we lived in Portland, we lived on a very steep dead-end hill that the city never plowed. During the one or two snowstorms we’d get each winter, our entire neighborhood had to park at the bottom of the hill, because no one could get up it. I thought many times about buying a truck with a plow on it, maybe asking the neighbors to buy it as a communal resource, but since it was only once or twice a year it never seemed worth it. For some places, like where I live now, there had better be someone around with a snowplow, unless you just don’t want to go anywhere from November to April. And if you are that someone, you’re virtually guaranteed some business during those months. These two are about the cheapest viable plow trucks I could find; let’s see which one seems like the better deal.
2006 Jeep Wrangler – $9,000
Engine/drivetrain: 4.0-liter OHV inline 6, five-speed manual, 4WD
Location: Freesoil, MI
Odometer reading: 79,000 miles
Operational status: Runs and drives well
To push a snowplow, a vehicle really only needs two things: four-wheel, and a sturdy enough frame to hold the plow bracket. All sorts of vehicles have been used for plows over the years, including Jeeps. In fact, their compact size and tight turning radius give them an advantage when plowing small parking lots, where a longer truck would be ungainly. This TJ Wrangler appears to have been a plow truck from the start, judging by its low mileage and rather advanced rust.
This Jeep is powered by the classic combination of a 4.0-liter inline six and a five-speed manual transmission. I’m sure David could go into more detail about the specifics of this model year, but I’ll just stick to the broad strokes. It’s a nice, reliable, torquey engine that should have no trouble shoving snow around. We don’t get a whole lot of detail about its condition, but the seller does say it has new tires, which is a nice bonus.
It’s surprisingly nice inside for such a hard-working vehicle, but Guy Fieri called – he wants his seat covers back. I guess maybe sitting on fake flames while you’re out plowing snow might help you think warm thoughts? I do worry, based on some of the other photos, that the carpet might be the only floor in some spots, though.
Case in point: the left front fender has some extra ventilation that didn’t come from the factory. And it’s not the only rust hole visible in the photos. But it only really matters if the frame is rusted out, and the only way to know that is to crawl underneath it. If it’s still solid under there, it’s still good for a plow truck.
2012 Ford F-150 XL – $9,995
Engine/drivetrain: 3.7-liter DOHC V6, six-speed automatic, 4WD
Location: Port Huron, MI
Odometer reading: 162,000 miles
Operational status: Just says “Great truck”
In snowy parts of the country, you see a lot of half-ton pickups with plow brackets on the front and toppers on the bed. The idea seems to be to have one “do it all” truck, something that can handle any job you need it to, from hauling ladders for your contracting business in the summer to plowing snow in the winter. This F-150 looks like it has been set up for such year-round use.
It’s a basic XL model, with a 3.7-liter V6 and four-wheel-drive. The only available transmission in 2012 was a six-speed automatic. You might think that a six-cylinder truck wouldn’t be ideal for plowing, but momentum and gearing count for more than sheer power. I used to plow our driveway when I was in high school with a six-and-a-half-horsepower John Deere lawn tractor with a plow blade on the front, and it handled up to a foot of snow just fine. This V6 is rocking 302 horsepower and 278 pound-feet of torque; I’m sure it’s plenty. All the seller says is that it’s a “great truck,” so checking its condition beyond that is your own responsibility.
It’s a Super Cab, so there’s seating for five – six, if someone is willing to sit in the middle in the front. There’s nothing fancy in there, but you don’t want fancy if you’re working a truck hard. You want durable, and comfortable enough to not get fatigued driving around all day, and this should do nicely. I used to work for a place that had this generation F-150s as shop trucks, and they were the only part of the job I liked.
The bed of this truck has a lot going on, with a contractor-style ARE topper and a slide-out tray in the bed for tools. Or in the winter, emergency supplies, I suppose. It’s all in very nice shape, as is the rest of the truck, in nondescript white, ready for your company logo, and riding on simple and honest steel wheels. This is no “cowboy Cadillac;” it’s a tough, hard-working appliance for getting shit done.
What we have here are two different philosophies of plow truck. One is to have a dedicated machine, small and maneuverable, that only comes out when snow needs to be moved around. The other is to have a truck that can do everything you need a truck to do – plus plow snow in the winter. Which way makes more sense to you?
I voted Jeep for two reasons:
1.) It’s already rusty, so who cares if it’s pushing around some salty-slushy snow?
2.) It’s not an extended-cab 6-foot behemoth. When you’re plowing, the shorter the vehicle is, the more maneuverable it is.
Plus, as a bonus, it’s gotta be very satisfying to be able to not only coordinate steering, shifting gears, and raising/lowering/turning the plow with only two hands, but also accelerating, braking, and clutching with only two legs – all at the same time. 🙂
If Dave Tracy can build a 1943 Jeep from scratch I’m sure I can get a replacement of any body panels that are rusted out. Be a man I’m taking the Jeep manual transmission and 76,000 miles you can probably make money fixing and selling it as long as the frame is not rusted
It’s amazing how bad the Jeep looks with half the miles the Ford has on it. Or it’s amazing how good the Ford looks with twice miles on it.
Having hired a plowing service in Rochester, NY and Cleveland, OH, I would be a bit hesitant to buy a used plow vehicle. It just looks like a brutal way to treat a truck. But the Ford looks like it has held up well.
No thank you to a rusted out TJ. Especially at that price. That’s a $2k jeep all day everyday.
Hard pass on the F-150. Those “Cyclone” V6es have a water pump stuck between the cylinder banks that fails easily, and you know how hard it can be to get to that….
Actually on the RWD platforms it’s external. The FWD models are the ones to watch out for.
Huh, now I know. Thank you for the education!
Where’s the “Neither” choice on this poll?
We used to plow our driveway with a CJ-7, stick shift and a straight 6 with a soft top no less. We were up in New England and that damn jeep never got stuck or had you wanting for more power. It could push deep, wet snow without issue. Sure you needed to get out and turn the hubs for 4 wheel drive and to turn the plow. It didn’t have nearly as much rust as this one for sale. That’s beat to shit!
Do not buy plow vehicle. Save $10k. Spend $10k on plow service.
I had a buddy who was head of a big municipal maintenance department. And for some reason always around people starting snow plow businesses and the was always telling them don’t buy the truck with the plow already on it because it’s been though hell and you have to ask yourself why is that person getting rid of it. He would say just buy a used plow good used truck separately. Both those vehicles scare me for having a plow being in MI and probably complete rust buckets. I would take a truck as plow vehicle over a jeep though. If the jeep was a realistic price and didn’t do much plowing I could see it I guess.
I wanted to pick the Jeep, but that’s just too much money for something that rusty. Maybe if I lived at the top (or bottom) of a long driveway and needed nimble more than anything else.
David says the hole in the fender is just light surface rust. I’ll take the Ford.
Even if the Jeep wasn’t already trashed, there’s no chance I’d go with it over a full sized 4×4 truck. I’ll take more weight and better distribution over more manuverability all day long when it comes to plowing. It’s also not trashed – looks pretty damned good, actually.
I’ll take the F-150, paint it red and call it Mr. Plow. 🙂
3/4 ton or higher is must for commercial snow plowing. F150 and Wrangler are both bad choices. Plowing your own property the Jeep is fine. Better be good with a welder and have some scrap iron to patch the frame. I would not drive such a vehicle on public roads and I would not plate it. Nine grand is too much for beater plow Jeep. If it’s worth $9K it’s too nice for plowing.
Residential plowing too many headaches, too much work for too little money. Too many amateurs, too much competition when every SUV and 1/2 pickup owner with snow plow dreams are competing for business.
Those Jeeps are great for plowing in tight places, but if the top of the fender has a giant rust hole, there’s no way there is anything resembling a frame underneath.
That Ford on the other hand, looks like a great work rig.
Although I desperately want a vehicle with flaming seat covers and “K-9 Termite Detection Team” lettering, I went with the Ford. It just looks way more comfy and useful. Also, does anyone else get “posse comitatus” vibes from the Freesoil Michigan town name?
And the Jeep had a CB radio, good buddy.
Somehow, I’ve managed to hear the “song” “Convoy” a couple of times over the last few months on Sirius. Those radios had their uses but the whole CB lingo fad was godawful.
It’s been replaced by alerts on Waze about a police alert in 0.3 miles.
The knock on the F-150 as a plow truck is the independent front suspension. Those components can wear out quickly if that plow and brackets are hanging off the front all the time. But it’s not enough of a knock to pick the rusty Jeep. Even if the plow didn’t come with the truck, the Ford is the clear pick here.
Even with IFS the front end on the Ford is going to be way stronger, Jeeps wear out front end components without adding a bunch of extra weight
Normally I’d go for the manual option, but in this case, my vote goes to the F150 mainly due to the lack of visible rust.
I want the Jeep because it’s cool, but it is difficult to keep those cabins warm, and that would be so noisy. I don’t know anything about the drivetrain in the Ford, but assuming it’s serviceable, it would be a much better work truck.
The 3.7 / 6R80 were a great combo. 300K miles is not unheard of on these. Very serviceable too, not old school Jeep levels, but overall above average in that regard.
I also wanted to like the Jeep because Manual transmission and last year of the TJ body style and AMC 4.0 engine, but all that rust really scared me off.