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?
Neither are really good for plowing, really needs to be an F-250 or stronger. But at least the F-150 has an actual frame, looks to be in pretty good condition, and is practical on multiple fronts.
Not even a contest, the Ford wins is so many ways. Automatic, no obvious rust issues, A nice steel canopy and bed slider for both keeping things out of the weather and the extra ballast to improve traction, much more comfortable interior too.
I wish I had one since my subdivision gets plowed days after a snow storm, and by then its just a sheet of ice. I would ask the neighbors for gas money only lol
F150 in that case.
I’m gonna live dangerously and take the Jeep. Mostly just to own a Jeep with a manual.
F-150. The slide out tool tray would be a great tail gating bar and appetizer tray. And it comes attached to a year round useful truck too.
If we’re talking actual, commercial plowing, 14 hours stright through a blizzard then Lol to plowing with a manual. I can’t even imagine how miserable that would be. And that clutch would be smoked.
Wranglers are great for small, tight driveways and that is it. If I’m pushing snow at stripmalls or hotels its the F150, and even that would suck.
Both are priced high because we have snow right now. I’ll wait until summer when they’ll be priced were they should be. Would rather have the Jeep, I think even with the rust.