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?
If it’s for plowing, the F150 wins by a lot. It’s the right tool for the job.
If you’re buying to wheel around, the jeep has a higher ceiling for enjoyment, but it is still pretty damn rough.
But they’ve got plows strapped on, so the vote is for Ford.
I’ll chance the unseen frame of the F150 over the obvious rust damage on the jeep, which had me at the flaming seat covers until I saw the fender. The interior looks good on the Ford and the bed cap alone is worth something if I didn’t want to keep it.
Because God has decided to punish the Intermountain West with zero snow for our long term intransigence, I’ve no need for the plow and that would be coming off.
Maybe I’ll buy flaming seat covers for the Ford.
If I am using this vehicle as a plow, I’m going with the F150. The Jeep might be maneuverable, but its light weight is going to put it at a disadvantage for moving snow. I lived in an apartment building where the parking lot was plowed by a Wrangler – it worked well for very light snow, but it struggled for moderate or heavy snow.
For all other uses, I’m also going with the F150. That is a nice truck for the money, assuming there aren’t massive undisclosed issues.
I can’t believe seller has the nerve to ask $9k for that Jeep. If the rust you can see is that bad, I don’t even want to know about the rust I can’t see. On the plus side, this vehicle has enough rust holes that inspecting usually inaccessible places should be easy.
The F150 is the smart choice. But the Jeep has a manual.
I’d want to see the frame on both of them but the F-150 seems more promising.
This isn’t even close.
The better condition, greater mass, and more wheel length of the F150 makes it a vastly superior plow vehicle. Full-stop.
Plowing will destroy whatever you use, so pick something that’ll do better and last longer.
There’s something to be said for spending as little money as possible on a used plow truck, since plow duty generally destroys them pretty quickly. That Wrangler however has terminal rust and every shove against a snow bank could be its last. The F-150 may have not done much plowing given the lack of rust in all the places that they usually rust away, so maybe it still has a fair amount of life to give? I wouldn’t recommend buying either of them but if I had to I’d go with the Ford.
Easily the Ford, and I say that as a current TJ owner. The Jeep is going to be even more of a rusty mess underneath, but more critically the short wheelbase does not make for a great plow vehicle once the snow starts packing up on the plow. The F150 is the better option, even if it isn’t the ideal option.
As a former rusty TJ owner I can corroborate this statement. As bad as the visible rust is, it’s FAR worse underneath.
Oh Dear God no, neither, even for free. You couldn’t pay me to take a *Michigan* plow truck. Bound to look like the stern of the Titanic underneath the Ford underneath, the Jeep is terrifying on top, and it hasn’t snowed where I live since *1939*.
Buddy of mine had an F-2-fiddy Ford plow truck of this vintage in Maine. The DIPSTICK TUBE rotted off!?! It was literally hanging in the breeze by the screw at the top bracket – and the bracket was rusty too. The body looked fine, but the frame and every steel bit underneath was enough to give Dave Tracey nightmares.
Call Mr. Plow,
That’s my name.
That name again is Mr. Plow.
I’m going for the F-150.
So nostalgic for the mountains of Springfield.
That Jeep is about to fold even without the plow. I’d bet the frame is swiss cheese (at least where I am, the frame rots before the body). The Ford may not be much better, but at least it looks a lot cleaner. At least wth the ford I’d be more tempted to keep it on the road (i.e. trans work, front suspension — plow truck stuff). The Jeep’s gonna go to the grave.
If I had to have a Wrangler, it’d be a ’95 with the AMC 150 aboard. I’m an irrational fan of middlin-big four-bangers and don’t drive fast in any case, so that’d be the money, honey. I’d pull the body and see if I could find some company that could hot-dip the entire frame (or powder coat it, at least), and put a light turbo on the AMC just for kicks. I don’t really want the power that much, just pump up the torque down low.
This TJ is on an advanced weight loss program and it appears to be working. I’d rather not find out just how successful the program has been mid-plow so today’s vote goes, reluctantly, to the Ford.
Neither of these is going to be a heavy duty plow truck. However, out of the two, the only one with a solid front axle is the Jeep. There’s no way that F-150 isn’t going to need ball joints and tie rods. I know rust scares everyone, and honestly I’d also inspect the Ford’s frame, since I think that’s the Aluminum body, but the V6 and IFS of the Ford are too much to ignore for me, especially after what happened to the GMT900 3/4 ton we put the plow kit on at work.
Tbh, a compact tractor with a loader bucket will do better than either of these.
I’m intrigued by the “K-9 Termite Detection Team”. Is plowing this guy’s winter gig? Does he use dogs to sniff out termites?
The Ford is certainly the better bet here, but I’m going with the Joop because I’ll then have a 5 speed I6 TJ and I might get to pet some doggos. Mostly because of the doggos.
I happen to have a 2012 F-150 STX that could use some new body parts, so the Ford had an unfair advantage for my vote.
Mine’s got a rock solid drivetrain, but the body has a lot of rust because of all of the salt they throw on the roads around here. Apparently the previous owner didn’t believe in car washes during the winter.
I so wish I’d have gone at least two years later and got one with the aluminum body panels.
I wanted to go Jeep because it would be more fun in the summer and I already have an F150 4×4. Also, for light duty plowing (read: driveways) the Jeeps smaller size would be more manuverable over a long wheelbase full size. But the condition of that Jeep is just too far gone compared to the Ford at the same relative price. If the body has that much rot going on, absolutly guaranteed the frame on the Jeep is also rotted out at the rear arches at least, probably more. Also, plowing with a manual isn’t typically the best setup. Ford today.
My thoughts exactly. I could use a small plow truck, but not that small plow truck. If the rust is showing there, it’s likely way worse elsewhere.
We just moved into a house in the country with a long driveway all of two weeks ago. I’m planning on buying a cheap truck and plow, but of course this storm is hitting before I could manage that. I’d take the F-150, it’s more real money than I plan on spending, but it’s basically what I’d want.
Long country driveway = Tractor. Don’t bother with the truck. Tractor solves all. For less.
I mean, when the snow flies I’d just fire up the tractor and drive that to the post office. No locking diff but when you have steering brakes it kinda works out to the same thing.
Yep, an older farm tractor with a plow and wheel weights will get the job done. Or a newer model that has a front PTO so you can put a snowblower on it.
100% this. You’ll be much happier with a tractor, and you’ll have a ton of other uses for it.
Second the tractor option, even a sub compact (mines 20 hp) will handle a fair amount of snow and has a lot more uses. A dedicated plow truck will sit for months and likely fail to start/work when you need it.
I have a 42″ snowblower that mounts to the front of my garden tractor. Definitely not as good as a real tractor, but has worked for years. I’m really hoping an actual tractor is an option when I need to replace it.
I was able to buy a UTV and plow for the same price as installing just a plow on my truck. If the snow you get is measured in inches rather than feet, it does the job just as well, and then you have a UTV for the other 3 seasons as well.
Even at a few inches, the UTV setups get bogged down with wet snow. I had a neighbor with that setup and every time he stopped making forward progress he would back up and then take a running start at the snow pile that had stumped him.
Eventually the pile would get overall too heavy and he would essentially ram into the snow wall several times before resorting to the shovel.
It was painful to watch. I felt bad for that machine.
I’m no expert, but seems the Jeep would be suited for small jobs only, whereas the Ford could probably reasonably do those but also tackle bigger stuff too. I know when it comes to towing, that while Jeeps can usually do it, it’s mostly a question of if you’d want to; seems similar here maybe?
Would not want to plow with a manual transmission, would not want to plow with a half ton, would not pay $10K for either. At gunpoint, I guess it’s the Ford.
You’re better off saving up and buying a 3/4 or 1 ton instead though.
May as well get a 5 ton. you can pick em up cheaper than a 3/4 or 1 ton these days.
I use a 1958 Ford farm tractor to plow. Smaller is better but that Jeep rust is scary. The Ford looks a lot more useful and versatile. I had a cap like that on my Ranger and it was great for reaching in to grab something.
Yikes. That Jeep needs to be advertised as a Detroit David Tracy Special. Gimme the Ford.
“it’s already ruined from plowing” is not how you sell me on weekend fun, Mr. Tucker.
Dad bought an F-250 that had been a plow truck. Once a vehicle has carried one of those on the front end, you can count on doind suspension/steeing work on it pretty much every year. That extra weight hanging off the nose does a number on the whole front suspension. That Jeep is too light for pushing any heavy snow.
Any half ton that’s been a plow truck, transmission work is almost always guaranteed.
That might be why the seller is getting rid of such an otherwise clean truck. Even the heavy duty models tend to wreck their transmissions when used for plowing.
With what I assume is 20 years in the rust belt, that Jeep definitely has a concept of a frame left yeesh. The plow is surely the only salvageable bit left.
I know nothing about either vehicle. The rust on the Jeep scares me, that fender, oof.
But I really don’t need a giant truck for anything else. So I’d check the Jeep underneath and go with it. How much are new fenders?
TJ fenders are cheap – I threw away a pair a few months ago after I went high line fenders on mine. That said, if the fenders are that gone, the frame underneath is even worse – TJ frames have multiple spots prone to rusting even in climates where rust barely exists.