Plowing snow with a 2019 Ram 1500 4 high or 4 low

[Sean McGillicuddy]

Hello
My 2019 Ram Laramie has a Fisher homesteader plow
What setting should I use when plowing snow 4High or 4 Low ?
I have a 400+/_ long gravel drive way and parking area ,
I was wondering what the nation are using ..
Thanks

 

[tron67j]

4 high for normal plowing of the long driveway and parking area. Unless you have a lot of very heavy, wet snow all at once that taxes the engine and then 4 low. 4 low is for when a lot of torque is needed like starting up a steep hill, stuck in snow; times when the truck can't move at a decent speed due to plowing activity. 4 low will rev the engine so you don't want to use it while plowing your driveway unless the above conditions exist.

 

[diymirage]

Couple of things, since this is your first time doing this, keep in mind each time you plow you add to your 'outline'

So the first time you plow, wherever that snow goes becomes the lot line

Once that first pile of snow is there, it will not move untill spring, and every subsequent snowfall you will be adding to it, narrowing the path in between

So keep that in mind

Secondly, do what you can to keep momentum
If you stop while plowing before you get to where you want to be, you are going to have a hard time getting that pile moving again


Personally, I almost always plow in 4-hi and keep 4-lo in my back pocket just in case things go terrible wrong

 

[LouM]

Myself the range selected has been determined by what I'm plowing on frozen dirt/gravel or pavement.
Dirt/gravel i liked to use low range and let it upshift as it wanted to. If trying tp plow at 25-35 mph and throw the snow 30 feet then use high.
Low range and slow is much nicer on your equipment when encountering frozen ruts or rocks. I almost never exceeded 10 mph on my driveway and often less.
Now I use a tractor and seldom even get to 5 mph.

 

[Dean2]

I use my 4x4 Honda quad to plow, but the advice above is good, and applies to Pickups, ATVs and even tractors. I plow as slow as I can and still move the snow. I always run the blade at an angle so I get a windrow on one side only. I generally never come out of first gear on the quad. In a pickup, I would use 4 Hi lock and put the gear limiter in 1st gear.

I make sure to push the snow back a long ways off the pavement or concrete so I don't run out of room later in the winter. I also raise the plow and use it to cut the top off the snow piles and wing them further back in case I need to lift something over the snow banks. Use reflective markers to mark any culverts, water shut off valves, fire hydrants etc so you don't accidentally hit them when the snow piles up.

 

[diymirage]

One thing to also keep in mind is gravel

I prefer not to plow the gravel section of my driveway untill it is frozen solid but 'plowing' inevitable turns into 'grading'

I try not to 'float' my plow, but leave it an inch above the actual drive

This is after a handfull of passes on about a 20 foot section
(We're in a thaw right now)

 

[tron67j]

One thing to also keep in mind is gravel

I prefer not to plow the gravel section of my driveway untill it is frozen solid but 'plowing' inevitable turns into 'grading'

I try not to 'float' my plow, but leave it an inch above the actual drive

This is after a handfull of passes on about a 20 foot section
(We're in a thaw right now)

I hate the gravel, I live on the same thing here. So much fun moving it all back in the spring. I got about 4 tons of #9 gravel this spring as we had more mud than normal at the end of winter. That got pressed down in and locked tight.

 

[crash68]

I try not to 'float' my plow, but leave it an inch above the actual drive

If the plow doesn't have a set of mushrooms, you might want to add some. Some have a pin that makes taking them on/off super easy so you can still use the blade to scrape pavement when you want and be able to "float" the blade just above the surface to help keep the rocks/dirt on the driveway.

 

[diymirage]

If the plow doesn't have a set of mushrooms, you might want to add some. Some have a pin that makes taking them on/off super easy so you can still use the blade to scrape pavement when you want and be able to "float" the blade just above the surface to help keep the rocks/dirt on the driveway.

no, i dont have a set of those, ill have to look into them
might not be worth it for me, since 95% of my plowing is paved

might be a good idea for the OP though

 

[Dean2]

no, i dont have a set of those, ill have to look into them
might not be worth it for me, since 95% of my plowing is paved

might be a good idea for the OP though

Mushrooms wear out really fast on pavement or concrete. I only put mine on to do dirt or gravel.

 

[Sean McGillicuddy]

My first plow truck was a 1978 F-250 with full time 4 wheel drive ..
I was just wondering how things have changed or not.
Thanks for your input..

 

[LouM]

I have had little sucess with the plow shoes "mushrooms" most of the time when a driveway gets frozen they work. When it's not frozen they usually just sunk in and then allowed the blade to push pravel.
Going slow and carrying the blade is all that I have seen work on unfrozen surfaces. Although many people have reported success from putting a round pipe on the cutting edge.

 

[5150Eddie]

Almost all the time I run 4HI when plowing. I leave the mushrooms on all the time also, set low so the plow is almost touching the surface. That way I don't scrape up my parking lot or anyone's driveway, or hit any cracks or deviations on the surface.. I have a large gravel area too, so I will try to set the plow an inch or so higher than the gravel. It takes some practice to get it right.

 

[TomB 1269]

In my past I would have said 4 low for driveway, better torque, etc. however with a 2019 you have an HP8 transmission and its 3rd gear is about that of an older 5-6 speed 1st gear, so therefore you have "about" the torque that you'd have with an old 5-6 speed in 4 low when you are in 1st gear 4 hi with the HP8. Additionally, you will find that the Ram in 4 Hi acts like it has lockers both front and rear. However, in 4 low that system disengages so you will spin opposite corners in 4 low.

In short, lock out to 3rd gear and use 4 hi. If its wet and heavy then lock out to 2 to keep higher RPMs.

But particularly when its wet and heavy or very deep start moving before dropping plow so your not having to push dead weight from a stand still. It will lessen the strain on the truck getting the snow moving....

And as everyone else said... 1st snows push it deep past the garage, and sweep off the edge as much as you can, even if it means some compression tracks in the grass. Breaking banks later in the year is damn near impossible and is abusive as hell to your truck...

Been there, done it, got the tee shirt to prove it..

 

[Sean McGillicuddy]

Today I got to use the plow... I used 4 auto and I had no problems .. granted we only had 4"

 

[hemihustlin]

Today I got to use the plow... I used 4 auto and I had no problems .. granted we only had 4"

personally i wouldn't be plowing anything in "4 auto"
if you know you need 4x4 throw it in 4x4

i dont know if anyone still makes those switches to lock the clutches in the auto tcases?

 

[Sean McGillicuddy]

Later on I did switched it to 4high, this truck is a lot bigger than my Tacoma was , I didn’t notice how big until trying to maneuver around with the plow

 

[hemihustlin]

with the hemi and the 8 speed you wont be missing torque to push anything
good tires especially studded you will be plow king in no time!

 

[diymirage]

Later on I did switched it to 4high, this truck is a lot bigger than my Tacoma was , I didn’t notice how big until trying to maneuver around with the plow

I used to plow with an 86 bronco...that truck would turn on a dime, it was a joy to plow with