Welcome to LTS

It’s really nice to see you guys come on board and I’m looking forward to the questions the guys will ask.

Bud

 

Welcome to LTS !

I'll get things started........Are there any plans to update the pivot point on the Pro plows ? They will usually tear the nose off of the a-frame.It seems to be the weak link in an otherwise good plow.

Are there any plans for a better paint system for plows ? The powdercoat seems to crack and chip over time,then comes peeling off.I realize you guys are up against some tough regulations regarding VOC emissions and stuff too.Are there any other posssible solutions ?

Have you guys experimented with any plastic or composite materials for building plows ? I know there are some strong materials out there,but most are not cost effective.Just curious as to what you guys may have tried so far.

 

Welcome!

The old pro plows A frame and Quad are a little weak I've been thru a few.

I just used my new Pro Plow PlUS last weekend, A much heavier
duty plow.

There were some questions on the fourm regarding the lack of pivot stops on the quad/ A frame .

http://www.snowplowing-contractors.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=4820

I don't feel there will be any, as the unit is well built, and the piston loading is straight back to the truck mount.

Looking forward to feedback , comments & answers to others questions.

Again Welcome.

Bob

 

I've got a couple questions regarding the Low Profile Salt spreaders. I looked at the model 500 last year, and was not really impressed with the flimsy poly spinner, any upgrades available, or do I need to search the aftermarket?

Otherwise, I really like that small unit, its small enough to be out of the way of visibility, yet still big enough to not have to constantly be filling it.

 

To wyldman

Thanks for the welcome wyldman!

Starting out with the Pro plow pivot issue. No plans to go back and re-design the UniMount version. The UltraMount is a different design than the UniMount and should hold up better. I have come across a Western distributor that makes a "center bolt repair kit" for the UniMounts. Obviously there is some cutting and welding involved but it significantly beefs up the pivot area on the UniMount A-frames preventing it from pre-maturely wearing out.

Anyone interested in that kit can contact Hyde Equipment in Petoskey MI (231-347-4725) and they will be glad to send it to you. Kit # HYD1075 and it's only $14, but beware there is labor involved and you have to know how to weld.

On your second issue the power coat, you are right, regulations and emissions were the driver for switching from paint to powder coat. Good news is Western has invested in a all new state of the art powder coat system about two years ago. Any blades produced after that hold up superior in comparison to the earlier powder coated blades. The main probelm wasn't actually the powder coat but was adhesion. If the metal wasn't properly prepped, the powder coat would allow the rust to 'creep' underneath it and would then come off in chunks or sheets. The new system has a mutli-step bath process to insure proper adhesion.

As far as plastic or compsites go, I'm not sure exactly which components you may be referring to. As you know we do use poly for some of our moldboards but if you are referring to the black iron or cylinders we aren't going away from steel that I know of. I think you hit it on the head with it not being cost effective and plus we would obviously want to do stringent testing to check durability. We are open to suggestions if anybody has something.

Thanks!
Western Products
Technical Service

 

To BWAMX

Hi BWAMX thanks for the welcome,

On the new Pro Plus you are correct there are no pivot stops on the quad/a-frame nor does there need to be. If the plow is fully angled then the cylinder/a-frame/mount has to asorb the force from hitting something. If the plow is only partially angled then the cross over relief valves will do their job and transfer the fluid from one cylinder to the other.

Thanks,
Western Products
Technical Service

 

Thanks for the quick reply.

I know the newer Ultra's have a better pivot,but it still seems weak compared to the Pro-Plus,or other brands out there.Not knocking it,I just see it as an area which could use some improvement.I have several Pro-plows,and have come up with my own pivot repair ideas,which seems to have eliminated the problems.Glad to hear there is a kit available for others who may not be able to repair their own.Sounds like any good welding shop should be able to install it easily.

As far as composites go,I was just curious if you had looked into it.I know they have plastic based products which are stronger than steel,and have a lot more "give".I figured it might be useful for an a-frame,which takes a lot of abuse.Most of these composites are much lighter than steel too,which would help with weight reduction.I'm sure it would be awfully expensive though.

Thanks again for the info,and coming on board here at LetsTalkSnow.com

 

To SnowyBowtie

The poly spinner on the model 500 is also the same one used on the 1000 and 2000 spreaders

We do not have any upgrades available but there is an optional spinner ring kit available (p/n 95475). This is an accessory that bolts directly on the top of the spinner disk.

The purpose of this ring is to help the material "bridge" so that it doesn't just flow down the auger during transport and empty your hopper before you wanted to.

Hope this helps,
Western Products
Technical Service

 

Welcome Western Products!!

I have a question regarding the Pro-Flo 2, there is an extra splice of wiring coming out of the motor area, and my guess is that is to hook up an external light? If this is correct then what would be the proper watt/amp. for that light?

My dealer suggested that I not wire a light to it. It would be nice to have a light mounted to the spreader and to come on when the spreader does.

The spreader is an '03

Thanks, Mike

 

Mike, the extra wire (Yellow) is for accessory use. The acc. curcuit is rated for 12 amps max. Hopefully, who ever wired your truck was nice enough to route the acc wire into the cab or you also so that all you have to do is find it under the dash.

 

You are correct about the yellow wire for accessories, but I think what he is talking about is the pigtail (short wire) coming from terminal of motor unit. I wonder about that too. I think it could be used for auxiliary light when the spreader is running. But I would only use one light, thats all, or else it may overload the circuit and blow the fuse.

 

One of those pigtails could be for a third brake light if memory serves me correctly.

Thanks again for giving us all a great opportunity Western!

~Chuck

 

wxmn6,

you are correct its the pigtail wire that I'm refering too, it comes on with a test light and has connectors thats why I'm asking if/when the switch is in the on pos. will it have enough amps to power a small tractor or utility light.

so theres another aux. wire? hummmmm!

Mike

 

A while ago I thought that it could be possible to use that pigtail for tractor light, but one of problem is if you are running spreader on variable speed controller and the motor is set at low speed (lower voltage) so in that case the tractor light probably will dim, or won't even lit up.

 

There are one or two pigtails on those units that do come off the motor studs.Not sure why they are there.Stephen is right though,a light would dim when using the variable speed control.

The aux light wire is yellow,and the CHMSL wire is orange.There should not be any loose pigtail for the CHMSL.

 

Welcome to SPC Western Products.
I want to know who's the one who's answering the questions?
John............................

 

Tailgate Wiring

Hello all from Western

I'll try to clear up the accesary wire issues :argue

The yellow 14 ga. wire is independent of the variable speed controller. It is meant to be used as an accessory wire and a spot light is a good application for it (and it's intended purpose) It has a rating of 12 amps max.

It is just a single extra wire inside the wiring harness placed there for your convenience. The other end of the yellow wire (inside the truck cab) needs to be connected to a 12VDC power source.

Everybody is correct the orange wire is for the CHMSL

The two pigtails near the motor coming off the red and black wires are not used. This is a universal wiring harness used for both the low profile spreaders (500, 1000, 2000) and the Pro Flow and Pro Flow2. The spade connectors get used on the low profile spreaders and the ring terminals on the Pro Flows. If you use these wires for a light the voltage would vary since it comes from the controller.

Western Products
Technical Service

 

Western Products

Thank you for that indepth answer.

Its nice to know that there are still companies out there that care about there customers.

Mike

 

Western,
Welcome to Snow Contractors Site!!

I purchased 2 Western Ultramounts last year, one pro and one standard. I am real happy with both. By the way thank you for the 2 free hats I got a few months ago for filling out the survey.

One question since both plows are 7.5 will the blade for the pro also fit the standard?

Second question the pins that hold the 2 recievers on slide in from the front or rear and when attaching the plow it is real easy to bend the clips(bent several last winter) Why isnt the hole drilled up and down so the pins can be slid in from the top?
I hope I explained this right. If not I will attach some pictures.

Third question: When are we going to have a Western dealer in Delaware. I asked this question last year and was told you were working on it. Just wondering if any progress has been made. Too many Meyer dealers and no Western dealers here in Delaware!!!

Thanks in advance for your reply,
Ray

P.S. I hope to be buying my 3rd Western with in a month.

 

I posted this in the Fisher discussion,but it should be here too.

There has been a lot of previous discussion regarding plow lights,and upgrades.I know some manufacturers are offering other options (like HID).Any plans for any upgrades in the future ?

I think just an upgraded HO Halogen lamp is enough.Using a more standard headlamp,instead of the 4666 would be a better idea too,as they are cheaper and more readily available.HID is a waste of money for a plow.

I think the biggest problem with the plow lights today is the voltage drop through the entire headlamp system.The manufacturers start with smaller wires,weaker headlamp switches,and smaller connectors.Then you add a plow,with more wiring,relays,etc.All this adds up to a HUGE voltage drop at the plow lamps.

Can you guys come up with a system that uses power directly from the battery,with larger wires and a relay,to drive the plow lamps.This change alone will make a HUGE difference in light output even with the stock sealed beam plow lamps.This also takes the load off of the stock wiring and headlamp switch,which will make them last much longer.I've changed enough headlamp switches and burnt up connectors.Would be even nicer if there was an option to power the truck headlamps like this too,for all the same reasons.Would save me having to rewire them to do it right.

It would also be nice to have a relay for the marker lamps too.Some vehicle are already borderline for marker lamp draw,and when you add 4 more bulbs in the plow lamps,it starts overheating stuff,causing damage.I know some models may have them,but I have seen quite a few that don't,and should have them.Led's for marker lamps would also help in this regard,and increase service life.

 

JustUsDe

Thanks for the welcome

We're glad you are happy with your UltraMounts!

Q1 - They are both 7.5' but many differences between them. The height and weight are different. The Pro has three coupling lugs to attach it to the quad and the standard has two. Two trip springs on the Standard and four plus a shock on the Pro. Could you physically bolt a Pro blade on a Standard quad? Since the outside lug distance is the same yes, but would you be happy with the way the Pro blade would work on a Standard plow, absolutley not. I wouldn't recomend it. Keep the Standard a Standard and the Pro a Pro, you'll be happier.

Q2 - If your alignment is off it is possible to bend the clips. We looked at alternatives but have yet to come up with a definitive better solution. We can't drill the holes vertically because it would make the clip installation difficult on other vehicles. And I believe you could still bend the clip even in that position.

Q3 - As far as a dealer in the state of Delaware we have looked but to be honest have not found any who would qualify yet. If you have suggestions I would be happy to pass them on to our Sales rep for your area.

Western Products
Technical Service

 

wyldman

With regards to HID plow lamps - no plans for that right now and I agree with you they would be expensive and there are better alternatives.

It's just not wire size and voltage drop that determines the light output. There are other factors such as reflector/size/shape/design. With that said all I can add is "stay tuned".

Regarding the relay for marker lights we have such a kit and it even comes standard in some of our relay style harness kits (Fords). It is p/n 61185 Park or Turn Harness kit. This can be wired two different ways and can be used either in the park (marker) light circuit or in the turn signal circuit. It isolates the load from the plow from the vehicle lights. It pulls the power direct from the battery and only requires 1/10 of an amp to operate these relays. It is used in Ford kits for the turn signal circuit. If the vehicle has marker lights it will require a seperate 61185 kit. list price is $48.70

If you are using the new Isolation Module system there is no need for this kit, it is already built into this system.

Western Products
Technical Service

 

So is there any reason why you don't isolate the plow lamps with the iso module ? You could then draw power from the battery to reduce the voltage drop,and take the load off the headlamp switch.I think it would also make wiring some of these things much easier.

I have rewired mine,and many others this way.With almost full battery voltage at the plow lamps,a good HO halogen sealed beam is more than enough.I have also seen very high quality lamps which don't put out squat because they aren't getting the proper voltage.

 

wyldman

wyldman

That is how the Isolation Module system works. It completely isolates the plows lighting system from the vehicles lighting system. It draws the power direct from the battery. The headlight switch (no load on the switch) is only used to trigger the relays inside the isolation module.

And I don't know if you have installed an isolation module system yet but they are very easy to install/wire. Much easier than a relay system especially compared to the six relay system used on some Chevys.

Western Products
Technical Service

Signing out until Monday. We hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving!

 

Western,
Thank you for your responses. I guess I didn't explain my question right on the blade question. What I was wondering is the cutting edge interchangable from a 7.5 pro to a 7.5 standard. Or do I have to stock 2 different edges?

Ray