About eight years ago, I moved onto a mountain in New England, right next door to a ski area with a beautiful view. But undisclosed to me, the upkeep and snowplowing of the one-third-of-a-mile-long shared private drive had been the subject of not-so-neighborly feuds for many years. Having decided to teach piano there, I needed a clear road for my students, so I sidestepped the bickering and bought a pick-up truck and a snowplow.
The first truck I bought was a battered Dodge Ram with an 8-foot Fisher HD-series Minute Mount snowplow. Aside from the fact that the truck was past its prime, the rig was simply too big for my narrow, steep, curvy, dirt road. I used it for a couple of years, and every spring, when it came time for inspection, I'd find that I'd bashed in another set of tail-lights trying to turn around in a tight space.
When an almost brand-new repossessed Ford Ranger 4x4 with only 7,000 miles on it became available at a local dealer, I jumped. I bought the truck, and instead of a big plow, which the truck wouldn't have been able to handle, I choose a six-foot eight-inch Fisher Homesteader personal plow.
Advantages of the Fisher Homesteader Personal Snowplow
The Homesteader snowplow is easier to mount that its heavier Series HD "Minute Mount" cousin. (Don't let the "Minute Mount" label fool you: Even after seven years of plowing and with help putting the plow on, I've never been able to get either plow on and off in less than 10 or 15 minutes, with a lot of swearing thrown in.)
The basic mounting system of the two plows is the same: The plow has pins that are inserted into the mounting mechanism installed on the truck. But the smaller personal snowplow is quite a bit easier to put on and take off, because it's light enough to be pushed around if you don't get it lined up just right.
The smaller Fisher Homesteader is only six feet, eight inches wide, as compared to the popular eight -foot HD. (There's a larger, seven-foot eight-inch Homesteader available as well). The smaller size makes it a good choice if you're plowing in a tight space. Given that the Ranger is a small pick-up truck, I've got a lot of maneuverability plowing into corners. And I don't have as much trouble parking in town.
Weight is also a factor: The Homesteader is made of a poly synthetic, which means that instead of weighting in at more than 700 pounds, as does an eight-foot Fisher, the six-foot eight-inch Homesteader weighs in at a svelte 250 pounds. That means a lot less pressure on the front end, and more efficient fuel consumption..
The system is all electronic (no hydraulic fluid to mess with). The plow has good downward pressure and can be set to "float" over bumps in the road..The small blade size allows more air circulation around the engine grill, meaning that the engine is less likely to overheat when you are driving on roads and highways.
Of course, part of the issue isn't just the plow; it's also the truck. The Ford Ranger 4x4 has plenty of power, and I also put on Hakkapeliitta tires, which have made a huge difference. With the larger truck and all-weather tires, I used to ice skate down the road, and once or twice, even had to drop my plow to use as an emergency brake. Not so with the Hakkapeliittas. My advice: Get the good tires, the gnarlier the better. You'll never think back, and snowplow safety is important, especially in treacherous conditions.
Finally, there is price. Dealer prices vary widely, but you may pay as much as 30 - 50 percent less for the Fisher Homesteader than for an eight-foot HD plow. Mine was around $3,000 installed. And I've since more than earned that back in plowing bills I don't have to pay!
Disadvantages of the Fisher Homesteader Personal Snowplow
The small width of the Homesteader is an advantage in tight corners, but mobility comes at a price: The blade is shorter as well as narrower, so it handles only about half as much snow as an eight-foot plow. If you're dealing with more than about a foot, you could be in for time-consuming back-and-forth plowing, especially if the snow is dense and slushy.
I've handled up to about 20 inches of powder, but more than a foot is a chore because the blade fills up quickly. Denser snow has another problem: it can easily trip the plow if it gets gloppy at the bottom of the blade. You simply can't push as much with the small blade.
The smaller width also means that you may have to make more passes: Depending on the width of your drive, you might need one pass to get the snow out of the middle of the road, then one pass on each side to push away the debris.
The other disadvantage is stacking: With the HD eight-foot plow, I could stack impressively high piles -- six feet or more. With the Homesteader, I'm lucky if I can stack five feet up, and I have a lot less control. My eight-foot plow could move mountains, or so it seemed. My Homesteader can only move molehills.
Fisher's personal snowplow is not intended for heavy-duty use. If you think you'll be picking up some extra work doing commercial plowing, this is emphatically not the plow for you. That's stated in the warranty. But if, like me, you've got a private drive to clear, and narrow spaces in which to maneuver, this trim little plow might be just the ticket.
Karen Berger - Karen Berger is the author of 15 books. Please click on her name to read her full bio.
