# Plow blade width question



## billbros (Oct 30, 2011)

Well I'm finally going to bite the bullet and buy a snow plow for my brute. I'm going to be buying the kimpex setup with a 54" blade. Before I go and buy it (from a local place) will a 54" blade be wide enough so it clears a path wide enough for the brute to follow behind without it riding up on snow like too narrow of a plow would cause? I know I should just measure the brutes width but I'm at work and just want to figure it out now so I can get it on my way home instead of having to backtrack haha. Also if anyone has good or bad reviews on the kimpex plows please share! Thanks.


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## Mudforce (Dec 11, 2009)

Well i don't know about the Kimpex blade but i have the Moose 60". I used t6o have a 48" which covers the width of the bike but as soon as you turn the blade it is way too small. With the 60" I have no problem at all, for a bit more money I would go 60" then you will not have any problems at all.


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## The Big Bad Wolf (Mar 8, 2011)

54" plow clears provided you don't have a big lift. I have the 54" warn and w 2 inch spacers I'm still good


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk wondering...no.... hoping we're getting snow before Christmas.


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## NMKawierider (Apr 11, 2009)

I know with my 60" turned almost all the way in any direction it just barely cut a path as wide as my Brute. If I had a 54" my tires would be on the snow edges if I was to turn it more in one notch or so. Depending on how much snow you have to plow you might be happier with a 60" even if you have to chain-up to use it. JMO


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## brutemike (Mar 23, 2010)

I have the warn proadvantage 54" system works great.I think the 60" would do real good for smaller amounts of snow but when its too deep the 54" gets hard to push with out chains and i dont want to use chains on my driveway.


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## NMKawierider (Apr 11, 2009)

brutemike said:


> I have the warn proadvantage 54" system works great.I think the 60" would do real good for smaller amounts of snow but when its too deep the 54" gets hard to push with out chains and i dont want to use chains on my driveway.


Good point. Sometimes those chain marks stand out.


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## brutemike (Mar 23, 2010)

nmkawierider said:


> Good point. Sometimes those chain marks stand out.


 i got a black top driveway so they would real bad.


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## kdixer (Apr 14, 2010)

People will always tell you to go wide. But you need to look at the climate in your region. Around here the temps normally hover right around freezing so we often get wet heavy snows. In this scenario I prefer my 50" moose plow. I have never had any issues with the cleared path being wide enough for the brute with the blade angled. If you live in a region where the temps are well below freezing and your typical snow fall is dry and powdery, you will likely benefit from a wider plow.


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## Gallop (Feb 26, 2010)

I run the 60' Warn Pro-Advantage setup, clears a path just wide enough for the bike.


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## WOLVERINE (Jan 1, 2010)

kdixer said:


> People will always tell you to go wide. But you need to look at the climate in your region. Around here the temps normally hover right around freezing so we often get wet heavy snows. In this scenario I prefer my 50" moose plow. I have never had any issues with the cleared path being wide enough for the brute with the blade angled. If you live in a region where the temps are well below freezing and your typical snow fall is dry and powdery, you will likely benefit from a wider plow.


 
I live in Newfoundland and nowhere else does the snow fall as wet as we get it most of the time being on the coast. A 54" is a waste of money on the brute and my 60" Kimpex is OK with tires but I'm thinking about going with extensions to make it wider for the Tracks I have. If you get any amount of snow wet or otherwise the Brute can handle it with a 60" no problem, but like others have said any smaller then 60" with it angled you will get caught in the snow when you back up on the front if you aren't straight 100%.
Watch my vids of me plowing with my kimpex plow and you'll see what the Brute can push... Go to Youtube and type in wol9ver6ine and have a look.


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## kdixer (Apr 14, 2010)

WOLVERINE said:


> I live in Newfoundland and nowhere else does the snow fall as wet as we get it most of the time being on the coast. A 54" is a waste of money on the brute and my 60" Kimpex is OK with tires but I'm thinking about going with extensions to make it wider for the Tracks I have. If you get any amount of snow wet or otherwise the Brute can handle it with a 60" no problem, but like others have said any smaller then 60" with it angled you will get caught in the snow when you back up on the front if you aren't straight 100%.
> Watch my vids of me plowing with my kimpex plow and you'll see what the Brute can push... Go to Youtube and type in wol9ver6ine and have a look.


Sorry to say but I have to disagree with you here. Last year we got a pretty big snowstorm that lasted thru the night. I plowed my road and driveway at about 10 pm that night. The next morning I woke up to an additional 12-15" of wet and heavy snow. I come out of the garage with my blade down and made it about 15 feet before the snow was mounded up in front so bad the brute would just spin. I ended up having to plow the snow in layers until I got all the way down to the hard top. Another issue is that when the snow is wet and heavy it has a tendency to deflect the front of the quad with the blade angled. What is normally a 20 minute plow job turned into nearly 2 hours of plowing to get the road and driveway clear. There is no way you can convince me that a wider plow would not have made it worse.

I plow my road in 3 passes. 1 pass in the center with the blade straight. And a pass up each side with the blade angled towards the outside. My road would be a 3 pass job even if I had a 60" plow. Not to mention my road is all uphill to my house. So I would rather be better equiped to handle the wet heavy snow than have a wider plow which would be of little benefit to me.

The issue is not power related. It is weight and traction related. And what you can push downhill in the gravels is different than what you can push uphill on pavement. Plow width is situational. What might work good for some can prove to be a serious handicap for others.


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## eagleeye76 (May 7, 2010)

The wet heavy stuff does provide a challenge no matter what you have. I have a 4' Kimpex on the Prarie 300 4x4. Love the plow. It could be a little bit heavier for more down preasure. Tends to lift in the wetter stuff. Width wise, wider would be better in most situations IMO. But there are always those times... My next one will be a 5'. As Kdixer stated weight and traction on front end is important. I tend to have to turn into the angle of the plow to go straight sometimes. When you get yours you'll have a blast. Depending on how long your out there you might want to think about heated grips etc. Have fun!!!


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## WOLVERINE (Jan 1, 2010)

kdixer said:


> Sorry to say but I have to disagree with you here. Last year we got a pretty big snowstorm that lasted thru the night. I plowed my road and driveway at about 10 pm that night. The next morning I woke up to an additional 12-15" of wet and heavy snow. I come out of the garage with my blade down and made it about 15 feet before the snow was mounded up in front so bad the brute would just spin. I ended up having to plow the snow in layers until I got all the way down to the hard top. Another issue is that when the snow is wet and heavy it has a tendency to deflect the front of the quad with the blade angled. What is normally a 20 minute plow job turned into nearly 2 hours of plowing to get the road and driveway clear. There is no way you can convince me that a wider plow would not have made it worse.
> 
> I plow my road in 3 passes. 1 pass in the center with the blade straight. And a pass up each side with the blade angled towards the outside. My road would be a 3 pass job even if I had a 60" plow. Not to mention my road is all uphill to my house. So I would rather be better equiped to handle the wet heavy snow than have a wider plow which would be of little benefit to me.
> 
> The issue is not power related. It is weight and traction related. And what you can push downhill in the gravels is different than what you can push uphill on pavement. Plow width is situational. What might work good for some can prove to be a serious handicap for others.


I have chains on my stock wheels and traction is NEVER an issue. I have never had any issue whatsoever with pushing snow with the Brute, even when I had 26" ITP XL's on as in the video. I too make the 1st pass straight out the garage and angle afterwards on each side. I have waaaay more passes to make then you by the sounds of it as my drive is 30' across. Most of our snow falls near the 0 mark (32deg F ) which can vary 1 or 2 degrees and rarely do it be powder. I would like to go with a bigger plow for my purposes but to each their own. I know my BF can handle it. 
As for a 54" plow it would suck in the following situation. Try the plow angled and make a pass at speed whereby when you stop when the plow hits the snow bank it scues the ATV sideways. Picturing this Scenario? Now lift your blade, cut the handlebars at full lock and try to reverse back in the path you just made. YOUR atv WILL go in the hump of show you just angled to which ever side and if the snow is deep enough you will be stuck backiing up. This is caused by the angle of the plow not sticking outside the inner side far enough, ( plow not wide enough) to push the snow away from the ATV. With a 54" blade it won't be enough. How do I know? MIne barely makes it with a 60" and I have gotten stuck on several occasions so I can imagine what a shorter blade will do. It isn't wide enough, IMHO....


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## Nain (Mar 17, 2010)

Got a 60'' on mine, wouldn't go any smaller. Get a ton of snow here never had a problem pushing it unless I leave my backs on... in which case they are terrible in snow. :34:


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## kdixer (Apr 14, 2010)

I have honestly never had a problem with my 50" not being wide enough. Maybe it is just a difference in methods?


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## Mudforce (Dec 11, 2009)

I am about to install a set of studded stock tires, I don't think traction will be a problem anymore!!


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## WOLVERINE (Jan 1, 2010)

I installed Kimpex Commander Trek 3.0x tracks this year and it should be unstoppable when plowing. I'll post a vid when we get some snow but that's the main reason why I would like extension or a 72" blade to clear the tracks when angled...


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## eagleeye76 (May 7, 2010)

Ive found when going at speed angled just before getting to snow bank to start lifting the blade as to make a rampjust before stopping and it doesnt kick you sideways. Plus it provides a place to put more snow.


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