What size Metal Pless Plow Do I Need For My Machine?

The right snow plow attachment will give your machine the precision and the power it needs to efficiently clear snow from any road, parking lot or loading dock. However, it's critical to choose the correct size of snow plow for heavy equipment. A snow plow that's too large will be difficult to handle and place strain on your machine, while a plow attachment that's too small will be inefficient for snow removal.

Metal Pless is a snow plow attachment manufacturer that creates a series of high-quality snow plows in a variety of sizes compatible with skid steers, tractors, and wheel loaders. In this guide to Metal Pless plow sizing, we'll steer you toward choosing the right size attachment for your machine so that you can complete each snow management job quickly and without error.

 

The Basics of Metal Pless Plow Sizing

Choosing the correct snow plow for heavy equipment is largely dependent on matching the weight of the plow attachment to the weight of the machine being used for snow removal. A Metal Pless snow plow attachment will add hundreds or even thousands of pounds of weight to your equipment. If the plow is too heavy, your front suspension will sag, steering will be harder, and you’ll risk damage to the frame, ball joints, and tie rods.

As a general rule, your snow plow should weigh no more than 10% of your vehicle’s curb weight. So if you're using a 10,000 lb wheel loader, your snow plow should weigh 1,000 lbs or less. You should also be mindful of width when it comes to Metal Pless plow sizing. A snow plow that's too wide can be just as problematic as a snow plow that's too heavy.

 

Overview of the Metal Pless Plow Series

Metal Pless manufactures several different models of snow plows for heavy equipment, including:

• PlowMaxx - This versatile attachment is an ideal plow size for skid steers and wheel loaders. The PlowMaxx features hydraulic wings and uses the Live Edge system to contour its shape to the road or lot being plowed.
  

• MaxxPro - If your company relies on wheel loaders for snow clearing jobs, this is the right snow plow attachment for you. The MaxxPro uses large and heavy hydraulic wings with the Live Edge system to efficiently clear snow without enduring excess wear and tear.
  

• AgriMaxx - This hydraulic wing plow attachment is perfect for snow clearing tractors. The AgriMaxx has a universal subframe that spreads weight and impact on the tractor from front to rear for the best snow removal performance.
  

• LiveBoxx - A snow pusher box plow that is designed to move large volumes of snow in a straight line, making it ideal for clearing wide-open lots. The LiveBoxx is a great plow for compact loaders and skid steers, available in blade widths ranging from 8' to 20'.

Metal Pless offers so many sizes and options that it can be overwhelming to size and choose your plow correctly, but we are here to help!

 

How to Choose The Right Size Snowplow for Your Equipment

First off, you can use our plow model matcher for general guidelines, the link for that can be found by clicking here.

Metal Pless plows can be broken down into 4 distinct categories indicated by moldboard height as broken down below. There are many factors that go into selecting the right size plow for your machine including climate type (will you be plowing 2” of snow at a time or 6”+?), snow tires vs. standard (this makes a HUGE difference), skill level of operator, average length of pushes, and more. 

The great news is that at Storm Equipment, we are experienced and are here to help! Below are some general guidelines and explanations to the different plow sizes that Metal Pless offers:

 

27” PlowMaxx and AgriMaxx Lite

These plows are considered to be in the “lite” category. In addition to the shorter moldboards these plows have lighter gauge steel where possible to keep weight to a minimum without sacrificing durability. 

Whether a PlowMaxx or an AgriMaxx these lite edition plows are going to be best suited to skid steers up to 10,000 lbs or compact tractors up to 7000 lbs. This moldboard height also works well on the Bobcat Toolcat series as well. Another benefit to this size plow on a skid steer is that the visibility will be better due to the shorter moldboard.

30” PlowMaxx and AgriMaxx Series

Metal Pless plows with 30” moldboards are our highest volume sellers in the Metal Pless lineup. This is due to their great versatility to run on a machine as small as an 8000 lb skid steer or tractor and machines as large as 14,000 lb compact wheel loaders or ag tractors.

These are more heavily built than the 27” models and thus weigh substantially more. Heavier A-frames, heavier trip springs and wing shoes, and larger cylinders are what add to the overall weight.

 

One of the secrets with the 30” series of Live Edge plows is that they are actually very comparable in height to the 36” series and have the same build quality. This has made the 0830-13 LE our most popular seller for the past 4 seasons as it offers a great balance of performance and value. The 0830-13 LE pairs well with loaders such as the Cat 906, Case 221, John Deere 304 and tractors such as the Kubota M5 series and John Deere 5R series. 

 

36” PlowMaxx and Agrimaxx Series

The 36” line of PlowMaxx and AgriMaxx plows cover a wide range of machine sizes from 12,000 lb compact loaders and tractors up to 20,000 lb machines. The “build” (thickness of steel, cylinders, springs etc..) of the 36” series is comparable to the 30” series, they simply add more height to the moldboard and more moldboard and wing length configurations.

The most popular size in this lineup is the 1036-16 for both the PlowMaxx and AgriMaxx series. These work very well on popular compact loaders such as Cat 908, Case 321, John Deere 324 and popular tractors such as the Kubota M6 series and John Deere 6R series.

The 36” PlowMaxx series is typically going to be equipped with a skid steer plate but JRB and other hook options are available as an upgrade.

 

42” PlowMaxx and AgriMaxx Series

The 42” line of PlowMaxx and AgriMaxx plows step up another level in “build” from the 36” series which is easily reflected by the fact that comparable size 42” weighs 30% more than its 36” counterpart.

Another distinguishing factor from the 36” PlowMaxx to the 42” PlowMaxx series is that a 42” series must be run with some type of hooks or coupler instead of a Skid Steer Quick Attach plate like the 30” and 36” PlowMaxx series utilize.

The 42” line is versatile in that you can run it on a machine as small as 14,000 lbs and a machine as large as 25,000 lbs (though we will typically suggest looking at a MaxxPro for any machine over 20,000 lbs).

Our most popular model in this series is the 1042-18 LE, this works great on loaders such as a Cat 910, John Deere 344, Volvo L45 and popular tractors such as Kubota 7M series, John Deere 7R Series and Case Puma. 

 

MaxxPro (48”) series

The MaxxPro is Metal Pless’ signature plow line. The heaviest built and largest plows on the market ranging from 18’ all the way up to 60’ widths and custom order moldboard heights up to 60”. These MaxxPro plows work great on machines 18,000 lbs and up.

Our most popular models in this series include the 1048-22 LE, 1248-24 LE and the signature 1248-28 LE Van Wing (hinged fold down wing allows the operator to clear under van trailer kingpins at distribution centers). These models work great on a range of loaders, some of the most common ones we see are: Cat 926, Case 621, John Deere 544, Volvo L70 and Komatsu WA320. 

 

LiveBoxx Series

The LiveBoxx series of plows comes in 4 unique moldboard heights but in general have far fewer options than the hydraulic wing plow models. Similarly to the PlowMaxx series the moldboard height is much more indicative of the machine size requirements than the width of the box.

The 32” models work great on skid steers and compact loaders up to 14,000 lbs. The 36” model is good for compact loaders 12,000-15,000 lbs. The 42” models cover a wide range of machine sizes from 14,000 to 30,000 lbs. And finally the 48” series is akin to the MaxxPro in that it has the heaviest build for machines over 25,000 lbs. 

 

The 32” models work great on skid steers and compact loaders up to 14,000 lbs. The 36” model is good for compact loaders 12,000-15,000 lbs. The 42” models cover a wide range of machine sizes from 14,000 to 30,000 lbs. And finally the 48” series is akin to the MaxxPro in that it has the heaviest build for machines over 25,000 lbs. 

 

Other Factors to Consider When Choosing a Plow

• The plow you choose for your machine should be well-suited to the most common type of snow in your area. Regions with wet, heavy snowfalls demand a powerful snowplow to keep up, while regions that tend to experience light, powdery snow may need a plow with perfect precision more than they need raw strength.
  

• The skill level of your operators is a factor when choosing the best snow plows for heavy equipment. Hydraulic wing plows, such as the MaxxPro and PlowMaxx, are more difficult to operate than traditional box plows and demand usage by more experienced snow removal professionals.
  

• Consider the type of properties you usually plow and the average length of your snow pushes before making your choice. Snow pusher plows like the LiveBoxx are great for open parking lots and loading docks with few obstacles, while hydraulic wing plows are adept at clearing snow from roads and obstacle-heavy lots.
  

 

Trusted Dealer of Metal Pless Snow Plows

Don’t let all of the options intimidate you. At the end of the day it's typically very easy to pinpoint the options for your machine and situation down to 1 or 2 models. At that point it may just be up to budget or personal preference. Give us a call or send us a message today and we would love to help!

See our contact information below.

Phone: 507.740.1746

Email: sales@stormEQ.com