In Depth Metal Pless MaxxPro Plow Comparison - Snow Removal

[@nocoolname32]

THANK YOU!!!! the same issue that arctic sectionals have is just like the live edge. the plow doesn't know if it's good pressure or bad pressure. it doesn't know if it's an imperfection in the road, or an ice chunk, it will skip up over both of them. it's the nature of the beast. the non live edge will scrap that stuff up and you can put real, actual down pressure on it. thanks for show the real actual pros and cons. more cost may be mean better for every job.

[@TerracePropertyMaintenance]

No problem! Glad to help make a more informed choice!

[@bwillan]

So do you have an opinion on the live edge vs fixed edge Metal Pless, now that you've used it for a season? The Metal Pless Live edge plows and pushers were always known for scraping very well and drastically reducing salt usage on commercial properties.

[@TerracePropertyMaintenance]

Each plow has a pro's & con's. Live Edge - "cleans" fresh snow better, especially if there are dips, swales or crowns. - sucks for clearing any hard packed snow or scraping. Fixed Edge - Scrapes way better - Cheaper by thousand $$$ We wouldn't buy another live edge for use in this climate/location. We would consider them for a different climate

[@mackman1480]

Good video with good explanation of the plow differences suprised no comments. How long have you been using the Metal Pless plows and have you had any issues with them. Did you use snow pushers, plows or buckets before the Pless.

[@TerracePropertyMaintenance]

Thanks for checking out the video! This is our 2nd year using them. We used the "Live Edge" plow last season, and decided to get the "Fixed Edge" plow this season. We ran a plow truck/ loader combo the year prior as a plow truck can clear a site much quicker than just a loader with bucket. Our plow truck went out once this year....these loaders take care of everything. The biggest time save is attributed to the longer movable wings (6 ft) which control much more snow, and allow your loader to make fewer and straighter passes. We have had 3 issues with the plows so far. 1. - The nice pressure indicator bar I point out in the video hits the loader - The Komatsu requires that the bucket/implement be curled in completely for ~10 seconds to release the quick attach pins. Not knowing this would hit the tilt arm on the loader, we curled up the plow to release the pins only to later wonder how the 1/2" steel bracket had bent. This can be avoided by raising the boom arm about 5-6' above the ground before curling the plow. 2. - Wing Solenoids - These WILL overheat if your operator leaves the 3 position selector switch on one of the wings for an extended period of time. This has never been an issue when out working, however it did occur when an operator started the machine and let it warm up for 45 mins. with one of the wings selected. MetalPless did cover this on warranty, however it is not a common sized part in our area, and we unfortunately had to wait 12 business days for a new part to be shipped. ( this can be a problem for most parts on this plow as everything is very heavy duty and not common or easy to find aftermarket replacements for. 3. - The "Live Edges" are not ideal for scraping hard packed snow, and the brackets in which they travel can bend open if you apply too much pressure, or hit something like a curb. This happened the first season. Changing out the bracket requires a hydraulic press to push out the pins...everything is very well built so make sure you have access to a good mechanic or at least the tools. The bracket probably weighs about 85-100 lbs. It was an expensive lesson to learn. That being said, any of our operators that use this plow no longer like using a bucket once they are comfortable with it.

[@mackman1480]

@@TerracePropertyMaintenance Thank you for the very prompt and detailed response and your experience with this product. still suprised your videos are not with many views as they are well done. If you read just out of curiousity do you own your loaders or lease just for snow and if so is it cost effective to own or lease for the snow season.

[@TerracePropertyMaintenance]

@@mackman1480 Thanks! We do short term leasing over the winter generally, as we don't have much use for wheel loaders in the summer. However, this winter we ran into a circumstance which ultimately led to our decision to buy the CAT 926M. It is a 2020 and had 300 hrs on it, which we had put on the year prior. This decision was based on our situation, needs, how we operate, and cash on hand. From a cash flow and liabilities standpoint, if you only plan to use a loader for 3-4 months a year, your better off doing a short term lease. This allows you to easily budget, you always have a newer piece of equipment, you don't tie up all of your liquid in depreciating assets, rentals are 100% write offs, and are not liable for any repairs or maintenance (typically...but may vary from dealer to dealer.). Some downsides are that you are subject to changing market rates for rental each season, and if you need a piece of equipment at short notice out of season it might be hard to logistically and financially get one that's available to use. The other thing to look at is new vs used when purchasing. We were fortunate that we had the opportunity to purchase our loader for the same price as an older model with 3-4000 hours, and roughly 35k less than a brand new 0hr 2020 unit. Also, the rate of inflation is trending to ridiculous levels, so we decided assets are better than being too liquid. There are so many more pro's and cons to each option. It really depends on how your business is structured and what your income / cash flow and objectives are.