Gen 3 Snow Plow

A

andyo

New member
Hey Everyone,

I didn't find much on snow plowing with a 2001 4Runner, but I'm seriously considering this.

Just moved to a new house with a gravel driveway that's about 300'. I have a pretty decent sized parking area up at the house. I'll only be doing my own property and it's just going to be the driveway.

Has anyone ever been in a similar situation?
 
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Have a similar situation. Had thought about a hitch mount, but not sure the front end would last, plus I want keep it more of a trail/fun vehicle. Plan right now is to get an ATV with a plow.

Haven't seen many front hitches on the 3rd gen, know someone with one, haven't really looked at but assume it was fabricated. I was looking at a Meyer's Home Plow (originally for my truck). If you do go this route, I wouldn't go too wide on the blade too minimize the shock loads on the frame.

This is after I ran the snowblower up and down each track twice. Nice sloppy crap...(the wife already made it up in her stock Rubicon)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLomUQwNtLc
 
Hey that's kinda like driving in mud, gotta build up speed, not slow down and not let off the throttle! :cowboy:
 
Hopeless Diamond said:
If you do go this route, I wouldn't go too wide on the blade too minimize the shock loads on the frame.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLomUQwNtLc
Click to expand...

A small plow on front of the 4Runner might be the way to go. Just take it easy not to break anything.

Everyone has been telling me no snowblower on the gravel. Gravel gets on the grass and they'll get fired out of a lawnmower in the spring, not to mention potential damage to the snowblower.

I'll need a lawnmower and wanted a zero turn for the speed (2 acres), but I might need something a little more versatile for yardwork/plowing/trash cans.

4-wheeler = fun too, but won't cut grass. Believe it or not, 4-wheeler was the wife's idea. I should run with it.
 
I'm sure they make some sort of lawn mower attachment for an ATV. No reason to turn down a chance to get another toy, especially when it's her idea :rockon:

There's a big rut at the start of the driveway from drainage, etc. They didn't put a culvert in when they built the place because the phone line is buried through there (for 3 houses). It makes it real tough to get a running start and speed just bleeds off too fast. The ATs do real good, except in that crappy snow. Makes it that much more fun
 
Yea watching that video made me thankful that my driveway isn't as steep. I'm pricing plows out and there isn't anything under $1200 bucks for a 4Runner as far as I can see.

My 4Runner's no spring chicken, so maybe $1200 towards something else new or slightly used is the way to go. Maybe even pay someone this first winter coming up.
 
$1200? I grew up in SEPA, spent a few years bouncing around the country, and settled in NEPA. My opinion is to snag a decent self propelled snowblower or to get a plow for a garden tractor.
 
Breadman03 said:
$1200? I grew up in SEPA, spent a few years bouncing around the country, and settled in NEPA. My opinion is to snag a decent self propelled snowblower or to get a plow for a garden tractor.
Click to expand...

I'm in SEPA and always have been. Only thing about the blower is that it's almost a guarantee that it'll throw the gravel from my driveway into the grass. Mower/4-wheeler with a plow seems like the direction I'll be researching.
 
I would seriously consider putting Blacktop over the gravel. I had a gravel driveway when I moved in & hated it. Had it paved in less than a year.
 
I haven’t priced it out but western plows has 4 options for a Tacoma which should work. I don’t think it is a front hitch mount. I think western uses a real mount so it’s probably pretty spendy. If I were you I’d look into a lawn tractor with a front bucket and belly mower, and a rear blade to grade the gravel road that way you can do everything with it.
 
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Scramble said:
I would seriously consider putting Blacktop over the gravel. I had a gravel driveway when I moved in & hated it. Had it paved in less than a year.
Click to expand...

I am seriously considering paving it. New house has us prioritizing and money-wise that would have to wait unfortunately.
 
MN4runnerman said:
I haven’t priced it out but western plows has 4 options for a Tacoma which should work. I don’t think it is a front hitch mount. I think western uses a real mount so it’s probably pretty spendy. If I were you I’d look into a lawn tractor with a front bucket and belly mower, and a rear blade to grade the gravel road that way you can do everything with it.
Click to expand...

Not many sites show pricing online, but I found this: https://www.centralparts.com/product/western-68-compact-straight-blade-snowplow

Comes to 4K just for the blade and the Tacoma specs are a bit different so compatibility is questionable too. For the whole plow set up, I could get a good zero-turn mower and a quad with a plow.
 
You don't like the price of the plow, wait till you start pricing a Quad - :wow:

Just keep your eyes open for an old 3/4 or 1t beater, you might be able to find one with a plow on it already. What, 3 or 4 passes to do the driveway, 5 storms to do a mile - and it's warm and dry in the cab
 
Hopeless Diamond said:
You don't like the price of the plow, wait till you start pricing a Quad - :wow:

Just keep your eyes open for an old 3/4 or 1t beater, you might be able to find one with a plow on it already. What, 3 or 4 passes to do the driveway, 5 storms to do a mile - and it's warm and dry in the cab
Click to expand...

Another truck isn't an option unfortunately since I already kept the 4R as our 3rd car. A 4 wheeler would be 2K for an older one used, but the other 2-2.5K could get that zero-turn.

That Western blade was the 4K on it's own, didn't price out all of the other parts + customization I'd need to do to the frame. I wish I could find a reasonable pull behind plow for the 4R.
 
andyo said:
Everyone has been telling me no snowblower on the gravel. Gravel gets on the grass and they'll get fired out of a lawnmower in the spring, not to mention potential damage to the snowblower.
Click to expand...

Snowblower is fine on gravel, you just need to adjust your scraper blade appropriately. You still get a bit of gravel on the grass but it's not a big deal unless you live on a putting green.

I recommend an old gravely walk behind with a ma-210 blower, affectionately known as the "snow cannon" Gravelys are as awesome as 4runners.
 
I found a '95 Chevy 2500HD 4x4 with a bigblock 454 with a plow for less $ than you can buy a new plow. Plow itself is an 8' Western poly with ultramount.
After clearing my gravel driveway twice, I fabricated a 2" schedule 40 steel pipe with mounting ears on the ends to slip over the blade. Now it only pushes the snow, NOT the gravel :)
 
I_bRAD said:
Snowblower is fine on gravel, you just need to adjust your scraper blade appropriately. You still get a bit of gravel on the grass but it's not a big deal unless you live on a putting green.

I recommend an old gravely walk behind with a ma-210 blower, affectionately known as the "snow cannon" Gravelys are as awesome as 4runners.
Click to expand...

+1

Gravely's are great machines. I have a 4 wheeled Gravely tractor -- an 8120 -- with a 50" mowing deck, a plow blade, and a snowblower. With chains on the rear wheels, it's unstoppable in the winter, and in the summer it's a fantastic mower.

I also have a fair amount of experience with Fisher plows -- mostly on Jeeps. I just Googled "2002 Tacoma push plates" and came up with this. Old posting, but good pics. Look at the pic of how the bracket mounts to the frame of the truck. That's called the push plates. That part bolts on and is left on the truck year round. The rest attaches with a couple of pins, and a plug to operate the electric/hydraulic pump. That's what's called a Minute Mount setup. You may be able to find one on Craigslist.

You want a 6.5 or 7 foot plow. Any larger and you're asking for trouble with a truck this size.
 
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