Maintaining commercial snow removal equipment is no easy feat. It takes time, skill, and planning — plus access to quality blades. When you have a good grasp of what snow plow blade features you need, you can get a better handle on the upkeep of your equipment.

It’s important to recognize the downsides of excessive maintenance and find methods of escaping the constant cycle of replacing your blades. Here’s how using the best snow removal equipment can save substantial money over its lifespan.

Why Too Much Maintenance Is a Bad Thing

When snow removal blades are constantly showing signs of wear, it can create major problems on the road. Regular maintenance keeps equipment in good working order. However, too much time spent on maintenance can also be a bad thing. Here are a few reasons it's important to find ways to minimize the frequency of maintenance:

  • It's expensive: Experts estimate that the maintenance costs for snow plows each year are between $2,000 and $6,000 per vehicle. Those numbers quickly add up when you're dealing with a larger fleet, making it imperative to find ways to cut costs.
  • It takes time: Changing blades is time-consuming, especially for a large municipality. Frequent changes cause bottlenecks in the shop during the snowy season, and the last thing you want when a storm hits is to get stuck while a crew repairs your snow-removing equipment or switches out your blades.
  • It's uncomfortable and dangerous: There's nothing worse than changing a wet snow plow blade in a soggy, cold environment. Eliminating the need for repeated maintenance helps operators stay warm and dry while they work. Handling wet steel can increase the chances of accidents so minimizing blade changes can help minimize injury.

Limiting maintenance is essentially a win for everyone. No matter whether your plows are in operation every day or a few times a month, you'll save valuable resources when the blades don't wear out as quickly.

Ways to Reduce Your Snow Plow Maintenance

It's easy to see why you need to reduce the frequency of your maintenance. What's more difficult is finding ways to do it. Following these steps will help keep your equipment on the road as much as possible.

Choose Better Blades

The most reliable way to minimize your maintenance is by selecting the right cutting-edge material. You'll find an overwhelming number of snow blade options available in today's market, but not all of them will help with your maintenance issues. Some will have the opposite effect, leaving you scrambling to install a new blade at the worst possible moment.

If you want to keep your commercial snow removal equipment running without interruptions and frequent repairs, you want blades that last longer and don't need to be changed as often. Lower-quality blades may come at an appealing price, but they won't stand the test of time. You'll replace them so often that you'll rack up bigger bills than you would have paid if you had invested in more expensive blades from the start.

To avoid that outcome, buy blades that last longer so you won't need to replace them as often. The Race 150 blade, for example, has extended wear life that outlasts traditional carbides by two to three times. That means you can spend more hours plowing instead of putting on new blades.

Consider Your Environment

Knowing what conditions and terrain you'll be working in is essential to preventing unnecessary wear on your snow removal blade. If you opt for rubber blades and deal with a lot of heavy-duty snow removal, don't be surprised when they wear out early in the season. Look for snow-removing equipment and blades that are a good match for your needs, taking into account the types of surfaces you'll be plowing and how heavy the snow and ice usually are in your area.

Take Advantage of the Off-Season

If you come to the conclusion that you need longer-lasting blades, don't wait until the season starts to put them on your plows. Instead, install your newer, more durable blades during the off-season. The upgrade won't be urgent or pull you away from the roads, so you can take your time and make sure it's installed correctly.

Keep Up with Inspections

Check on your commercial snow removal equipment regularly, paying extra close attention to the condition of your blades. Look for issues, such as cracks or built-up salt residue. Simply pressure washing your blades can prevent corrosion and extend their wear life. In addition, check for loose or missing connectors that could cause damage to your plow and blades when you start moving snow.

Reduce Other Snow Removal Consumables

Choosing the right snow plow blade for your operation can result in maintenance savings all across the fleet. Some blade options help minimize the waste of salt and sand on the roads. Other blade options can last significantly longer, minimizing the need to stop and deadhead back to the shop to change blades. Last but not least, some blade options can even minimize the need to visit the road as frequently by cutting to the base of the snowpack/ice rather than scraping over the top creating a slicker surface that will need to be revisited.  

End the Season Strong

When the season's winding down, give your plow a serious scrub-down. Removing debris prevents damage while your plow sits during the off-season. Look closely at the condition of your blades to determine whether they're in need of replacement. It's better to know now what you'll need next winter rather than when the first snow starts to fall. When your snow-removing equipment is taken care of, store it in a dry place to protect it from the elements until you're ready to use it again.

Say No to More Maintenance with Enhanced Equipment

Choosing reliable, durable snow plow blades might require a bigger upfront investment, but it will pay off long into the future. You'll avoid costly and inconvenient replacements and keep your plows on the roads where they belong, removing snow and keeping people safe.

When you're in search of a snow or grader blade for snow removal, Equipment Blades has you covered. Download our product catalog to find the best equipment for snow removal.

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