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plowing with a b81


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It depends on what type of contracts you are planning on doing. Most municipalities want reliability, so they may have a maximum age for any truck they contract with, particularly if the truck is new to the contract. So I would say the first thing would be to check with your potential employer.

If you are working your own contracts doing parking lots, etc. it comes down to comfort and reliability. You know the drill; when it snows you need to be there now, not 24 hours from now. Break downs are killers for snow movers.

The other consideration is what are you going to do if it doesn't snow. When the weather gets warm is there work for a 40 plus year old truck to pay the bills?

My inclination would be to buy something newer and more reliable and use the money you make to buy the 81 as a hobby truck.

Money, sex, and fire; everybody thinks everyone else is getting more than they are!

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fix da leaks :)

Ya, I'm getting there. Need to put new seals around the doors. Never really an issue overall, but last couple years I've had to drive it in much cooler weather then usual(in a snow storm last spring), thus you notice the cool air blowing on your arm. The problem with the heater in these trucks is there is no "moderate" setting. All or nothing kinda thing. Low is too low, high is too high. Need to remove the lo/hi switch and put a rotary 3 spd in it with resistor pack from a '70's pickup.

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IMG-20180116-202556-655.jpg

Larry

1959 B61 Liv'n Large......................

Charter member of the "MACK PACK"

 

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It is for a municipality. I have a couple loaders on with a town plowing and the superintendent is trying to get me to put some plow trucks on as well. I am hesitant to put a plow on one of my newer 10 wheelers because I don't want the salt eating on my shiny aluminum tanks. I found a running B81 with a plow and I am just curious how outrageous it would be to put the old girl to work.

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https://www.flickr.com/photos/bkrois/5307846971/in/album-72157625585095231/

My friend plowed for the town and state with Old Macks for years, not sure if the link with show the photo but he had plenty of B models. As long as the heaters were working no real issues

Does he still have the DM in picture 024?

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  • 8 years later...
On 11/15/2015 at 9:08 PM, carlotpilot said:

can`t imagine much difference from any other truck so long as the heater and wipers work as they should ps i would rather be in a b81 than some of the toys i see out here on I 81

I plowed snow during the blizzard of 1996 here in NJ in a 1964 b813 endt 673 18 spd qudraplex i personally think there awesome for plowing 3-4 days straight not a hiccup out of that old BullDog Mack 

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On 11/16/2015 at 10:03 AM, fxfymn said:

It depends on what type of contracts you are planning on doing. Most municipalities want reliability, so they may have a maximum age for any truck they contract with, particularly if the truck is new to the contract. So I would say the first thing would be to check with your potential employer.

If you are working your own contracts doing parking lots, etc. it comes down to comfort and reliability. You know the drill; when it snows you need to be there now, not 24 hours from now. Break downs are killers for snow movers.

The other consideration is what are you going to do if it doesn't snow. When the weather gets warm is there work for a 40 plus year old truck to pay the bills?

My inclination would be to buy something newer and more reliable and use the money you make to buy the 81 as a hobby truck.

I plowed snow during the blizzard of 96 here in NJ for 4 days straight in a 1964 B813 Mack endt673 18 spd quadraplex you can’t get any more reliable the company had 1980s Autocar dk64 trucks plowing also a couple of which went down during the storm not that BullDog Mack kept going didn’t shut it down for 4 days just keep fuel in it that’s it 

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Here in Nevada they plow snow around 60 miles an hour sometimes it’s a pain in the ass if you’re trying to get around them Thanks for your input And yes, I think a B81 would be perfect for snow plowing I had a chance to do that this winter and I said no dice. Main reason these guys spent too many hours out there.

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we have some cowboys here in jersey that plow 50-60mph too. and cant figure out why they loose cutting edges in the first hour of plowing. 

when i ran a plow crew of 7 trucks, we never went over 10 MPH. 

and would average a full winter out of cutting edges on all the trucks.

when you are up to your armpits in alligators,

it is hard to remember you only came in to drain the swamp..

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