A UTV snow plow is a great choice if you need to clear a lot of snow from a long driveway or a parking lot.
It’s better and easier than manually shoveling snow, and cheaper than hiring a snow plow service (if you already have a UTV).
Most farming UTVs can easily handle snow plowing. All you need to do is buy the right snow plow system and attach it to your UTV.
In this quick guide, we tell you everything you need to know about plowing snow with your UTV, how to set up your UTV to plow snow, and the best tips for quickly and safely clearing snow with your UTV.
What You'll Learn Today
How Well Do UTV Snow Plows Work?
UTV snow plows work extremely well to clear snow. Most UTV can easily push up to 8 inches of snow, and we’ve seen people who’ve used theirs to clear even thicker snow.
What makes UTVs so good for clearing snow is that they have big powerful engines, and they are heavy. This gives them better traction and brute strength to push snow.
Any challenge you might face will likely not be about the thickness of snow. Things like having room to maneuver your UTV, how to pile snow, and how to maximize traction are what you need to think about most.
Is It Better to Plow Snow With an ATV or UTV?
In most cases, a UTV will be the better choice for plowing snow because of the two reasons we mentioned above: they are heavy (which means better traction to push lots of snow), and they have powerful engines.
That said, if you have an ATV you can still attach a snow plow to it. The ATV should have a minimum 400cc engine to be able to push a decent amount of snow. You may also need to weigh down the ATV with sandbags or some other load to improve traction.
Another advantage of an ATV is maneuverability. ATVs are smaller and more agile, making it easier to maneuver one along narrow driveways and tight corners.
But in terms of power and the amount of snow you can push, a UTV is the best.
How Do You Plow Snow With a UTV?
Plowing snow with a UTV is a 3-step process: preparing your machine, prepping the area to be plowed, and finally doing the actual plowing.
1. Preparing Your Machine
Make sure your side by side is ready to plow snow before the first snow falls. As winter approaches, do everything necessary to get your machine in good plowing shape.
The first thing is to have the right snow plow, if you haven’t already bought one.
Most UTVs work with a 60-inch wide blade. You can opt for a straight blade or a V blade plow. A straight plow is cheaper, but a V plow does a better job plowing through thick snow banks and directing snow.
Decide if you want a winch snow plow system or a hydraulic snow plow.
A winch snow plow system is the best one for most UTVs. It’s affordable and works with the winch already in your side by side.
The main downside of a winch plow is that you can only move it up and down while in the vehicle. To change the angle of the blade, you have to get out and do it manually.
A hydraulic snow plow is more expensive and has higher maintenance requirements. On the upside, you can move it up and down as well as angle it using controls in the vehicle.
Once you get the right snow plow, fit it to your UTV as directed in the manual.
Also, make sure the UTV itself is ready for the winter season. Check the engine and fluids, make sure the suspension is good, and check the tires.
Talking of tires, you may need to get a new set that’s suitable for snow and mud. If you have all-terrain tires, you can try using snow chains on them to improve traction.
We also recommend installing a windshield on your UTV, if you don’t have one. It’ll protect you from the snow and elements. If your budget allows, get a full cab enclosure and maybe even add a heater.
2. Prepping the Area
Start prepping the area to be plowed before any snow falls. The main thing you need to do is mark any sections you don’t want the plow to run over using markers.
This could be a rose bush, a fire hydrant, or sprinklers. Some of these things will be buried under snow later, making it harder to figure out where they are.
Markers are also great for indicating the boundary between the driveway and lawn.
You can make your own markers or buy them online like this set of 100. Whichever markers you use, make sure they are tall enough not to be covered by snow, and that they are highly visible.
3. Plowing Snow
Don’t wait until a lot of snow has fallen to start plowing. While a UTV can push 8 inches or more of snow, it’ll be easier if you clear only a few inches at a time.
There are two techniques for plowing snow: windrows and pushing snow.
The windrow method involves pushing snow to one side of the driveway, forming long lines of snow called windrows.
Windrows work best for long and narrow driveways, or if you’ve no space for a high pile of snow.
To form windrows, angle the blade to one side, allowing snow to move to one side. Form the first windrow as far as you can from the driveway to give you space for additional windrows in the future.
Occasionally angle the blade to the other side to avoid piling one windrow too high.
The other option is to push snow straight on with the snow plow blade. You’ll need to identify a place to pile up the snow. Be careful not to pile it in the street or someone else’s property.
Push the snow into a pile. As the pile gets bigger, you’ll need to partially drive over it as you raise the snow plow. This allows you to pile the new snow higher.
Once you dump the snow, back up before raising the snow plow. This ensures you don’t put a lot of strain on the plow and winch.
Once the pile gets too high, start another one.
For more advice on how to plow snow with a UTV, the following video provides some great tips.
What Size of Snow Plow Can I Install on my UTV?
Because UTVs are bigger and more powerful, they can handle a wider snow plow compared to ATVs.
Most UTVs are compatible with snow plows blades measuring between 60 inches and 72 inches. The right size will depend on the weight capacity and width of your UTV.
Looking for alternative ways to clear snow? Here is our guide on how to use a front end loader for that purpose.
