Western Snow Plow Review after 13 years - Plagued with Problems

alright guys you better watch this video fast because I have a feeling Western it's gonna work really hard to get this one taken down the story starts three years ago when I noticed I couldn't get a single season out of my Western cutting edge I had the western rep come right out to my house he told me that it was a wear component and that I was basically going to have to eat it I made a video about that and a lot of people told me that my cutting edge and my plow were out of adjustment I had my plow readjusted and I put a thicker cutting edge the thickest western cells on and I got a season and a half out of it and then other people started to notice the same problem all right guys I'm on the phone with Greg but you had an interesting conversation with a Western rep about the steel they're using in their cutting blades is that right it's a simple fact being that Western is providing a cheaper steel cutting edges compared to a lot of other and now you know this is coming from a manufacturer of ones didn't huge supply we're talking East Coast and West Coast flat out telling me the owner himself saying that Western is providing a cheaper gauge steel a cheaper mate steel which is it lasting and just to protect my own hiney I'm just gonna tell you right now that everything in this video is fictional it's make-believe it's just for entertainment and opinion nothing in this video is real oh hey and while you're here that would be a good time to subscribe don't you know yeah just click that little red button there we're going to look closely at this blade the difference we've got the heininger right here and the Western v-plow when did we change this hi Nagar was that five years ago Tim as at least five years ago and look at the v-plow the high Nagar has the exact cloth of the same lot look at the difference we've got this much blade left and we've got that much we got tape measure yeah so this has already been changed once before though we changed this two seasons ago the Western was changed two seasons ago right yeah yeah cuz what have we had the plows for three years three years this will be the second change they can change and the first year would barely plowed and then this year and then he reset it because remember it was they shouldn't wear out that fast right and then he readjusted everything yep saw and put a thicker blade on right all right guess what you're gonna see is the first time we brought it in to have the first blade put on after the first season a lot of firsts yeah I did I actually had the rep come out jump all right guys just to make sure that my original installer didn't screw up on the adjustment I actually brought the old blade in before we swapped new blades to see if the old adjustment was still in adjustment and it was and so what you're gonna be looking at next is the difference in blade height after just a season and a half yeah I think that makes sense all right guys we've got we're gonna measure our blades on the western blade that was a new blade in 2016 this is the second blade we put on this snow pile time do you think we plot on this thing not very bene I mean last year was bunk so we got three quarters of an inch three quarters of an inch on the western blade and that was the upgraded blade and that plow was adjusted and the C scoop has how many inches on their plate left to two inches and that's got how many seasons five four or five four I think it's five seasons two inches left 2016 so a season and a half that's got three quarters of an inch left Western versus Heinicke was it I can remember like 150 bucks for that cutting edge hoes dog I don't remember what we paid for that I know it was high there's like five hundred anywhere from three to five yeah so in the first season we spent around four to five hundred dollars to get a new cutting edge put on and now we're going into year number three and we're going to spend eight hundred and forty two dollars and 79 cents to have a new cutting edge put on but we're also updating it and putting the curb guards on it and getting again the thickest cutting edge we can and having the blade readjusted for the third time yes this plow is nickel and diming us to death go Western fifteen to twenty fifteen that's punk that wasn't much of a snowfall no we about maybe 10 11 times this year we've been out maybe five times yeah so that's and it was pretty new last year when we put it on there wasn't it yeah so let's say there's 20 snow falls on there just to be benefit of the dog that's just I guess you think you should get more than 20 pushes on a blade maybe we're just doing trigger lots and other people for something okay but that trucks working every hour that this truck is working yeah all right do you tell me what hot is hot is that math that up how does that math add up of that truck works every hour that hey John John yes sir which truck works one of the red truck or the white truck the red truck and what do you mean it wouldn't work what do you mean by that because every single person every swinging uses that truck and just viewer Tim use the white truck or my big buddy here and the reason that works the red truck works more is it's got the fuel tank on it so it has to go off every single event that is correct that's why everybody uses it because they bring it to the job site yes every single event that truck is at because it spools up all of the equipment that truck its parts you guys have seen it you I have I've been running that truck while that truck sits at home because I need the fuel tank so and this truck needs a brand whose laid already in this one about two inches on now just to be clear guys I can't substantiate back up or verify anything that you're about to hear in this next conversation so just take it for what it is all right guys I'm on the phone with Greg but you had an interesting conversation with a Western rep about the steel they're using in their cutting blades is that right yes I remember actually for a year ago last winter floristone or Google Seaton you actually posted something of a regarding westerns snow plows and I commented on one of your photos and I ask you kind of what your which occasion was with snow western snow plows did you convert it back to me mentioning that they have their meter cutting and he's don't even last as long compared to other clouds that jube actually wrong yeah and you know that's right something inside me and you know I contacted a steel manufacturer it's a vegan wholesaler and they're a wholesale supplier for cutting edges of all Western and boss vinegar called Curtis snow cloud every every snow country snow followed removal company for for cutting edges and blades and I talked to the manufacturer the owner of the company themselves on the phone and his supplier so what he does is he's actually manufacture of own steel itself for the cutting edges blowing up your Commerce easier conversation was made regarding that you know you're cutting I just don't last as long for your watch list and I asked him why and he told me he says it's a simple fact being that Western is providing a cheaper steel cutting edges compared to a lot of other announced you know this is coming from a manufacturer of the cutting edges themselves and see like I said he is a wholesaler zucchinies applied the people who are selling these Western edges so he told me that Western is due to the fact that they are they're selling more blades and it's you know a money scheme you can picture that final western snowplow and your cutting edges are less than half the amount of time then they're you're forced I didn't have to purchase or cutting edges you know that's like I said that's a one conversation themselves you know more details further than that I kept researching online researching online now obviously there are different factors and different terrain conditions that your you know you're plowing on and as well as you know your your shoes on your snow plow as well but one thing specifically is an eight and a half foot Western MVP now it's another common problem that a lot of people haven't I did more research and you know people all across America running this specific plow I did more research in twelve jovi says he called up the Western tech himself and it quote-on-quote this is exactly what Western says we kind of missed the mark on this one and now this is regarding their cutting edges so now what people are actually doing since their Western cutting edges aren't Lansing as long they're going to steel manufacturers and they're having them make and do punch outs of aftermarket cutting edges to last longer on their web server flowers now Western is now losing business because they want to get more business from selling more cutting edges now people are going out and getting aftermarket cutting edges made for their Western snowplows that's what I'm gonna do Greg that's my plan is I'm putting a western cutting edge on and having my western snowplow adjusted by a Western dealer I don't know if I can get the word Western anymore into that one sentence and then I'm going to take my other Western snowplow and I'm not gonna have it adjusted I'm not gonna have anything done to it I'm just gonna have a steel manufacturer put on their cutting edge and I'm gonna do a side by and I'm doing it at the same time of the season and it's on the two trucks same year trucks same Western MVP threes and I'm gonna see which one last longer because everybody is coming back and saying the snow plows out of adjustment but I'm gonna tell you Greg that I have I've had a Heine curvy plow I've had a boss V plow I've never had to make so many adjustments I'm air quoting on a snow plow to make the cutting edge last and still not have at work right so what you're you know the beat plows the Westerner like all it just it just is not the adjustment everybody keeps saying they keep on she's getting their flower justice by a dealer well guess what in and when they're all coming down to it when there is a steel manufacturer who sells the Western cows saying oh I'll sell you there just there that's what I'll tell you right now as somebody that is your actual deals they say Western is a little cheaper steel and they're actually preferring that you sell you purchase an answer marketers will tell you oh it's actually cheaper and it will last longer so Western is having a good problem with it and if we're coming from a Western tech say oh we kind of missed the mark quote unquote missed the mark on this one if they know that they you growed up I don't think they missed the mark I think I personally think it's intentional because that mark can be changed as soon as you're aware that there's a problem you can change that going down the road right so so that's not I mean and that's a where component that's interchangeable like that I mean it's as simple as going to add a heavier gauge steel in the in the cutting edge and problem is solved but what I noticed is that my Western MVP 3 at least locally was just a few hundred dollars cheaper than my boss v-plow ok so when it came down to it they were able to undercut that price but the Western is costing me a heck of a lot more lot a long term yes absolutely so well well thanks Greg I appreciate you coming on and sharing that with me that's I mean this is exactly what I was seeing out there but to actually hear the manufacturers so this was the manufacturer for all of the cutting edges the cutting edges and he says that Western energy supplier we're talking East Coast and West Coast flat out telling any boners so saying that Westar is providing a cheaper gauge steel remains it lasting Oh better than yourself so if you--if you guys are listening and you're having problems with your westerns it may not be it may not be adjusting it it may be going to a heavier gauge or a better cutting it all right this next part I know some of you guys are going to argue with me and I want to hear your opinion then the controller I hate this controller I've snow plugged my entire life and I've never found a controller that I hate more than this thing or simplified that's just know I gotta hide a groovy controller let me show it to you flip it awesome can you all these controllers side by each this Oh check this out this is a V controller that's the Hein occur Oh scoop the side to side that look at how much easier that is and that joystick that's a thumb control joystick yeah it's yeah this just confuses me when you hit this and then go either forward or backward I try not to use those sometimes so you hit it once and then go forward then you can hit it twice and there's a go backward and you can't remember what you want I'm on half the time so I'll be pushing a file and I'm just gonna wing it real quick and yep it'll open up then I'll leave windrows and then I'll either hit this one hoping to put it forward again I don't know little buttons confused oh dude you know what's really confuses what I hate is this one right here that button right there cuz you don't know like a lot of times you hit it you go down and you're not in flow so you gotta hold it oh you got to hold it for an extra second so even though you go down you feel it hit or not in flow then you gotta hold it you get a hold it just for the count of one but you know what when you've been plowing for 20 hours straight and you got more important things to do than to wonder and you don't have a detent right can you see that that little delay makes a big difference boom that's when you're in float so you hit it you're down you think alright on to bigger and better things like not running into cars and curbs but you're not floating so you go up and over a lot boom and then hold it so it hits then you hold it and it goes down that is annoying like with this one it's got a detent so when you pull backward you're automatically inflow okay you're automatically as soon as you as soon as you hit the detent you can actually feel that little nub and you're you're in business boom is just as easy as that scoop be and that's it this is two buttons and a joystick on your thumb not a hole joystick which is a big difference or nine buttons and two of them have the same function one - I can't stand this controller it's really jeez Stan why don't you tell us how you really feel I gotta ask a question because Tim the whole reason we bought the Western Falls was because you had a Western straight played for ten years yeah and that thing lasted forever I mean no that straight blade lasted nothing really went wrong with it I think I changed the motor out once that was like after plowing with it for nine years yeah we have that way that was easy I don't remember we didn't have problems with the cutting edges on it either did we nope a straight blade was fine it's just that's the reason we bought this we had so much good luck with that Western and you liked it so much we bought no to Western two of these and there it's like night and day difference not even like it's the same company I just wish the blades would wear out fast as fast as they do cuz yeah so far the plow itself has been pretty good as I like the plow I like to plow a lot you don't like a controller I'm surprised what it held up to that last snowfall I was waiting for it to snap off my truck and it was it held up great fun Alma ganden yeah did it suck that sucked man butt off yeah the controllers and the ladies I guess cutting edges all right I'm going to tell you straight up the western plow itself outside of the cutting edges and the controller has been awesome Barry problem-free the main components have been rock solid remember I'm talking about everything except the cutting edges and my personal hatred for that controller I can't stand that thing I have no complaints with but the buttons are so small I don't care about the number but they're so small that I find myself having to look down every time to make sure I'm gonna hit the did you even notice no Tim has ran the Western for three years right did you even notice that you got to hold the button down to get it to going to float position yes you did notice that I did it took me a while okay but I did notice it because I was like this isn't working right so I like hold it down right yeah not that too lazy to get out of the truck so it's like looking at you from in here and then I went into float and that works but it's it it's not natural right you know it shouldn't be like should not be like yes because I noticed the two we're like you'll be climbing a hill and you're going up and if you don't have your plow and float you all of a sudden left all the snow that you were pushing up the hill as soon as you went over the cross right right yeah yeah and and it doesn't have the ability you've got to look at it to know that you're in flow right that's the problem that's not like it's got a détente where you can just flip it and go by feel because this high Nagar I never have to look at the remote I'm just I'm just plowing yeah with the Western I'm always looking down at it and it's fine for just a little place but when you're plowing something like this all night it takes away time it's not you have better things to do so I I think simpler the better I think they've overcomplicated this controller I think that's great for some guys that are plowing a single driveway or do whatever they want to do and this isn't what they do a day after day 24 25 you you called last week you plow 24 hours straight there's more than that for him you know on this on this side side this site you plug 24 hours then you plot another 10 or 12 on another site then you slept two hours then you plot another 10 or 12 and then you slept I think four hours and then you went back out plowing again the last thing you want to do when you put that many hours in is look down at a controller and go which way is my blade but at that point you're so tired you can't see the controller alright guys now I know some of you guys love your Western and that's fine fanboy this review focused more on the things that I think Western is doing intentionally to make people spend more money they're selling their Western MVP for less than the boss plow at least in my local area but long-term this is costing a lot more money so if you guys are dead set on buying a Western snow plow here's a little hint here's some advice that I've got for you ask them not to put on a cutting edge at all and to subtract the cost out of the new snow plow period and then go to a welding shop and have them put a real cutting edge on something that will last you more than a season or a season and a half remember I've had this Western MVP three adjusted three times in the last three years and have had two cutting edges put on both of my trucks I've got two of these units and it's been the same for each unit I don't want to see you guys spending a lot of money on cutting edges when there's better alternatives out there so if you're dead set on a Western plow go ahead and buy it but just be ready to put a brand new cutting edge and when you do it I'm going to recommend you do an aftermarket or something completely out of the western arena now I'm going to again protect my Heidi and tell you that everything in this video is just a my opinion so you take it for what it's worth I hope this videos helped you out let me know what you guys think of this let me know what your favorite plow is and more important let me know are you having any of the problems that we brought up from this video down below god bless you guys go get them and happy snow plowing