How Tall Are Snow Plows?

It’s common knowledge that snow plows come in various sizes, shapes and designs. When discussing the size of a snow plow, most of the time people refer to its length. But what about its height? Here, we’ll discuss the snow plow height options and why the height of the blade matters.

Why do snow plows have different heights?

Snowplows come in various heights to accommodate different vehicles, snow conditions, and purposes. Here are a few reasons why snowplows might have different heights:

1. Vehicle Compatibility: Snow plows need to be compatible with a range of vehicles, from lawn mowers and four wheelers to pickup trucks and skid steers to larger commercial vehicles like tractors, front end loaders and dump trucks. The height of the snowplow needs to match the height and capabilities of the vehicle it’s mounted on. It’s also important to keep in mind that taller snow plows generally weigh more than shorter ones, so you carrier (vehicle) needs to have the appropriate counterweight and power to accommodate the weight of the plow.
2. Snow Depth: In areas where snowfall is heavy, a taller snowplow might be necessary to effectively push deep snowdrifts without making multiple passes due to the snow spilling over top of the moldboard.
3. Length of Areas to Plow: Small areas like residential driveway or compact parking lots don’t require the same snow plow blade height as long stretch of land like roads or airport runways. Generally, you can get by with a significantly shorter moldboard on small areas, where taller plows have their place on the long stretches.
4. Visibility: Shorter snowplows provide better visibility for the operator, allowing them to see over the snowbank being pushed and improving safety.

What is the height range for snow plows?

Lawn Mower Snow Plow Heights

Most snow plows (aka front blades) for lawn tractors and zero turn mowers will range between 14 and 20 inches tall. These are generally the smallest snow plow heights due to the fact that the operators sit pretty close to the ground and pushing power of these machines are quite limited.

ATV Snow Plow Heights

Like lawn mowers, most 4 wheelers sit fairly low to the ground, so you’ll want a relatively short blade to see over the top of them. However, ATV’s often have larger and more aggressive tires than lawnmowers and therefore can get better traction on less than ideas surfaces. For that reason, they often generate better pushing power in winter conditions and can accommodate slightly larger plows. You’ll find that most ATV snow plows range from 16 to 24 inches in height.

Pickup Truck Snow Plow Heights

Like any other style of snow plow, snow blades intended for pickup trucks can vary in height depending on the specific model and manufacturer. However, they generally range from around 18 inches to 33 inches in height. With the higher vantage point of the vehicle, this height range allows them to clear snow while also providing adequate clearance for the vehicle’s front end and undercarriage.

Skid Steer Snow Plow Heights

Skid steer snow plows most often range between 24 and 36 inches in height. These plows are designed to take on much more grueling tasks than any of the previous plows – from farms to residential neighborhoods to commercial locations. KAGE Innovation has found that 32-inch-tall moldboards hit the sweet spot for most skid steers. That’s why it’s two models of skid steer snow plows, the SnowFire and the SnowFire BLAST, both utilize moldboards of this height.

Tractor Snow Plow Heights

Tractor snow plows have the largest range of blade heights as tractors are available in the largest range of sizes of any of the equipment – from sub compact tractors to massive farm tractors. Most tractor snow plows for commercial use, however, fall in the 24- to 48-inch height range. All of KAGE’s snow plows are designed to work on tractors. KAGE tractor snow plows range from 32 to 48 inches tall.

• SnowFire BLAST snow pusher – 32-inch moldboard height
• SnowFire 2-in-1 snow plow and pusher system – 32-inch moldboard height
• SnowStorm 2-in-1 snow plow and pusher system – 36-inch moldboard height
• SnowDozer 2-in-1 snow plow and plusher system – 48-inch moldboard height

Wheel Loader Snow Plow Heights

Like tractors, wheel loaders also have a large size range – though they tend to run on the larger end of the size spectrum due to their focus on commercial use and not so much for homeowners. These moldboards generally range from 30-48 inches tall, but due to the options for quite tall front end loaders, you can find loader snow plows with moldboards up to 60 inches tall.

Just as with the tractors, all of KAGE’s snow plows are designed to work on wheel loaders, so you’ll find KAGE wheel loader plows with heights of 32, 36 and 48 inches.

Dump Truck Snow Plow Heights

Highway snow plows are generally mounted on large trucks, such as dump trucks. These plows are designed to push for miles on end and have plenty of counterweight and power to back them up. Therefore, you’ll often find the largest snow plows for these types of vehicles and applications with most blades running between 36 and 60 inches in height. In some cases, even taller plows are needed.

In short, snow plow blades/moldboards can be found fairly easily with heights of 16-60 inches depending on what type of vehicle and use they are intended for.