Snow Plow Terms Explained: Plow Parts & Systems Glossary

When it comes to snow removal, understanding the parts of a snow plow can make all the difference in choosing, operating, and maintaining your equipment. This glossary of snow plow terms is a valuable resource for those new to snow removal, as well as seasoned professionals who need a simple refresher on important phrases. 

Here’s a deep dive into snow plow terminology. 

General Snow Plow Terms

It’s helpful to start with some basic snow plow terms like these:

• Snow Plow: A machine used to push snow off roadways, driveways, and parking lots 
• Snow Pusher: Typically wider and used for clearing large areas like broad driveways or parking lots 
• Box Plow: Another name for a “snow pusher.”
• V-Plow: Features a “V” shape and an adjustable blade angle to manage heavy snow or direct snow to one side
• Straight Plow: Has a fixed, straight blade that’s ideal for general-purpose snow clearing
• Wing Plow: An angled snowplow mounted to the side of a vehicle, extending the plow’s reach and allowing it to clear a wider path in one pass 
• Underbody Plow: Mounted under a truck or motor grader, this plow can be used for snow removal in winter and road maintenance in spring, summer, and fall. 
• One-Way Plow: Used on large government trucks, a one-way plow can only move snow in one direction.
• Reversible Plow: As an alternative to one-way plows, reversible plows are used on large government trucks to move snow in two directions as needed.
• Tow Plow: Typically used on highways, a trailer plow is towed behind a snow plow to efficiently clear additional lanes.

Start by learning these foundational snow plow terms so you can identify the right type of equipment for your intended use case. For example, a straight plow is the most economical choice for clearing out snow, whereas a V-plow offers better versatility. 

Snow Plow Parts & Accessories

Snow plows come with a lot of possible accessories and equipment add-ons. Here are some important terms to help you understand what you could add to your machine:

• Cutting Edge/Blade: Part that makes contact with the ground, moving snow and scraping surfaces 
• Plow Guard: Protective components for plow blade edges and snow plows that prevent excessive wear and damage to moldboards.
• Curb Guards: Plow guards designed to protect the blade and plow from curb impacts 
• Plow Shoes: Shoes or skid plates that prevent the blade from contacting the ground too aggressively 
• Plow Markers: Visible indicators that help operators keep an eye on the blade’s edge to reduce the risk of hitting curbs or obstacles 
• Controller: In-cab control system that allows operators to adjust the plow’s angle, height, and down-pressure 
• Deflector: Rubber or metal piece that mounts on top of the blade to control snow spray 
• Moldboard: Piece that guides the snow up and off the road or path 
• Hydraulics: Components that control the movement and angle of the plow blade, enabling precision manipulation of the edge 
• Plow Mount: Bracket system that attaches the plow to the vehicle 
• Angle Cylinder: Hydraulic cylinder that adjusts the angle of the plow blade 
• Wing Extensions: Additional wings that can be attached to extend the plow’s width    

Navigating these snow plow terms can be challenging due to the similarities between certain pieces of equipment, such as blade guards and curb guards. That’s why it’s important to consult with equipment experts like Winter Equipment to help you identify the right accessories for your fleet. 

Snow Plow Blades

Snow plows can be fitted with a variety of blades to suit different purposes. Here are some common snow plow terms related to blades: 

• All-in-One Blade Systems: Comprehensive system combining blades, plow guards, and mounting hardware
• Plow Guard: Piece that protects and extends the life of the plow blade by reducing wear
• Cover Blade: A steel plow blade that protects a carbide blade from impacts and cuts through both ice and hard packed snow
• Articulating Blade: Made up of small, movable pieces that self-adjust across uneven surfaces to clear better and reduce road salt usage
• Backer Blade: A backup blade meant to protect the plow if a rubber or polyurethane blade wears too far. Also provides stability to the primary blade.
• Serrated Blade: A blade with ridges that more aggressively cuts through ice and hard packed snow.
• Cutting Edge Segments: Smaller, lighter sections of cutting edge that reduce the risk of workplace injury.
• Interlocking Segments: Improves blade rigidity across the full plow when using segmented blades.
• Wear Indicators: Markings or gauges that show when it’s time to replace the cutting-edge
• Wear Bar: Cast steel filled with Impervium carbide added to the back of a blade to slow blade wear.
• Bolt-On Blade: Blade that can be easily removed or replaced via bolts
• Mounting Bolts: Hardware used to secure the blade to the plow
• Bolt Hole Pattern: The horizontal measurement between bolt holes on a plow
• Bolt Hole Gauge: The vertical measurement between the bolt hole and the top of the blade

Plow Blade Materials

Manufacturers design snow plow blades with a variety of materials. The right blade material (or combination of materials) can help a blade perform well in specific settings and keep it working smoothly for as long as possible.

• Carbide Insert: Extremely hard material used to slow blade wear.
• AR500 Steel: Grade of hardened steel used in plow blades that is more resistant to wear.
• Impervium Carbide: A carbide weld that provides similar wear resistance as tungsten carbide but with better ductility for increased impact resistance.
• Polyurethane Shock Absorbing Bushings: Polyurethane bolt hole bushings that reduce cabin road noise and reduce impacts to carbide inserts.
• Extruded Rubber Blades: Rubber blades extruded as one continuous piece of rubber, used to reduce road noise and prevent damage to plowed surfaces.
• Belted Rubber Blades: Layered rubber blades with reinforcement materials in between to reduce tearing and chunking. They also lower road noise and prevent damage to surfaces.
• Ceramic Inserts: Used in rubber blades to prevent jumping and chattering and increase wear resistance while preventing damage to surfaces.
• Polyurethane Blades: A plastic material used to prevent damage to surfaces that still offers some ability to cut through ice and hard packed snow.

Learning these snow plow terms will help you keep your blades in tip-top shape. Now, it’s time to look at some terms that address how you can actually use a snow plow. 

Using a Snow Plow

There are three essential terms you need to know when using a snow plow:

• Attack Angle: The angle at which the blade contacts the snow 
• Down Pressure: How much force is applied downward 
• Back Dragging: A technique for clearing snow by driving in reverse and pulling snow away from an area.

Setting the right attack angle helps you remove snow without overtaxing your vehicle or blade. You’ll also need to apply the right amount of down pressure to scrape away packed-in snow without damaging the underlying road surface. Too little pressure leads to inefficient clearance, and too much can eat up your blade and ruin the road.

Additional Snow Plow Terminology

The following last set of snow plow terms focuses on different techniques and challenges you may encounter this winter:

• Blade Height Adjustment: A feature of rubber cutting edges and perforated grader blades, adjustment allows more of the blade to be used.
• Ductility: High ductility means the blade can bend slightly without breaking
• Blade Alignment: Proper alignment reduces uneven wear and improves efficiency 
• Bolt Torque: Refers to the amount of rotational force applied to secure bolts on a snow plow, ensuring safe attachment and preventing bolt shearing.
• Uneven Wear: Occurs when one part of the edge wears faster than the rest of the edge. 
• Curb Damage: Damage to the plow moldboard or blade caused by impacting or scrapping along a curb without protective products 
• Premature Wear: Blade wear that occurs faster than expected, often following a pattern where blade ends wear through before the rest of the cutting edge.

Familiarizing yourself with this terminology can help you effectively relay any equipment challenges you encounter to experts like Winter Equipment. Once you understand which issues you are facing, we can make personalized product recommendations that maximize your fleet’s performance. 

Source High-Quality Parts From Winter Equipment 

Now that you know these important snow plow terms, it’s time to start shopping for equipment to upgrade your fleet. Don’t worry — you won’t have to navigate the world of snow plow equipment alone. The experts at Winter Equipment are here to help you find the plows and components that work best for your fleet. 

Contact Winter Equipment to speak with one of our pros.