Transcript
The SnowJobs Podcast: Here we go, Snow Jobs Nation. Steve and Jeremy are back bringing you another episode of the Arctic Army Roll Call powered by Arctic Snow and Ice Control Products. This one should be a good one, guys. We have a follow-up episode to the last one that everybody liked hearing about, but they wanted to hear some for some more from some more people. I can't talk tonight. Apologize.
The SnowJobs Podcast: ah The one we did about the Razorback where we myself, Jeremy, Andy Broughton, Steve Smythe, we all talked about what our thoughts were with our first season with the Razorback. You guys love that. You wanted to hear for some from some more boots on the ground and users out there. Arctic wanted to make that happen. So here we are.
The SnowJobs Podcast: So that was what we did last time. We gave it what we thought about it, our experiences. And tonight we have a bunch of guys here that will give you their own experiences with the Razorback. And we got some guys that have used the shit out of this plow this year. One guy has 550 hours estimated on this plow.
The SnowJobs Podcast: With over 200 inches of snow, you can do the math. It works out. It checks out. All right, so they're here to give us their experiences, ah tackle the good, the bad, everything in between.
The SnowJobs Podcast: And we're going to hear from them in a minute. but You know, here's the thing. Before we start, I really want to touch on this. Before we introduce these guys, one of the things I've always loved but also hate about Arctic is they just how long a new product gets tested before it becomes available to the end user, which is us. You know, from prototype to finished product out to the end user, it's five, six years sometimes, right, Jay? Yeah.
RICK JAMES: Oh yeah, yep, for sure.
The SnowJobs Podcast: and what but I mean, basically, but what that means for us is that means the product comes out and it's as close to a finished product as possible with as few kinks as possible because they've tested most of them out.
Richard Shields: Thank you.
The SnowJobs Podcast: But even then, once they release it to the wild, eventually we're all going to find little things here or there. And i that's what makes Artic great because they want to hear about it. They want to hear the honest feedback.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Tell us what doesn't work. Tell us how to make it better. And they listen and they they make it happen continuously. So that's why that's why they win. You know, that that's how you do business with snow.
The SnowJobs Podcast: You don't just rest on your laurels. You keep improving the product, keep making it better and better and listen to the guys that are using it because not everybody's going to use it the same way and have the same needs from the product. So, you know, that's, uh, that's what makes them great. And they do, uh,
The SnowJobs Podcast: Any problems that get brought to their attention, you can bet the head shed, the you know the the ah the thought process, the brains in there, they're all on it immediately and that they don't rest until they get it figured out. So it's great.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Tonight, like we said, we got some boots on the ground, guys. They're they're here to tell us how they did with their Razorback full kits this season. Give us their experiences. And just shoot the shit about snow. So tonight joining us, we have Richard Shields from Matheny Excavating. He's the guy that has an estimated 550 hours plowing with the racer back this season. He's from the Upper Peninsula, Michigan. So that's why.
The SnowJobs Podcast: you know Over 200 inches of snow. I think they had over 200 last year, he said. They were close to approaching a record this year. We got Nate Skarda from Skarda Supply, and we got he's in Wisconsin. We got Ryan Moore from Stonecast Landscapes up in Hamilton, Ontario.
The SnowJobs Podcast: So, guys, welcome to the show. How are you?
Ryan: Good, yeah.
Richard Shields: Yeah, doing good.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Good. Very good. Glad to have you guys. Glad to have you. So let's just get started. We'll start with Richard. I mean, give us your overall experience with the Razorback this year. How'd you, how'd you do?
Richard Shields: Yeah, it's been good. at It definitely scrapes good. You know, like the scrapes crazy. But, ah and it's, It's carries. I mean, it's been a good plow. It's held up well.
Richard Shields: I mean, obviously I broke some things, but, you know, first year out, I mean, I, I expected it when I, even when I talked about getting one, uh, you know, I knew that there was going to be some things that, you know, like test and tune, you know, so you if you want to find them, I guess you, you know, put it in front of my truck, I'll figure it out.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Sure. Yeah.
Richard Shields: You know, I mean, jeff Jeff's told me multiple times that I've been the first for tons of pictures I've sent to him. so but And speaking of Jeff, he's he's been great. You know, like I just pretty much talk to him exclusively, text him or call him, and and he's he's quick on it, you know, like that day within the hour usually.
Richard Shields: And, dude, he's great, yeah.
The SnowJobs Podcast: The man doesn't sleep. He does not sleep.
Richard Shields: Like sometimes I'll message him and I kind of feel bad because I know he's at home with his kids or whatever, but I'm like, you know, hey, I got this or that, and he's he's right on it, you know. One's in the mail or, you know, you know thinking about it with me, which is, it's, oh, yeah, yeah.
The SnowJobs Podcast: He tells you, though. He tells you bother him. He tells you, you know, immediately I want to know immediately.
RICK JAMES: Yeah.
Richard Shields: He's like, don't worry about it, you know, but, like, still, you know, I don't want, like, nobody wants to be texted at 2 in the morning, you know.
RICK JAMES: Yeah.
Richard Shields: It's like, my but, yeah, he's been great, and the plow, it's,
The SnowJobs Podcast: hear you.
RICK JAMES: All right.
The SnowJobs Podcast: But, I mean, I would expect if you guys are – if anybody's going to have issues on it and you're you're putting, like, most people at least, what, three years worth of hours in one year?
The SnowJobs Podcast: 550 hours a lot of hours.
Richard Shields: Yeah, I'm sure.
The SnowJobs Podcast: So that that's – you know, you're going to find the ah you're gonna find the the spots to break before anybody else, I would assume.
Richard Shields: Yeah.
Richard Shields: Oh, for sure. Like I said, I've gotten plenty of the, you're the first text. So, and, uh, you know, I don't know if that's good or bad, but, but it's held up.
RICK JAMES: Yeah.
Richard Shields: It's never let me down. ah You know, it's broke for sure. Like I broke some things, and broke some wings and I broke some bolts, but I mean, nothing, nothing that stopped me. So like, even when it was broke, it was a quick, quick cruise to the shop, throw a weld on or change a bolt and back out, you know, so.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Yep.
Richard Shields: And I mean, I've been doing this 12 years, I think now, or 13. So like, it's, it's nice to, to be able to rely on something to a point where it's a quick fix, at least where I'm not trying to change plows or, you know, do full rebuild pretty much.
RICK JAMES: Yeah.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Absolutely.
Richard Shields: So, I mean, it's been, it's been a good plow and yeah, that's like said, the scrape's awesome. Downforce is sweet. The headlights are perfect. Yeah.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Almost too bright.
Richard Shields: Like, dude, they're they're so good, though, because, like, I went from a boss with the LEDs that when it's snowing, it's like you're driving through a light show. And I don't know what Arctic did with the fly lights, but you can see forever, and they're just nice.
The SnowJobs Podcast: It's super bright, but the beam is a lot tighter than other LEDs I have.
Richard Shields: Yeah, and they're, like, a touch purple-ish. So i don't they don't throw the snow like an LED, you'd think, anyway, like a normal l LED, d anyway.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Yes.
Richard Shields: Yeah.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Yep. Very cool. Very cool. What about you, Nate? How did you guys make out with your Razorbacks?
Nate: Honestly, I can't speak on the headlights because, um, I got my razor back. We picked it up in March when it was 60 some degrees. It was sitting in the box and, uh, I had bought the first generation, um, retrofit kit and that was great.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Uh-huh.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Okay.
Nate: So I'm like, okay, i want to try this full kit. Well, I ordered a new truck. That's not going to be until August. And, all a sudden they were talking, we were gonna get 20 some inches of snow. Uh,
The SnowJobs Podcast: Thank you.
Nate: a couple of weeks ago, about three, four weeks ago. And, uh, I kept looking at that box, just sit there. And I'm like, I'm like, I got a truck.
Richard Shields: Yeah.
Nate: I can throw that on. And, uh, sure. Shit. The day before we, uh, we quick ran the wiring, um, uh, Saturday morning, uh, one of my guys put it together, um, a couple of things to do some minor stuff when I got back Saturday night.
Nate: And, uh, and then it ended up being like two and a half inches of rain. And then there was that half inch of rain or ice underneath the, We got about eight inches, but, um, uh, long story short, I ended up selling the retrofit kit as soon as the end of the season.
Nate: And I just, I'm getting another full kit just because of what it did with the scrape on the, on the ice was unbelievable.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Gotcha.
The SnowJobs Podcast: So what was your, you since you had the the retrofit kit and the full kit now, and you can speak to both of them, what was the the major takeaways between the two?
Nate: Uh, The retrofit kit, I mean, we ran that for three years. We never had any issues with it other than I kind of got desperate the one Sunday and I i put the the wife in it. And all of a sudden I come pulling up and and she's got the wing folded back on and angling the plow.
Nate: And you could see it. So i we she bent the the one wing a little bit. That was it.
The SnowJobs Podcast: one
Nate: Other than that, I mean, I love the way the retrofit kit scraped. And then just to try that full kit for that one storm, I'm like, yeah, sold.
The SnowJobs Podcast: yeah with the down pressure because the retro didn't have down pressure right
Nate: So, nope, nope. And, uh, and the Arctic factory, uh, they got hit with some strong winds or something. So I didn't have a headlight ah adapter.
The SnowJobs Podcast: oh
Nate: So, um, so I just ran it with the truck lights and, uh, I got flashed at a couple of times, whatever it's, we made it work.
Richard Shields: Yeah.
RICK JAMES: Yeah. Yeah. Yep.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Nice.
Nate: Turn the strobes on, act like you belong.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Nice.
Nate: Yeah.
RICK JAMES: yep
The SnowJobs Podcast: Ryan, how about you? What was your overall experience?
Ryan: mom
The SnowJobs Podcast: What would you say?
Ryan: I can definitely say I can attest to the headlights. um Lots of people flashing me back saying, you know, turn those suckers off. um I never had ah an issue with ah really anything to do with my plow besides like some loose lines and stuff. um just Just due to shipping, they shipped it in parts um because of the tariffs and stuff up here.
Ryan: But um ah other than that, you know, it was it was a fantastic plow. the the The down pressure was absolutely phenomenal. um You know, the individual m mold boards, um they're a game changer.
Ryan: um when you're When you're able to get on a sidewalk, plow that sidewalk, not barely even get out of your truck half the time, um you know, you're saving time, you're saving money. the The plow is paying for itself over and over again, right?
Ryan: i I will say that ah I think they are revolutionizing truck plows. You know, I've had a lot of people up my way.
RICK JAMES: Yes.
Ryan: They're they're not as popular up here. So I've had a lot of people stopping me. How do you like that thing? We've seen it on TikTok. You know, I got to give them the full breakdown, give them a show and everything. ah And, ah you know, I'm pretty sure I'm one of the only guys in the Niagara-Hamilton region that has one because I haven't seen another one.
The SnowJobs Podcast: nice
Richard Shields: Yeah, I agree with you on that. We don't have any up here either.
Ryan: Oh, really?
The SnowJobs Podcast: Yeah, they definitely stop you.
Richard Shields: Every time I go to the gas station, oh, what plow is that? Or how's that been work?
Ryan: definitely. Yeah.
Richard Shields: Or, you know, yeah, it's kind of neat, you know.
Ryan: oh definitely yeah
The SnowJobs Podcast: Yeah, I said that on the last show. I said that, like, I've never had so many people stop and watch me plow a parking lot.
Richard Shields: Yeah.
The SnowJobs Podcast: And like this one lot that we do, we do a ah a hall, like a church, and it's like a three-acre lot. And every storm, at least two plow trucks would stop while I'm plowing, just watch.
The SnowJobs Podcast: like And the one guy drove in, and he's like he was very careful to come in the area that was already plowed. And he got out of his truck, walked over. He's like, dude, what the hell is that thing?
Richard Shields: that Yeah. Yeah.
The SnowJobs Podcast: I'm like, it's an Arctic Razorback.
RICK JAMES: Yep. Mm-hmm.
The SnowJobs Podcast: He goes, what the hell is an Arctic? I'm like, you don't know Arctic? He goes, no, i just plowed with my boss for 25 years. He was an older guy. And I'm like, dude you got to look it up. like get ah He goes, that thing's incredible.
The SnowJobs Podcast: He goes, holy shit. I'm yeah, no. He goes, I've never seen a scrape like that. I'm like, well, there you go. That's hard. I did have, the only time the headlights were too bright was when we had the one big storm. I was telling Jeremy, we had like three inches an hour snowfall rate with giant flakes for like four or five hours.
The SnowJobs Podcast: And it was like whiteout conditions. And I actually shut all the lights off on the truck at night. I was driving just without lights at all because you just couldn't see anything.
Richard Shields: Yeah.
The SnowJobs Podcast: It was just too big a whiteout.
Richard Shields: Sometimes the moonlight's the best. you get on them side streets, you see the trees.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Yep, 100%.
Richard Shields: That's it. Just hope nobody's coming.
RICK JAMES: Yep.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Yep, you can tell where the road is just fine.
Richard Shields: Yeah. Yeah. yeah
The SnowJobs Podcast: But, yeah, that was it, man. But that's pretty cool that you guys all had great experiences. So what worked well? We'll go back around there. ah So, Richard, what worked well? What were you super impressed with?
Richard Shields: um mostly the wing power, like the cylinder power, like they don't ever fold back.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Mm-hmm.
Richard Shields: I was expecting them to fold back. Cause I had, uh, I had like the boss back drag and like the, the original one, like they would open up, you know?
Richard Shields: So you had to be super careful when you went around cars and stuff. Cause like they would open up and I kind of expected that with the, with the wings to, to be cautious, more cautious than I needed to be, I guess.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Okay.
Richard Shields: And, uh, they don't ever move like them wings, the cylinder on that wing is it's there wherever you set it. I don't care. You can run through ice, snow, whatever that wings stay in where you put it.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Yeah.
The SnowJobs Podcast: No,
Richard Shields: And, uh, that was probably the most impressive for me.
Nate: Mm-hmm.
Richard Shields: And then the mold boards, like he was like, uh, sorry.
The SnowJobs Podcast: right no you're good.
Richard Shields: I'm, uh, like ah the mold board flex. So like we don't have any nice parking lots up here. You know, we get winner all year pretty much. And then, you know, there's no time to fix them. So they're bad.
Richard Shields: And, uh, the The float of the mold boards is nice, and it's just like it always is in contact. And then like the fact that you could almost run over grass with it and it doesn't rip anything up, it's very surprising.
Richard Shields: I was ah impressed at the float over the grass without murdering the yards, and the wing power probably the top two for me.
RICK JAMES: Yeah.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Very cool.
RICK JAMES: yes
The SnowJobs Podcast: What about you, Nate?
Nate: I would say, so we do some quarries, some stone quarries, and we got to go across truck scales. And these truck scales have steel barriers on each side and they're they're tight.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Okay.
The SnowJobs Podcast: I got you.
Nate: And, um you know, when when I send a truck over there to with a wide out, which is what we always ran, you'd sit there and you're you're screwing around back and forth and back and forth trying to scrape all the snow off of that steel platform.
Nate: And the first time, even with the retrofit kit, You know, you fold the wings back, drop the plow, the way that the shoes float, you go right over that lip from the scale to the asphalt and nothing.
Nate: And, I mean, obviously you're not using down pressure, but um it's still, it it would scrape it clean because they were real anal about, you know, a truck sliding on that scale.
The SnowJobs Podcast: my
The SnowJobs Podcast: Sure.
Nate: And so it had to be clean and we can't, you can't salt it obviously because it's steel.
Richard Shields: Oh.
Nate: So yeah, no, it, uh,
RICK JAMES: Oh.
Nate: I'm very impressed. Definitely cut down time-wise. We try not to run trucks. but
The SnowJobs Podcast: What about you, Ryan? Nate will come back.
Ryan: for For me, um it it definitely the thing that stood out the most for me, um you know, the mold boards and everything are great, but it's the down pressure back drag for me.
Nate: Shit.
Nate: Yeah.
Ryan: The way the wings form a box in reverse, right? Like a lot of the times you're trying to back on a road, there's traffic, you know, and I don't even do that anymore.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Yep.
Ryan: i pull it in and then I turn around, right? um One time this winter, I had ah one of the newer guys, he put some snow where he shouldn't have. And instead of bringing a ah bobcat, i was like, you know what?
Ryan: Let's see what this thing's got. I pulled all that snow out slowly out of a big pile.
Richard Shields: Yeah.
Ryan: I moved it around and I was like, I sent a picture to ah my general manager and he's like, how'd you move that so nicely? Like there was such a big pile. i was like, razorback, buddy.
Ryan: i was like, I told you, this is why we bought it.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Yep.
Richard Shields: Mm-hmm.
RICK JAMES: Yep.
Ryan: This is why we shipped it up here. umd I'd seen the videos on TikTok and I was like, I need this piece of innovative equipment, right? I need to use it. I need to put it to the test. um If there's any way to save time, we all know, right?
Ryan: um When it's snowing, time is everything, right?
The SnowJobs Podcast: Oh, yeah.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Yep.
RICK JAMES: yep
The SnowJobs Podcast: Absolutely. Nate, you back?
Nate: Yes, sir. Yeah, and then the other thing, too.
The SnowJobs Podcast: ah hurry what
Ryan: yeah
Nate: I mean, you go up, don't know, it was a phone call. Probably a spam, who knows. But um ah going up to a curb, to me, that's huge. That's just, first time, even with the with the retrofit kit, angled, trying to pull all the snow away from the curb.
Nate: And all of sudden, went, God, that that pole's kind of sitting a little screwy. And I didn't realize that the wing literally just walked right up the curb. and Because you couldn't you couldn't feel it.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Oh, yeah.
Nate: You know, and I mean, I only went probably 10 feet and then I dropped it back down, but but even going up and pushing up against the curb, you know, we're we're all curb to curb when they they want it clean because, you know, they're using every parking space.
Nate: And um you you go up, you bump that plow to the curb, you lift it a little bit, and it just walks right over.
RICK JAMES: Yep.
RICK JAMES: Right.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Yes, it does.
Nate: You know, and I mean, a wide out, a boss, I've had them all that, yeah, you you try to do that and you just watch that moldboard just fold, you know.
RICK JAMES: Yeah, for sure.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Yep.
Richard Shields: and There's nothing worse than catching that whole plow on the return.
Nate: Yeah.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Yes.
Ryan: yeah
RICK JAMES: Right.
Richard Shields: You can change all your cup holders.
Nate: Yeah.
RICK JAMES: right
The SnowJobs Podcast: Oh, man. So what what do you guys feel will go around again? And they want to know this. What do you guys feel they could improve on it? Anything for next year that they could improve?
Richard Shields: I'd love to see more of a full box for carriage purposes.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Okay.
Richard Shields: Like I said, I went from like the big, uh, yeah, I want to be able push a mountain in front of me.
The SnowJobs Podcast: So the wing's going straight forward.
Richard Shields: You know, uh, I went from the full box back blade. So you put that in a good box and throw it in reverse. You can push a mountain up over your tailgate. And I'd love to see it do that over my hood, you know, but I don't, you know, it's, uh, yeah.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Yep, that would be a pretty big cylinder throw um' there to get that to happen.
Richard Shields: yeah
RICK JAMES: Yeah.
The SnowJobs Podcast: But yeah, that that that'd be interesting. That would definitely be interesting to do. But I tell you, I didn't. When we had the couple mega storms here, and there were some lots that we just we knew they weren't going to be open, so we left them alone to service our tier one stuff more often.
The SnowJobs Podcast: And I was pushing mountains. Like, i sent I sent Jeff and John a picture, and the snow I'm able to – I was surprised how high I was able to stack with that –
Richard Shields: The stacking is good. Yeah, I agree.
The SnowJobs Podcast: stacking really good and it it pushes a lot of snow like i had i had to like do a double take a couple times where i was like did i really just take that kind of volume with the wings forward like it really you know typical arctic it keeps all that snow moving out in front of the plow instead of losing it off the sides
Nate: Oh.
Richard Shields: Yeah. yeah
RICK JAMES: Yep.
Richard Shields: Right.
RICK JAMES: Yep.
Richard Shields: Yeah, it's kind of sad you can't see it, you know?
The SnowJobs Podcast: yes it's true
Richard Shields: like It's like you blow your hood, so you don't even know until you get to the bank. You're like, am I doing anything? And then you're like, damn, that's pretty good.
The SnowJobs Podcast: yeah
The SnowJobs Podcast: 100% what about you Nate anything else they could improve on it for next year okay
Nate: Yeah, make a make a plow Razorback for a 33,000 GVW single axle truck.
Richard Shields: Yeah.
Nate: That would be nice.
RICK JAMES: Yep.
The SnowJobs Podcast: so a heavy duty okay and there yep it is yep
Nate: That would, yeah, yeah, that would be nice.
RICK JAMES: Yep. well
Nate: But no, I mean, I teamed that up like like that Razorback. I teamed it up with the LD13 and it's almost identical. You know what I mean? Yeah. Yeah, they, you know, where the LD 13 can't get in the truck pulls it out.
Nate: No problem. And, and again, you know, uh, to me, the down pressure just, just huge. And I didn't even adjust the down pressure. I don't, you know, I didn't spend enough time with it that if I played with it a little bit, I'll bet you I could even get it better.
Nate: You know, um, just, just however they have it set.
RICK JAMES: Yeah.
Nate: I don't know if they set it to a specific, um, you know, PSI at a you know, so, um, but yeah, it's, it's great.
The SnowJobs Podcast: gotcha all right cool so wings all the way forward for a pusher box and we got a heavy duty truck version ryan round it out what could they improve for next year
Richard Shields: Yeah.
Ryan: Uh, you know, like I, I think for the most part, like when we're talking about truck plows, right? Like we have tractors, loaders, graders, you know, we, we run a little bit of everything. And, uh, in terms of a truck plow, I really think they've hit the nail on the head. I would agree with, uh, you know, if, if for some reason they could figure out that geometry and make those wings go fully forward, I would agree with that statement. Like that would be super nice. Um,
Ryan: I've, I've had tons of snow in front of the thing far more than my wide outs or bosses. Um, you know, especially when it was packing snow, i was, I was carrying a lot the one night was like, I'm going to break this truck, but I want to see.
Ryan: Right. I was like, you know, it's under warranty still.
RICK JAMES: Right.
Ryan: So we'll see, ah you know, I had, have I have a one parking lot. That's probably like, it's probably good, like a half kilometer long. Right. So I just went down the middle of it and picked up as much of that, uh, nice damp snow as possible.
Ryan: And, uh, i'm spinning tires near the end i was like oh no but um yeah like in terms of improvement i mean um i think you can only do so much with a truck on a plow right unless you're going to um like richard said a back plate or something right when we're talking about being on the front of our trucks i think um you know maybe maybe small little things here and there but uh nothing significant in my eyes
The SnowJobs Podcast: yep
RICK JAMES: Yeah.
The SnowJobs Podcast: yeah that's awesome that's great what do you got jay you got anything for these guys
RICK JAMES: Yeah, I mean, these we all talk about these Razorbacks all season, how great they've been. And obviously, these guys put plenty hours on them. And they're pretty much echoing everything we've heard from everybody is what they do. you know they're i mean, everybody's heard about the few you know hoses, stuff like that.
RICK JAMES: but
The SnowJobs Podcast: yep
RICK JAMES: it's, it's, that happens. It is what it is. But as far as the performance of the blade, everybody comes up with the same thing. The thing scrapes like a, it's an Arctic. It scrapes like a normal, like a, like you got on a wheel loader.
RICK JAMES: It cleans fast.
Richard Shields: Yep.
RICK JAMES: I mean, you're cutting time in half of normal pickup plows. So it's, I don't know.
The SnowJobs Podcast: At least, at least half.
RICK JAMES: It's, Yeah, at least. and And it's like they like a Ryan Richard said, he goes, you know, he broke some things or whatever. And it's an Arctic. Arctic are simple to fix.
RICK JAMES: They're they're they're not there. Nothing too complicated about them to fix them. You know, some breaks you bring back to shopping. You usually get a going pretty quick. You know, if you break poly block or i don't know, we've we've done that.
RICK JAMES: But we didn't break any of our Razorbacks this year. But I mean, but we do plenty of it
The SnowJobs Podcast: Dude, i don't care what I don't care what you're using, what brand it is. You put 550 hours on any piece of snow equipment in those conditions, you're going to have things that break here and there. Like, you know?
RICK JAMES: How many sets of edges did you wear out of them?
Richard Shields: Oh, for sure.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Yeah, was that was my question.
Richard Shields: um ah that's other The stock edge is still. So this is my this is the first year I've had it.
RICK JAMES: Whoa.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Okay.
Richard Shields: So this is like I ordered the full kit and I think we got it right before snowing. So like early November.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Okay.
Richard Shields: And so I'm still on the... the The wing wing blades are getting close, but the mains look brand new still. So the wings took a little bit of grinding down, but the, but the three mold boards, they still look brand new.
RICK JAMES: Holy.
Richard Shields: And, uh, yeah, as far as you're saying about poly blocks, I didn't have any problems with poly blocks at all. Like them things, those are awesome.
RICK JAMES: Yeah.
Richard Shields: Like in, uh, uh, as far as like hitting the curb and stuff, like you don't even know you hit the curb until your wheels touch, you know, like the, until the truck moves, you don't even know that it happened.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Yeah.
RICK JAMES: Yeah.
Richard Shields: And mine, the the bolts, I just mostly broke like the lift cylinder bolts, which is just a bolt, you know?
RICK JAMES: Yeah.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Yeah.
Richard Shields: So it was, you know, it was like, oh, I broke a bolt, you know, like said, run back to the shop. And within 15, 20 minutes, I'm back to what I was doing.
RICK JAMES: yeah
The SnowJobs Podcast: Dude, I tried. I was under orders to try and break the blocks, and I couldn't break the block.
Richard Shields: Yeah. Yeah.
RICK JAMES: like I didn't hear anybody break a block on a Razorback this year, at least at least the people I talked to.
The SnowJobs Podcast: No.
RICK JAMES: no one's known bro i was i was more talking about our normal or or other articles that we – but as for Razorbacks, I didn't hear anybody that really broke ah girl one that I know of.
The SnowJobs Podcast: sure but but you would expect that like i would honestly jeremy i would expect to have broken blocks more on a razorback where guys and trucks are ramming piles rather than you know with the loaders at least like i would expect to have the impact because i know i hit piles really hard and i'm like man this truck's gonna break before i break a block like i can't push it much harder
Richard Shields: yeah
Richard Shields: yeah you yeah yeah when your max speeds over 25 things things happen you know
RICK JAMES: Probably, yeah.
The SnowJobs Podcast: yeah Well, you get complacent with how fast you can actually clear. And it's just the truck is not feeling it because the the snow is constantly rolling forward.
Richard Shields: yeah
The SnowJobs Podcast: So you're able to go so much faster. And then that pile comes up really quick. ah You run out of room really fast.
Richard Shields: yeah
The SnowJobs Podcast: You're like, oh shit.
Richard Shields: yeah
The SnowJobs Podcast: Oh, man.
RICK JAMES: Uh-huh.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Yeah, it's it's it's been good. I have no complaints. the only The only couple things you were hearing from guys on the internet, and you know it's guys on the internet, but they were talking about loose hoses and stuff.
The SnowJobs Podcast: mark My guy Mark put that together. it came in the crate. He put it together, and he did it exactly per the instructions on the video, the right torque and everything, and we didn't lose a drop of fluid the entire season. And like I said, I beat the crap out of that thing on purpose. That was that was my marching orders. so you know that Try and break it.
The SnowJobs Podcast: We'll fix it.
Richard Shields: hey
RICK JAMES: How many Razorbacks do you guys all have in your fleets or just one a piece?
Richard Shields: Yeah.
RICK JAMES: Are you planning to get more of an extra then or what what are you thinking?
Richard Shields: This is our our first like well then know the first year for the full kit. and Yeah, I don't know.
RICK JAMES: Yep.
Richard Shields: It's hard to say. you know it's like i would love to get see some more in the fleet, but it's it's also so hard because we have you know seven bosses sitting around now. you know So it's like... you know, the next time we need a new plow, then I would for sure talk them into another one, you know?
RICK JAMES: Yep.
RICK JAMES: Yeah.
The SnowJobs Podcast: you guys ah You guys okay with a couple listener questions?
Ryan: Yeah, for sure.
Richard Shields: Yeah.
Ryan: Yeah.
The SnowJobs Podcast: All right. pretty couple pretty simple ones for because they knew regular guys were coming on here. Is this worth the money?
Ryan: Definitely.
Nate: Yes. Yeah.
Ryan: one hundred percent. Yeah. Like, um, I, I mostly run a fleet of Westerns.
Nate: Mm-hmm.
Ryan: We do have the, uh, the one boss floating around from way back when that just, uh, you know, it's on its last leg basically now, but, um,
The SnowJobs Podcast: That's what we do.
Ryan: the the The slight price difference you're going to make up in salt savings. You're going to make up in time saved. Definitely. Right. And um like you guys were saying, like it it just doesn't break. You know, I had problems with my Westerns, but even brand new Westerns, Westerns that were less than 500 hours.
Ryan: And I've probably put about half of what Richard did. Right. I'm probably around the 250 mark. And mine never broke, right? I had a couple of loose lines, but maybe that's because whoever assembled it didn't follow the the instructions like you were saying, right?
Ryan: And once I realized this was an issue and I tightened it up and everything, um it was no longer an issue, right?
The SnowJobs Podcast: Yep.
RICK JAMES: Mm-hmm.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Yep. 100%. What about you guys?
Richard Shields: Yeah, I agree with Ryan for sure.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Anything else?
Richard Shields: It's definitely, uh, definitely worth it. I think, uh, just, just like you said, like, uh, the efficiency. So like, you know, what you would take it, cut your time in half at least.
Richard Shields: So like, if you, if you take your whole day and cut it in the half, I mean, you're, you're paying for it.
The SnowJobs Podcast: At least.
Richard Shields: And like the, like you said, the full kit of ah any, any plow for that matters, it's not that much different versus, you know,
The SnowJobs Podcast: Yeah.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Yeah. And I honestly, i still say I think we're lowballing it by saying half. I think it's actually more than half.
Richard Shields: yeah Yeah, it definitely could be.
The SnowJobs Podcast: In my experience, even on the metric system, it's definitely more than half.
Richard Shields: And like, not only,
The SnowJobs Podcast: 100%.
Richard Shields: yeah not not even with just the with just the plow, but the amount of salt you need afterwards.
Ryan: Shots fired.
RICK JAMES: Yeah. Right.
Richard Shields: So, you know, you're cutting your time in half or more, and then you don't have to salt half as much.
The SnowJobs Podcast: hundred percent
RICK JAMES: right
The SnowJobs Podcast: that was the That was actually question number four. Did you see salt savings when when using the
Nate: Absolutely.
Richard Shields: Yeah, I mean, yeah.
Ryan: So I think we, oh, go ahead.
Richard Shields: Go ahead, Ryan, go ahead.
Ryan: Okay. Well, i think we've said it a couple times already. Like we, we were literally scraping ice up a couple of us, right? We were seeing ice, we were scraping up, you know, frozen ice off of these lots, which is beyond impressive when you're talking about truck plows, right?
Ryan: Like um it's, it's up there in comparison with like a metal plus on a loader or something, right? It's,
RICK JAMES: Right. Right.
Ryan: it's ah It's following the contours of the asphalt. And ah i would I would say, yeah, you're you're laying probably ah anywhere from 30% to 40% less salt, if not more.
RICK JAMES: right
The SnowJobs Podcast: Nate, you had something? Mm-hmm.
Nate: Yeah, I mean, i I put it on the F600. It had a full load of salt on it. And everybody's done that where, you know, you're angling off a parking lot and at the end, you're not pushing right up to the pile until you get to the end. And you're just, keep you keep driving over the snow and driving over the snow. and And I kind of purposely just took one track and just kept driving over that same track just to just to see if I could get it to pop. And it did it. I mean, with even without down pressure, it, you know, just the attack angle on the blade, Uh, it, it popped it right up.
Nate: And, um, and then I, I came back and put down pressure and it took that, that last little quarter inch and just shaved it right off clean. So, yeah, I mean, it's, it's, it's, the scrape is, is worth it.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Awesome.
RICK JAMES: let Let me ask you guys this.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Gotcha. Go ahead, Jay.
RICK JAMES: if what what a what got What led you guys to get the Razorbacks? Did you have Artex in your fleet before and you just wanted that in your pickup flu on your pickup? Or what led you to to buy that Razorback?
Richard Shields: I was waiting for Nate.
RICK JAMES: Any bit.
Ryan: Yeah.
Richard Shields: um
The SnowJobs Podcast: Okay.
Richard Shields: ah Well, we have a couple guys that run, not us, but like around town that run the Artics on their loaders. And I've always, you know, I've always seen them, you know, to wherever they're plowing. And I'm like, those things scrape crazy good, you know?
Richard Shields: and then I seen a few videos online of them on the, on the truck.
RICK JAMES: Mm-hmm.
Richard Shields: And I was like, that thing's cool. You know, maybe, yeah i could get that and eliminate the back blade which the back blade is awesome but like i drove ton of roads in reverse because we used to plow the casino here in town and i would have to run the entire road in reverse because like that's when it pushed the most snow and uh so like in my in my mind i was like man like that's combining both of the best you know like take the front and the back and just smash them together and you know you have an arctic razorback so
The SnowJobs Podcast: Mm-hmm.
Richard Shields: I mean, obviously the back blade is a little bit bigger, but I have to drive in reverse. So the ability to drive forward and push just as much snow was awesome.
RICK JAMES: All right.
Richard Shields: So when i seen that they were finally coming out with like the full kit ready to go, i was like, yeah, well, we got to try it for sure.
RICK JAMES: Yeah.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Gotcha. What about you guys?
Nate: Yeah, no, mine was just the experience with the with the retrofit kit. um And that I kind of bought last minute right before the season, um just because I had ordered that truck right before COVID.
Nate: And the box took 53 weeks to come in. And that truck sat there, cabin chassis.
Richard Shields: Mm-hmm.
Nate: And 53 weeks later, the box shows up, it's the wrong box. and ah and And the guy says, well, going to put it on and then we'll get you the right box ordered.
The SnowJobs Podcast: jesus
Nate: So I was just, you know, I was sick of that that whole truck experience. And I went, ah, screw it. I'm like, I'm just going to put that that wide out on it. And we had an early storm. I plowed once with that wide out. And, you know, when you're going around around corners and that, and and your back tires are are driving over to snow. And I said, nah, I'm to get a wide out XL. And then I stumbled on that that retrofit kit. And I'm like, oh, screw it. I got that frame. I'm going to try it.
Nate: So, um yeah, once the full kit came out, it was, It was when the new truck's coming, then that'll go on that. And then there'll be another full kit for the 22. So, yeah.
Nate: so
RICK JAMES: So
The SnowJobs Podcast: Nice. What about you, Ryan?
Ryan: um for For me, yeah, it was mostly like TikTok, Facebook, Stanley Dirt Monkey, right? um
The SnowJobs Podcast: Mm-hmm.
Ryan: I'm sure we've all seen his videos. ah The second I seen that, you know, ah my lazy ass don't got to get out of the truck and I can plow half the sidewalks in my ah line of sight, um I was like, that's it.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Yep.
Ryan: It's time to go get this bad boy and, you know, the stay in my warm truck and the clean the sidewalks at the same time, right?
The SnowJobs Podcast: No. Is that not the ultimate sales video? Just do a 30-second clip of you clearing the sidewalk and four feet of the parking lot.
Richard Shields: I'm sorry.
Nate: Yeah.
Ryan: Yeah, like i've I've had those mold boards flexing too.
RICK JAMES: Yeah.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Like, oh, sold.
RICK JAMES: yeah
The SnowJobs Podcast: ah
Ryan: Like I've had them, ah you know, moving like eight inches apart, nine inches apart from each other on some pretty ah tall curbs. And ah the the one time I got them stuck on each other, but i I just, you know, I pushed a curb and they kind of like just popped right back into place.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Mm-hmm.
Ryan: i was like, oh no, what have I done? I took it too far.
Richard Shields: a
Ryan: And and then, you know, I was like, i'm going to push this curb and I'll just pop back to normal. was like, oh, sweet. On to the next one, right?
The SnowJobs Podcast: Thank God.
Richard Shields: okay yeah i kind of wanted to do that to my plow i get it to kick over sideways but i've never seen it i've seen it on the stanley video where they had it crooked crooked and underlapped but i've never been able to get my plow to do that yeah yeah
Ryan: it
The SnowJobs Podcast: i didn't want to show you. That's great.
Nate: Oh.
RICK JAMES: okay yep
Ryan: easy Easy fix. Just go smack a curb real quick and it goes right back to where it should be.
Richard Shields: yeah I just kind of wanted to see it, though.
RICK JAMES: ye
Richard Shields: I never It never did it for me.
Ryan: Yeah.
The SnowJobs Podcast: I think the the most impressive thing for me was like what Nate was saying. When there was a couple sidewalks due to ah due to like no parking signs or handicap signs being right in the middle of the sidewalk, you can't go down the sidewalk laterally. So you have to like back drag it out. So you drop that thing. Even if your truck is not perfectly straight, you just angle it till it's till the blade is straight on the on the sidewalk. And it just drops that thing straight down and you lose, you leave no snow behind.
The SnowJobs Podcast: You come right off the curb, it cleans the curb and you just keep going and you're coming clean the whole time.
Richard Shields: Yeah.
The SnowJobs Podcast: That was like so impressive to me because that's always the bugaboo with truck plows right there, you know. you shovel the sidewalk out into the, into the parking lot. And then you're end up on your first pass.
The SnowJobs Podcast: No matter, unless you shovel it five feet away from the curb, you're still pushing it back. No matter what you do with a regular blade, you know, some of it's still going back up on the curb and you got to get out of it. It's fucking constant dance.
Richard Shields: yeah
The SnowJobs Podcast: So that was, that was the most impressive thing. Just leaving nothing. Everything was one pass, basically set it and forget it. It was, it was great.
Richard Shields: Mm-hmm.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Let's see. What else do we have?
Nate: watch the videos on how to put it on and take it off.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Yeah. Yeah.
Nate: I didn't, my guy put it on. I took it off two weeks ago and I'm used to the Western where the head gear all stays up, you know?
Ryan: you
Nate: And, and, uh, so I unplugged the plow in the truck and, um, I start backing up and all of see the head gear kind of lift and just drop. And I'm like, oh shit, where was that other plug?
The SnowJobs Podcast: oops
Nate: And, uh,
RICK JAMES: yeah
The SnowJobs Podcast: ah
Nate: So when Jeff asked me to do this, I'm like, absolutely, because I'll be i'll be getting ahold of you here in a couple of weeks cause I might need a harness. So.
The SnowJobs Podcast: oh geez that's too funny uh what did you guys think of the um what did you think of the control box on the headgear there with how everything was laid out in there did anybody have to refill fluid
Richard Shields: Yeah.
Nate: Yeah, I did.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Okay, so that, how easy is that compared to the, like, you know what your level is, you can see right into the tank, two screws loose, and you tilt it.
Nate: It's so easy. And and I mean,
The SnowJobs Podcast: So easy.
Nate: I didn't even want to run back to the shop. I had a couple of quarts in the back of the truck or in the cab of the truck just in case, but I didn't have a funnel. So I i stopped at Napa on Monday morning. You know, we were floating around Monday morning, stopped at Napa, grabbed a funnel with a little flexible hose.
Nate: Don't have to turn it, nothing. Drop it down, fill it up and go. it's It's slick.
Richard Shields: Yeah, the clear crank is nice. That's ah that's a winner for sure.
RICK JAMES: Yeah, definitely.
Nate: Yeah.
Ryan: Yeah, i'd I'd say the whole setup was like very simplistic, you know, um when you originally see the plow, you're like, man, all these moving parts, you know, generally you think something here is going to break or it's going to break more because of all the moving parts.
The SnowJobs Podcast: sweet
Ryan: But when you really start combing over it, you realize just how simplistic it is. And it's just been well thought out, right?
Nate: Yeah.
RICK JAMES: yeah, those guys,
The SnowJobs Podcast: oh very well thought out yes you can actually grease it without taking it off
Nate: And you can actually grease it.
RICK JAMES: Blake and his team. that's for sure.
Ryan: yeah
Richard Shields: Yeah, yeah.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Oh my gosh.
RICK JAMES: So, no, that's good.
The SnowJobs Podcast: That's crazy.
RICK JAMES: But Elsie, got any other listener questions?
The SnowJobs Podcast: Yeah. Any, um, they kind of answered the other three that I had picked. They kind of answered them in their course of answering their other questions. So, um, so season takeaways, like what did you guys learn any lessons as far as Razorback use, you know, uh, or how it changed your approach, you know, to how you're plowing.
Nate: Don't give it to the wife.
Ryan: yeah
The SnowJobs Podcast: Don't give it to the wide. I mean, that's rule number one.
Richard Shields: Yeah. Rule number one.
The SnowJobs Podcast: What was rule number one? You're asking for it.
Richard Shields: Yeah.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Yep. ah
Ryan: um i I would say it's like in some aspects it's changed the way I plow things sometimes, right?
Richard Shields: Yeah.
The SnowJobs Podcast: ah
Ryan: Like I said earlier, I'm now back scraping entrances. I'm not backing out onto the road as much, right?
RICK JAMES: Oh, yeah.
Ryan: And even that in itself, sometimes you're waiting two, three minutes for traffic to clear if you can back out, push the entrance. I'm now pulling it in, right?
The SnowJobs Podcast: ye
Ryan: I don't even think about backing on the road. I'm oh, I'm pulling this in. It's daylight, right? And, um you know, just like even even when you're back dragging like loading docks and stuff like um I've just noticed over time that, you know, some of my habits have changed the way I go about things because now I'm able to apply that down pressure.
RICK JAMES: Mm-hmm.
Ryan: I'm able to backtrack significantly better than a Western or boss. Right.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Yep.
Nate: Yeah.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Yep.
RICK JAMES: OK.
Nate: And the hydraulics are very smooth, like on the function for the wings and the even the drop.
The SnowJobs Podcast: They are.
Nate: I mean, you know, you guys got Westerns, you know, with the chain, it's, you know, yep.
Ryan: Oh, yeah.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Yeah.
Ryan: Right to the pavement.
Richard Shields: Too
The SnowJobs Podcast: Yeah.
Nate: Boom. I'm waking the neighbors up. Yeah.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Did you get what did you get? Jeff called me one day out of the blue. He says, hey, how long have you been plowing right now? I'm like, I'm on like hour 12. He goes, how's your thumb?
The SnowJobs Podcast: I'm like, fine, why?
Richard Shields: hard.
The SnowJobs Podcast: He goes, I got i got this guy saying that like his thumb is like paralyzed. he's gone completely numb. the The keypad is too hard. I'm like, I don't know, man.
The SnowJobs Podcast: I haven't had a problem with it. I'm used to the Western controllers. so I don't know. i'm i'm not is Is he putting a death grip on it to try and get it into down pressure? I don't know. i was like um umm I'm not experiencing any numbness in my thumb, but did you guys experience anything?
Ryan: It's...
Nate: Yeah.
Ryan: it's
Nate: Tell him to sit on it for a little while before he plows.
The SnowJobs Podcast: anything
Nate: Yeah.
Richard Shields: hello
The SnowJobs Podcast: I'm not.
RICK JAMES: Yeah.
Richard Shields: Yeah. um
RICK JAMES: but
Richard Shields: On the controller, though, I do think that the controller is very simple.
RICK JAMES: a
The SnowJobs Podcast: It is.
Richard Shields: Like, in my mind, you know, because, like I said, we ran bosses for the last 12 years. And so I was used to that. You guys you Western guys, they're probably nothing to you because they're almost the same remote, right?
RICK JAMES: I don't know.
Nate: Yeah, but I kept double tapping.
The SnowJobs Podcast: They are. Yep.
Richard Shields: I do want to double tap for the float.
Ryan: Yeah, they, uh,
Nate: You know,
The SnowJobs Podcast: Yep. That took me a couple storms to...
Richard Shields: I do wish it had double tap float. But as far as remote goes, I think it's it's very simple, like the right wing is the right wing and the left. And, you know, it was it was simple for me, even coming from a boss background.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Yeah,
Richard Shields: Not like the Western remote. I know it looks just like that, but I've never used a Western. It's been bosses for 12 years. so But even going from a boss to to the Arctic, was it was a simple switch for me.
RICK JAMES: Gotcha.
Nate: Yeah.
The SnowJobs Podcast: yeah I thought the control was great.
Ryan: Yeah, after like a couple storms, was basically like it was an extension of my body, you know. I'm not even thinking about what I'm doing.
The SnowJobs Podcast: hu
Ryan: I'm pressing the button. So I would say it was very fluent, the controller.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Yep. 100%.
Richard Shields: Yeah.
Nate: Yeah. So we actually hang it kind of like our CB mics, you know, we hang it up on the, on the visor and um yeah, there was a guy taking pictures of it one day.
The SnowJobs Podcast: hundred percent
Ryan: Well, that's I kind of like that idea.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Okay.
Nate: I should have patented it or something, came up with some kind of spring or something, you know, but um what I actually liked about it is the Western controller is lighter.
Richard Shields: Yeah.
Ryan: its
The SnowJobs Podcast: Yep.
Richard Shields: and
Nate: So it would swing around a lot more with that, that Arctic controller being heavier. It actually stayed put a lot better on, on the little CB spring, you know, the, the mount.
Nate: So, yeah, it um it's nice.
RICK JAMES: Oh, yeah. Yeah.
Nate: It's but very well thought out. I don't think they really missed anything, to be honest with
The SnowJobs Podcast: No, I don't think so either. mean, anything anything you could come up with would be nitpicky. And i don't think, honestly, I don't think there's
Nate: He thinks I'm a lot lizard. Hold on, fellas. Yes, sir.
Ryan: yeah
RICK JAMES: yeah
Ryan: good
Nate: Yeah.
Ryan: It all goes down on the snow job.
Richard Shields: a yeah think
The SnowJobs Podcast: That is business.
Nate: Yeah, I'll take a look.
The SnowJobs Podcast: It's good that he didn't mute his mic. I get to hear all this.
RICK JAMES: yeah
The SnowJobs Podcast: and
Ryan: make
Nate: Jeremy, sawer he wants your phone number.
The SnowJobs Podcast: There you go He's a Jeremy.
Richard Shields: woman
RICK JAMES: Oh, sweet.
The SnowJobs Podcast: He's a fan.
RICK JAMES: Sweet. Yeah.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Are you on the snow jobs right now?
Nate: Thank you.
Richard Shields: um
RICK JAMES: yeah
Nate: Yeah.
The SnowJobs Podcast: That's awesome.
RICK JAMES: ah Yeah.
The SnowJobs Podcast: up
Nate: You talking to that guy from Fargo? Yep.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Oh man, that's great.
RICK JAMES: Yeah.
The SnowJobs Podcast: That's too funny.
RICK JAMES: a
The SnowJobs Podcast: um What, what else?
RICK JAMES: What did you guys, did any, did any guys have that Arctic makes that aftermarket or their aftermarket weight kit?
The SnowJobs Podcast: go ahead, Jake.
RICK JAMES: Any you guys have a weight kit on your trucks or any, mean anybody buy that or what do you use for weight counterweight?
Ryan: So I went with a bunch of salt bags in the back.
RICK JAMES: Mm-hmm.
Ryan: um I probably had like a good 15, 20 kilogram salt bags back there. um You know, i I did notice as I like used some up some nights and stuff um that, you know, I am driving a dually with 37s, like 12 and a half wides on the back.
Ryan: So like it's it it's not even good in the rain, nevermind the snow, right?
Richard Shields: I'm going to have phone call.
Ryan: yeah, but um I did notice like it it did, uh, make a difference. So like, I was kind of like, man, I should have bought that counterweight thing.
Ryan: Right. Just because like, I knew I would use the salt as my day goes on the longer the shift, the more of this you're kind of dipping into.
RICK JAMES: Yeah.
Ryan: Right. Not, not that I was trying to, but you know, if it saves the guys a trip to that site, if I just, you know, do the walkways quick or something, um, I'm lightening the load.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Mm-hmm.
RICK JAMES: Right.
Ryan: Right. But, uh, Overall, like with the Timberins we put in and everything, the weight wasn't as big of an issue as I thought it would be.
RICK JAMES: Thanks.
Nate: Honestly, I might put it on in summer. I mean, I drive around Milwaukee. I got hit and run in the ass last year, last summer by a guy in a minivan.
Ryan: yeah
Nate: And and I'm like, if he hit that thing, he's, he's he's getting hurt.
Richard Shields: Mm-hmm.
Nate: But, uh, I.
The SnowJobs Podcast: i I had it, and I was going to say that that that. The upside to having it on the back of the truck, besides how smooth it is, is you bump that before you bump your bumper.
Nate: Yeah.
RICK JAMES: Yeah.
The SnowJobs Podcast: It sticks out a good six, eight inches beyond the bumper, lower, and you will, yeah, if you find like a light stanchion made of concrete, you'll tap that before you tap it with your bumper.
Nate: Yeah. Yeah.
Nate: Yeah.
The SnowJobs Podcast: So that was a good upside this year. I'm not saying I did that. I'm not saying I didn't. But that is an upside to the weight kit.
Richard Shields: allegedly all allegedly
The SnowJobs Podcast: Yeah, allegedly, exactly. And it's very easy to to adjust the weight because we started with – I think we started with 500 pounds to see how it was. And then we added a hundred pounds every storm just to, to see what worked the best. And, and they weren't far. off We found that like 650 pounds was, was more than enough to have our, have the ride perfect on it.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Um,
Richard Shields: okay
The SnowJobs Podcast: We liked it that way, and we didn't put the rest of the the weights on. I know they recommend all of them, but you know we found that 650, for whatever reason, was the sweet spot there. and um said, it's nice having it on. The only time...
The SnowJobs Podcast: The only time it's it's a pain in the butt is taking it off. You got to take those plates one at a time. So, like, that weight kit was on my truck from December 1st till it's still on the truck, honestly.
The SnowJobs Podcast: It's still still on there.
RICK JAMES: a
Richard Shields: Yeah.
Ryan: Yeah.
The SnowJobs Podcast: The plow's off, but I just haven't had the time to go slide the weights off.
Richard Shields: Yeah.
The SnowJobs Podcast: But it's a really cool design.
Richard Shields: And I did the same thing. I did the same thing that Nate did really. I put a sandbags on the bed of my truck and I do have Tim Brins in the front just because more or less, but I got about 500 pounds of sand in the bed.
RICK JAMES: Thank you.
Richard Shields: And, uh, I mean, it is sits the same as any other plow without the bags of sand, but, going from no counterweight in the rear at all to some you know adding some sand made a big difference personally but i'd imagine if you plowed with any other plow without sandbags or counterweight you wouldn't notice a difference
RICK JAMES: Greg.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Not as much, that's for sure.
Nate: No, like I, I lifted the retrofit kit. I got a single rear wheel, uh, F three 50 and, it's got like a service body on it. Call it my Amazon truck. It's that Ford blue that they had for one year.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Mm-hmm.
Nate: And, uh, um, real similar to actually a friend of mine put an Amazon sticker on it one day as a joke.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Yep.
Nate: And i drove around for like three weeks with it on, but, um, but I'll probably get the, the weight kit just because I always set you know that truck up with as like the spare you know it's always got a mount on it, but if if one of the trucks goes down at least I can use that and I do know, even with the transfer tank and everything in it.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Yeah.
Nate: Chris Watt, The weights just not far enough back, you know, I mean, even if you put 100 hundred gallons of fuel in it.
RICK JAMES: Right. Yep.
Nate: Chris Watt, So I will probably get that that we kept the dealer he had one and and we'll revisit it in fall. Chris
The SnowJobs Podcast: Sounds good.
RICK JAMES: Good.
The SnowJobs Podcast: What else? Any final thoughts from any of you guys? Anything you want to say?
Ryan: Buy Razorback.
The SnowJobs Podcast: a Razorback.
Richard Shields: Yeah.
Nate: yeah
Ryan: You won't regret it.
RICK JAMES: yeah
The SnowJobs Podcast: Ship it in pieces to Canada.
Richard Shields: hey
Ryan: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
The SnowJobs Podcast: yeah
Ryan: Screw the tariffs, man. Bring it in.
The SnowJobs Podcast: ah
RICK JAMES: yeah
The SnowJobs Podcast: Oh, man.
RICK JAMES: Yeah.
The SnowJobs Podcast: But, yeah, i think I think we covered everything. Anybody got any final thoughts on the Razorback at all? Anything we forgot to cover?
Nate: Well, just thank Jeff Bees. that That guy is a saint.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Oh, God, yeah.
Nate: So yeah,
The SnowJobs Podcast: He is.
Ryan: that
RICK JAMES: He definitely is.
The SnowJobs Podcast: He definitely is. he he's he he goes above and beyond and then some.
Nate: I mean,
Nate: Yeah, no, he's, he's great. And, and, uh, and that speaks to a ah company like that because where else are you goingnna text another company at three o'clock in the morning? And, and I mean, he, he's out on the West coast and, uh, and I thought, well, I'll get an answer back at eight o'clock or something in the morning, nine o'clock and, and 15 minutes later, there he is.
Nate: You know, I'm like, dude, go to bed. I was just laughing, you know, I'm like, don't worry about it.
Richard Shields: yeah
RICK JAMES: Yeah. Yeah.
Nate: It wasn't that serious of a question.
Ryan: Thank you.
Nate: I just wanted to ask before I forgot, you know, so, um,
RICK JAMES: yep
The SnowJobs Podcast: Yep.
Nate: Yeah, so I mean product support, you know, to ah to us is huge. um and And obviously you have that with Arctic. um You know, ah like I said, the the only reason I didn't run the headlights is because the factory had gone down.
Nate: We didn't get the adapter in time. But yeah, they're they're top notch.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Family business, they take it personally when shit doesn't work. And you can bet they you have that.
Nate: Yeah.
The SnowJobs Podcast: i I couldn't believe how quick when we had the ah the the modules, they wanted to check something on the modules. We had a second set of modules, and we had them. And, like, I think he called me, like, 2 o'clock, said, hey, we got an updated set of modules I want you to throw in the the plow side and the truck side. I'm like, all right, cool. like when And, like, he no sooner said it, in the package like, at the shop.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Like, holy crap, like.
RICK JAMES: Yep.
Richard Shields: one.
The SnowJobs Podcast: literally 24 hours and you had them. So yeah, they, they take that shit really seriously and that's why they're so good.
Nate: Yeah.
Ryan: yeah Yeah, I'd have to say like any time somebody tries to reinvent the wheel and they're successful at it and they bring that innovation into our industry, you know, I'm i'm more than happy about it.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Can't beat it. You definitely can't beat it.
Ryan: Right. Because ah at the end of the day, our jobs are tough enough with the hours, the weather, everything else. So anything that helps, um i'm I'm all about it. Right. let's Let's buy it.
Ryan: Let's get it over here. Let's see what it can do for us. Right.
RICK JAMES: PB, Harmon Zuckerman, Right.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Is this the new standard, the Razorback for truck blouse?
Ryan: For sure. Yeah.
RICK JAMES: PB, Harmon Zuckerman, I believe so.
Nate: Yeah, I would say, I mean, it's um the name one other that even half compares to it.
The SnowJobs Podcast: No, you can't you really can't. Not not that it does everything it does.
Nate: No, no.
The SnowJobs Podcast: So, yeah, everybody else just fighting for second, distant second.
The SnowJobs Podcast: What else, Jay? You got anything else for these guys before we let them go?
RICK JAMES: I don't think so. I don't think so. think we answered all the questions and sounds like everybody's pretty happy with it. Not many, if any, hardly any issues about them. So typical Arctic, always top.
RICK JAMES: he's on top
The SnowJobs Podcast: Richard, how many how much snow in inches this year?
Richard Shields: I think we had 198 or something this year.
The SnowJobs Podcast: 198.
Richard Shields: yeah last year, last year a little more, but, you know, next year.
The SnowJobs Podcast: That's a light. And that was a light year, right? yeah
Ryan: That's crazy.
The SnowJobs Podcast: lot of snow, dude.
Ryan: That's a lot of snow, man. I feel for you.
Richard Shields: and Yeah. Yeah.
The SnowJobs Podcast: I was just telling him.
Richard Shields: Yeah.
The SnowJobs Podcast: He said it's kind of every day from December on. I'm like, yeah, I don't think I can do that. As much as I love snow.
Ryan: yeah
The SnowJobs Podcast: Oh, my God.
Richard Shields: yeah
The SnowJobs Podcast: Yeah, snow.
Richard Shields: Even, uh, even like two weeks ago, we were supposed to get, uh, like 14 inches or something, but it ended up turning away, but it was close. So
Ryan: Wow.
The SnowJobs Podcast: wow well that's why you got 550 hours on it this year good for you that's awesome all right boys that it everybody good
Richard Shields: yeah. Yeah. Uh, Yeah, about 550 hours and, you know, like I said, never let me down. So that's all you can ask for any time of the year, you know, like, you know, so it's been, it's been a good plow, honestly.
The SnowJobs Podcast: All right, cool.
RICK JAMES: Thank you.
The SnowJobs Podcast: All right, gang. Well, then that's going to wrap it. we'll We'll wrap up this episode of the Arctic Army Roll Call on the Snow Jaws podcast. We want to thank these guys. That was a lot of great information, a lot of great perspective from these guys.
The SnowJobs Podcast: um Everybody else out there, you guys have a great weekend. Be safe. Keep pushing.
