Cycle Country BearForce Snow Plow Review
A while back, we did an install and first test on Cycle Country’s 60 inch BearForce steel plow with Manual Lift Kit, on our Yamaha Grizzly 550 test Unit. Unfortunately, we didn’t order our plow until late last winter. It arrived around a week later, just as the season’s last snow was melting. With no snow in sight, we were left scraping dirt off our concrete patio as a first test. While the plow seemed to work well, we didn’t feel as though it had received a thorough evaluation.
With another winter fast approaching and a brand new 2011 Polaris Sportsman 500 in our possession, we contacted Cycle Country and ordered a new mount kit for our Sportsman. Cycle Country now offers a universal mount kit that will allow you to attach your plow to quite a few different ATVs. Unfortunately, the Sportsman 500 isn’t one of them, due to its thick undercarriage skid plates that are part of the chassis. The Sportsman Specific mount kit we received from Cycle Country installed in approximately 15 minutes the first time out and should take around 10 minutes to install from now on.
After attaching the plow’s push tube to the bottom of the new mount kit, we installed and adjusted the lift strap; we were ready to go. Even with Cycle Country’s largest and heaviest straight blade installed, the Sportsman remained pretty level and balanced.
The BearForce plow did a very good job clearing all the snow down to the last eighth of an inch which, in turn, can easily be melted away with a moderate amount of salt.
During the first two snow falls of 2011, we used our Cycle Country plow to clear test rider, Joe Hunt’s, 60 yard driveway at his Anderson, Ohio home. My neighborhood also became big fans of the plow as it was put to work clearing their driveways. We even took it down to Rivertowne Marina where we spent a few minutes clearing snow off the boat ramp and part of a parking lot.
The BearForce plow did a very good job clearing all the snow down to the last eighth of an inch which, in turn, can easily be melted away with a moderate amount of salt. For those using a winch to lift their plow, Cycle Country offers their Down Force accessory which adds 150 pounds of pressure to the blade thus allowing to scrape even more efficiently in snow, gravel, or dirt.
The manual lift system is easy enough to operate for most adults
We spent a majority of our time plowing at slow speeds, but picked up the pace–– between 15 and 20 mph–– while we were plowing Rivertowne’s parking lot. The plow worked well at either pace, but seemed to move the snow off to the side more efficiently as our speeds picked up with the blade angled. The blade can be faced forward or to either side. Changing its direction is as easy as pushing down on the lever on the front of the push tube and turning the blade to your desired direction.
The manual lift system is easy enough to operate for most adults. However, for just over $200, ladies, older individuals, or those who plan on using the plow for extended periods of time may want to consider Cycle Country’s Power Max Electric Lift kit.
Even with Cycle Country’s largest and heaviest straight blade installed, the Sportsman remained pretty level and balanced.
After spending approximately four hours using the plow over the past 11 months, we are very happy with its performance. Construction seems good although we have noticed a few small rust spots beginning to appear a ways up on the blade. We find this surprising as we have seen other BearForce plows with years of use having virtually no sign of rusting. To help maintain its good looks if your blade is exposed to salty snow, we would recommend spraying it with a coating of rust inhibitor such as Kal Guard 30-30 or WD-40 before putting it back in the garage.
The few hours of plowing we did in our subdivision earned us enough cash to make the monthly payment for our Polaris. If you live in the Snow Belt, the plow could easily pay for itself with a few significant accumulations. Cycle Country’s BearForce plow is a great tool and definitely worth the investment.
Manufacturer, Cycle Country
Website, cyclecountry.com
Product, BearForce 60in Plow and Manual Lift Kit.
Complete Price, $563.97
Cycle Country BearForce Snow Plow
Summary: The few hours of plowing we did in our subdivision earned us enough cash to make the monthly payment for our Polaris. If you live in the Snow Belt, the plow could easily pay for itself with a few significant accumulations. Cycle Country’s BearForce plow is a great tool and definitely worth the investment.
3.5
2 Year Test
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