From dealership lots to city streets, Sno-Way customers point to the features that make a difference during a storm, including strong down pressure, one-pass clearing, quick hookup, reliability and reduced labor.
When snow is on the way, the priorities can look different depending on where you sit.
For a dealer, a snowplow needs to be a dependable product that adds versatility for customers and is backed by a manufacturer that is easy to work with.
For a public works department, the priorities are more immediate: How quickly can the plow get on the truck? Can it clear the snow in one pass? Will it handle hard-packed snow? And can crews get the job done without adding unnecessary labor?
A new Sno-Way testimonial video brings both perspectives together, featuring Thomas Rehfeldt of Powersports Company in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, and Jordan Loosen and Tim Puestow of the City of Hartford, Wisconsin.
While their jobs are different, their experiences point to several of the same themes: reliability, versatility, ease of use and the ability to keep moving when winter weather arrives.
The Dealer Perspective: A Product That Adds Versatility
Rehfeldt works with a dealership that carries Honda, Scag, Kubota and Polaris products. From his perspective, Sno-Way plays an important role in giving Polaris customers another level of versatility when winter arrives.
The V-plow is particularly popular, he says.
That versatility matters for customers who may use their equipment for much of the year but need it to take on a very different role when snow arrives.
Rehfeldt also emphasizes the relationship between the dealership and Sno-Way.
In the testimonial, he describes the communication with the manufacturer as excellent and gives high praise to the company’s service.
For a dealer, that relationship matters. Selling a piece of equipment is only part of the equation. Having a manufacturer that can communicate, provide support and stand behind its product becomes especially important when customers are relying on that equipment during a storm.
The City Perspective: Getting the Job Done in One Pass
For Hartford Public Works, the challenge is different.
The department is responsible for the entire city, including streets, alleys, dead ends, cul-de-sacs, parks and the airport. Snow events can range from a light dusting to significant snowfall, creating a constant demand for equipment that can keep crews moving.
That’s where the public works team points to one feature in particular: down pressure.
“I truly believe the down pressure is key,” Puestow says.
Loosen added “I think it’s a hands down best down pressure on the market.”
For Hartford’s crews, he says that down pressure becomes especially valuable in the alleys, where hard-packed snow can create a tougher clearing job.
“It’s one pass,” Loosen says. “If we’re trying to get in and out, you can go one pass down the alleys and you’re done.”
He says the difference becomes even more apparent after a significant snowfall, when crews can encounter three or four inches of hard pack.
According to Loosen, the plow’s down pressure can rip that hard pack out rather than requiring crews to make multiple passes.
“When we’re done with the alleys, there’s virtually near black top asphalt showing by the time we’re done with that,” he says.
For a public works department covering an entire city, the ability to clear an alley in one pass isn’t just about how the plow handles snow. It can affect how quickly crews can move on to the next area.
When One Pass Changes the Operation
Puestow says the V-plow also gives Hartford flexibility when clearing approaches and other areas.
In certain situations, crews can plow an area once without following behind with salt.
That has implications beyond simply moving snow.
Puestow says one-pass clearing can reduce the amount of salt needed as well as the manpower required to return for another operation.
The result is a snow-removal process that can keep crews moving rather than sending them back over the same ground.
Getting From the Truck to the Road
The Hartford team also highlights how quickly the plow can be put into service.
Puestow describes the hookup as a one-person operation and says he has been able to connect the plow and have it ready to go in about two minutes.
The wireless remote is another part of the setup he calls out. Operators can have the remote in hand while connecting the plow, and the controls allow them to operate the plow and salter.
For a department responding to changing conditions, those small efficiencies can become important over the course of a storm.
Reliability Is Where the Perspectives Meet
The dealer and municipal perspectives may start in different places, but they ultimately converge on one requirement: the equipment needs to work when it is needed.
Rehfeldt talks about dependability and reliability from the standpoint of the customers coming into his dealership.
Hartford’s public works team talks about it from the seat of the truck, where the equipment is being used to clear roads and alleys during actual snow events.
Loosen points specifically to the plow’s down pressure and its ability to remove hard-packed snow. Puestow highlights the quick hookup, wireless controls and the ability to get the equipment working without slowing crews down.
For both sides, the value comes down to more than a list of features. It is about what those features allow the operator to accomplish.
A Wisconsin Connection
For Rehfeldt, there’s another reason Sno-Way stands out: its Wisconsin roots.
He describes the company as down-to-earth and says its understanding of the value of time extends beyond getting the job done.
If a snowplow can help an operator finish the work more quickly, Rehfeldt says, that can ultimately mean more time at home with family.
That’s a fitting perspective to close on because, whether the equipment is being evaluated from a dealership showroom or put to work on a city street, the objective is ultimately the same: get the job done and keep moving.
The performance observations and customer experiences in this article are based on testimonials featured in Sno-Way’s video.