2015 Ford F-150 – Test Results with New Boss HTX Plow

New Boss HTX Snow Plow

I know what you’re thinking, “Why waste your time with a half-ton”? Typically, snow plowing is reserved for larger, heavy-duty pickup trucks. Surely, this can still reign true for those commercial snow plow businesses, however Ford’s setup appeals to the occasional snow plower.

An F-150 can handle plowing with the new snow plow pacakge being offered by the company. The Snow Plow Prep Package is $50 extra when purchaing the new truck which requires some changes to the software program via a dedicated plow switch found ont he f-150 instrument panel and an extra hot wire near the driver’s knee to power the plow joystick toggle.

This new package was recently put to test with the new Boss HTX stainless-steel snow plow which is set for release later this year and ready for install by fall 2015. The test consisted of a 2015 XLT SUperCrew 4×4 F-150 using the 7.5 foot wide lightweight plow from Boss. The F-150 plow package is offered on XL, XLT and Lariat models in all cab configurations with four-wheel drive; each has a recommended maximum weight limit of 450 pounds for the snowplow. Our test unit had a stainless-steel HTX plow developed by Boss Snowplow for half-ton and smaller pickups and SUVs. A 7-foot Boss blade typically weighs about 380 pounds, while the 7.5-foot blade weighs about 430 pounds. The plow has a thicker rubber pads at the top and bottom of the blade and includes a hydraulic cylinder lift as well as LED lighting.

Inside the cabin, the driver simply presses a dedicated plow button to transfer electrical power away from “nonessential features”; a controller allows for up and down, and left and right blade movement. The controller has a double-tap feature to engage a special “float” mode allowing the plow to better follow the contours of the road.

With the controller in hand, the driver can push snow off to the side in either direction. Thankfully, there is an automatic release feature on the blade so if it hits large rocks or curbs, the plow falls forward to minimize possible damage. The driver can simply re-engage the blade with the hand controller.

Lastly, attaching and detaching the blade is simple with a metal kickstand, a pair of quick release latches and a hydraulic coupler to lower it. After the blade is removed, there are just a few power wires to remove.

Boss Snowplow hasn’t finalized pricing for the HTX blade, but estimates based on similar products in the marketplace will likely put it around $5,000 for the stainless-steel option. The HTX blade will be officially launched at the 2015 National Truck Equipment Association Work Truck Show in March.

Overall, Ford seems to have done its homework. As more snowplow manufacturers design new products and features, it’s likely they’ll find that Ford has delivered a pretty good blank canvas. And as a $50 option, it could be one of the most valuable ordering decisions a new-truck buyer can make.

But be warned: This is not meant to be a commercial-use option. It’s a personal-use, small-job option, but we like that Ford is offering the added capability. For those doing more aggressive or extended plowing, a stronger and heavier-duty pickup is still the best choice.

source:http://news.pickuptrucks.com/2015/02/2015-ford-f-150-offers-50-snow-plow-prep-package.html