Home › Guides › Cracked snow plow A-frame or moldboard
Can a Cracked Snow Plow Be Welded?
Quick answer
- Usually yes. A-frame, moldboard and mount cracks are routine welding repairs when they're ground out, welded full depth and reinforced.
- Prices: there's no flat published price for a plow crack weld. It's billed as welding labor, about $60–$125/hr nationally (HomeAdvisor). Forum-reported full rebuilds run about $800–$3,000.
- Fix it before the season. A crack caught early is a quick job. After it tears through, it's a much bigger one.
Why
A plow takes a beating: frozen banks, curbs, manhole covers and salt. Cracks usually start at a weld toe, a gusset or a rib, and they grow every time the blade trips or stacks snow. Ames Hydraulics describes the right fix as grinding the crack out to clean metal, welding it full depth, and adding a fish plate or gusset where the design was thin. A quick surface bead without that prep just comes back.
Portable Precision Welding says a cracked moldboard caught early is a 30-minute weld, but after a crack tears into the spring assembly it's a much bigger job. That's why off-season repairs are cheaper and calmer.
How to tell if yours is fixable
- Hose off the salt and look closely at the A-frame, the moldboard ribs, the trip spring mounts and the truck-side mount.
- Shake the blade. A clunk usually means worn pivot pins or bushings, which get worse with every hit.
- Check the cutting edge. If it's worn down to the moldboard, you're grinding away the part that isn't meant to wear.
- Look for uneven edge wear. It can point to a bent A-frame or a mount height problem.
- Check the truck-side mount and push frame for bends or oval pin holes, especially if the plow has gotten hard to hook up.
What the welder does
- Clean the plow and find the full length of every crack.
- Grind or gouge the crack out to clean metal and drill stop holes at the ends.
- Weld it full depth, not just a surface bead.
- Add a fish plate or gusset where the design was thin or keeps cracking.
- Replace worn pins, bushings and trip springs (in matched sets) while it's apart.
- Paint or coat the bare steel so salt doesn't start the next crack.
Fair shop price
| Job | Published price | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Snow plow cutting edge installation (shop labor) | $75 (+$25 if old bolts need torching) | SnowplowsPlus |
| Plow rehab: blast, repaint, cutting edge, fluid service (no welding) | about $800–$1,000 | PlowSite forum (2010 report) |
| Rough 9' plow: structural welds in 11 places, patched bottom, pump, motor, hardware | about $1,500 | PlowSite forum (2010 report) |
| Full overhaul of a 9' V-plow (new was about $6,000) | about $3,000 | PlowSite forum (2010 report) |
| Mobile welding labor rate | $85–$135/hr | DoorstepHQ |
These are published prices from the sources listed, not quotes. Your price depends on rust, access, metal type, and travel. Typical welder labor runs about $60–$125/hr nationally (HomeAdvisor).
Price sources: SnowplowsPlus · PlowSite forum (2010 report) · DoorstepHQ · HomeAdvisor.
Cost to replace instead
A new plow is a big purchase. In one PlowSite thread, a full overhaul of a 9' V-plow came to about $3,000 when new was about $6,000 (2010 prices; check current pricing for your brand and size). A cracked A-frame or moldboard is usually far cheaper to weld than replacing the plow.
Replace it instead when…
- The moldboard is rusted through over a large area.
- The A-frame or push frame is badly bent and cracked in several places.
- Hydraulics, mount and blade all need major work on an old plow (compare to a good used plow).
DIY or hire a pro?
Cutting edges, trip springs, pins and hydraulic fluid are reasonable DIY maintenance. Structural welds on the A-frame, moldboard or truck-side mount take heavy-steel skill and need reinforcement. Hire a pro for those, ideally before the first storm.
🚩 Ripoff red flags
- A surface bead over a crack with no grinding or reinforcement.
- Welding the crack without asking why it cracked (bent A-frame, worn pins, tired springs).
- Pushing a whole new plow when the frame and moldboard just need a few welds.
- Replacing trip springs one at a time instead of in matched sets.
🧰 Tools & parts for this job
⚠️ This is a structural, load-bearing part. Epoxy, putty, or other DIY adhesive fixes are not safe here. Below are replacement parts and protective gear only; the repair itself should be a proper weld or a new part.
- Snow plow cutting edgeReplace before it wears into the moldboard.
- Snow plow trip springsReplace in matched sets so the blade trips evenly.
- Snow plow hydraulic fluidChange it every season so moisture doesn't freeze in the system.
- Rust inhibitor sprayCoat bare steel before storage. Salt keeps working all year.
- Plow blade markersHelps the driver see the blade ends and avoid curb hits.
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⚠️ Safety
Lower the blade to the ground or block it before working on or under it. Never trust the hydraulics to hold it up.
Release hydraulic pressure before loosening fittings, and be careful around trip springs, which store a lot of energy.
This is general information, not an inspection. If in doubt, have it looked at in person. See our safety disclaimer.
Need this fixed in Delaware?
If you're dealing with a cracked plow near Middletown, Townsend, Smyrna, Dover, Newark and the Wilmington area, across New Castle and Kent County, and into Eastern Maryland around Elkton, RickTheWelder can take a look at the shop in Townsend or on site. Send a few photos and request a quote at rickthewelder.com. Not sure it's worth fixing? Start with a $19 photo review.
Common questions
Can a cracked snow plow A-frame be welded?
Yes, usually. The crack should be ground out, welded full depth and reinforced with a fish plate or gusset, or it tends to come back.
How much does it cost to weld a snow plow?
There's no flat published price. It's billed as welding labor, roughly $60–$125/hr nationally (HomeAdvisor) and $85–$135/hr for mobile welders (DoorstepHQ). Forum-reported full rebuilds run about $800–$3,000.
When is the best time to fix a plow?
Before the season. Shops like Ames Hydraulics point out that repairs are cheaper and calmer in summer than in the middle of a storm.
Can a mobile welder fix my plow at my yard?
Yes. A-frame and moldboard welding is common on-site work. Send photos first so the welder knows what to bring.
Should I repair or replace an old plow?
If the frame and moldboard are basically sound, repair. If everything from hydraulics to the moldboard needs work, compare the total to a good used plow.
Related guides
Sources
- Ames Hydraulics – Snow Plow Repair
- Portable Precision Welding – Snowplow, Skid Steer & Bucket Repair
- PlowSite forum – Cost to rebuild a plow (2010)
- SnowplowsPlus – Labor Rates
- DoorstepHQ – Trailer Repair Welding Prices
- HomeAdvisor – Cost to Weld Metal
Prices and sources checked 2026-10-19. Ranges are updated as we find better data.