Saturday, December 28, 2002
The Driv'nPlow by Solotec costs $279 and works on most cars.
By CHARLES SHEEHAN
ASSOCIATED PRESS
PITTSBURGH -- Instead of heavy gloves, boots and a shovel, Lou Booth now arms himself with a hot cup of tea and car keys when he heads outside to clear snow from his driveway.
Booth is one of hundreds of people who have upgraded to a personal snowplow that can be strapped to a car in minutes.
At $279, the Driv'nPlow by Solotec costs more than a shovel, but less than a quality snow thrower.
For George Matisz, president and founder of Solotec, snowstorms throughout the Northeast this past week have been a gift from heaven.
"We don't really advertise, so this week has been tremendous," Matisz said. "Most people learn of the plow by word of mouth, and there's probably going to be a little more of that now."
Eight years after coming up with the idea, Matisz said the Driv'nPlow is being used in almost all snowbound states, Canada, Europe and Japan.
Details
The polymer resin plow weighs 43 pounds. Slightly more than six feet wide, the plow folds in half for storage.
Unlike commercial snowplows, the plow does not use hydraulics, but is affixed to the undercarriage of the car using straps. The company warns that the plow is not for street use.
Booth, 60, said his instincts told him the money would be well spent five years ago when he purchased the plow.
The 2,000-foot driveway leading to Booth's Middleboro, Mass., home midway between Cape Cod and Boston may have heightened those instincts.
"I'll have a cup of tea, sometimes a sip of B & amp;B and go down the driveway once and come back," said Booth, who drives a Subaru Outback. "Sometimes I'll sit inside and laugh at my neighbors. Oh, that's mean, isn't it?"
Pittsburgh-based Solotec said the plow can move up to 17 inches of snow and has a patented breakaway feature if the plow strikes something that won't give.
The plow works on almost any surface including dirt and gravel.
The company lists suitable cars ranging from the Porsche Boxter to the Ford Taurus on its Web site.
The plows are not designed for trucks in the half-ton class, but Solotec does sell a $379 plow designed for sport utility vehicles.
The company sells replacement blades that snap on to the bottom of the plow "like a windshield wiper" when they begin to wear.
Customers who bought the plow six or seven years ago are beginning to order their first replacement blades, Matisz said.
An Ohio company advertises a metal plow that can be attached to a ball-hitch, and a handful of companies sell plows for SUVs and pickups for a few thousand dollars.
Matisz said his plow is the only one that can be used on most cars with no attachments.
XOn the Net: http://www.solotec.com/