A complete Eagle Plow system and a build-your-own system get you the same plow. The difference is what’s missing when the box shows up. A complete system is a fixed bundle matched to your machine: mount, push tube, and blade. One part number, one price. It doesn’t include a lift. Build Your Own walks you through those same three pieces, then adds the winch and winch mount as steps four and five, so you check out with everything the plow needs to actually work. Already have a winch on the machine? Buy the complete system. If you don’t, build your own, or you’ll be placing a second order in November.
Key Takeaways
- A complete system is a mount, a push tube, and a blade, bundled by machine. No lift included.
- Build Your Own is those same three pieces plus a winch and winch mount step, so nothing gets left out.
- Gen II front mounts and V plows lift by winch only. The hand-lift kit works on the mid-mount system.
- Budget for the lift either way. The hand-lift kit is $203.95, and a 2500 pound winch runs $226.95 and up.
- Any Eagle blade fits any Eagle system, so a bigger blade later is a one-part purchase.
What’s actually in a complete Eagle Plow system?
Three main pieces. A mount that bolts to your machine, a push tube that runs from the mount out to the blade, and the blade itself. Our FAQ page puts it in one sentence: a complete plow system consists of a mount, push tube and blade.
The blade doesn’t show up bare, though, and that’s worth knowing before you price it against some cheap kit. An Eagle straight blade comes with skid shoes, trip springs, a rubber flap, plow markers, and a reversible wear bar. Five positions, thirty degrees of rotation each way. The push tube is 1.5 inch formed tubing, V-shaped with cross members, and the swivel runs on a 5/8 inch bolt. Those are the parts that decide whether your plow shrugs off a frozen gravel ridge or bends around it. They’re in the box.
What makes it “complete” is that we already did the matching. Pick your make, model, and year, and what comes up has the right mount for that machine, a push tube that fits that mount, and a blade sized for that class of machine. You’re not cross-referencing part numbers at eleven at night.
The complete Eagle Plow systems cover Polaris, Can-Am, Honda, Arctic Cat, Suzuki, Yamaha, Kubota and more, listed by model range and year. Two universal kits sit alongside them, the Eagle Talon Universal ATV system and the Eagle Talon Universal UTV system, for machines that fall outside the model-specific list.
Now here’s the part to write down: no lift. Not in the complete systems, not in the Talon kits. That’s not a gotcha, and plenty of guys already run a winch. But order a complete system in October without thinking about the lift and you’ve got a blade sitting on the ground when the first storm rolls through.
What does building your own actually involve?
Less than the name suggests. It sounds like you’re engineering something. You’re filling out a six-step form.
- Pick your mount from a dropdown, by machine.
- Pick your push tube, matched to tires or tracks.
- Pick your blade style and width.
- Pick your winch, if your setup needs one.
- Pick your winch mount.
- Review and add to cart.
You start from one of three entry points, depending on your machine and how you want the plow to hook up: the ATV front-mount system, the ATV mid-mount system, or the UTV system.
That first pick carries a real trade-off, and it isn’t just about hookup. The mid-mount bolts to the belly of the ATV, goes on without any drilling, and stays put year-round as a steel skid plate. Some front mounts you’ll want to pull in the off-season to get your ground clearance back. Neither one’s wrong. They’re just different headaches. Our guide to front-mount versus mid-mount plows goes through it properly.
Two things to know before you start clicking. The ATV front-mount system works with any Eagle blade except the 2960 Series V-Plow. And push tubes come matched to tires or tracks, so if you run tracks in the winter, say so at step two instead of finding out later.
The blade step is where people slow down, and it should be the fastest one. Measure your machine outside to outside of the front tire stance, then get a blade wider than that number so the angled blade still clears a path for your tires. That’s the whole rule. We laid out how to size an ATV or UTV plow blade with the sizes by machine class, but the measurement takes about ninety seconds with a tape.
The part that decides it: the lift
This is the real argument for building your own, and it’s got nothing to do with customization.
Every plow has to come up off the ground. You back up, you cross a section you already cleared, you stack a pile. Blade up, blade down, all storm long. That happens with either a winch or a manual hand-lift kit, and Build Your Own puts both the winch and the winch mount right in front of you at steps four and five. The complete-system path never asks.
Three facts narrow it down for you, and they aren’t preferences:
- Gen II front mount systems lift by winch only. No hand-lift option.
- Eagle V plows lift by winch only.
- The Eagle Hand Lift Kit works with the mid-mount system, the one that bolts to the belly of the ATV.
Your mount also sets a ceiling on winch size, and the part number tells you which. A mount ending in -3 takes Eagle winches up to 2500 pounds. A -4 takes up to 3500. And a -1 means the winch mount already comes with the plow mount, so don’t go buy a second one. Worth a look before you order a 4500 pound winch that won’t bolt up.
Honest opinion, since you’re going to run this thing for years: buy the winch. The hand-lift kit works, and it saves you real money up front. But after one heavy wet morning of yanking a handle every thirty feet, most people wish they’d spent the extra. Our breakdown of winch versus hand-lift and what size to buy covers the sizing, and you can browse Eagle winches and winch mounts directly.
Which one costs more?
Close enough that it shouldn’t drive the decision. Here’s where things actually sit.
- ATV complete systems: $719.95 for a 50 inch, $769.95 for a 60 inch.
- UTV complete systems: roughly $935 to $977, depending on machine and blade width.
- Eagle Talon universal kits: $649.99 for ATV, $749.99 for UTV.
- Eagle Hand Lift Kit: $203.95, push tube not included.
- Eagle winches: $226.95 for a 2500 pound, $273.95 with a strap, $287.95 for a 3500 pound with strap. Winch mount’s separate unless your plow mount is a -1.
Run that out on a real setup. A 60 inch mid-mount complete system for a Polaris Sportsman is $769.95. Add the hand-lift kit and you’re at $973.90 out the door. Go with a 2500 pound winch with strap instead and you’re around $1,044, plus a winch mount if yours doesn’t include one. Same plow. Seventy dollars apart on the lift. And the winch is the one you’ll be glad about come February.
Where a complete system genuinely wins on price is when you already own a winch, because you’re only buying what you’re missing. Where building your own wins is when you want a wider blade or a Country blade instead of what the bundle carries. Upgrading a blade after the fact means buying a second blade.
Prices move. Check the live product pages before you plan around a number.
Complete plow system vs. build your own: which should you buy?
Buy a complete system if your machine’s on the model-specific list, you’ve already got a winch mounted, and you want one part number and a short checkout. That’s most first-time plow buyers on a common machine.
Build your own if you need the lift too, you want a specific blade width or a Country blade, you run tracks, or you’re stepping up to a V plow. Five extra minutes buys you a cart that’s actually finished.
Buy components if you’re changing machines. The newer push tubes and blades interchange with the classic designs, so if you’ve already got an Eagle blade and you just bought a new side-by-side, you might only need a mount and a push tube.
Either way, any Eagle blade fits any Eagle system. You’re not locking yourself into something you can’t walk back.
What about just buying the parts you need?
Replacing a bent blade. Adding a second mount so one plow moves between two machines. Going from a 50 inch to a 60. For any of those, skip the systems and go straight to Eagle plow components and buy the one piece. Mounts, push tubes, and plow blades all sell individually.
Eagle blades are made in Minnesota out of US prime steel, laser cut, rolled, welded, and powder coated. The mid-mount and Gen II systems come out of the same shop the same way. That’s also why the old and new designs still work together instead of making you start over.
Not sure whether the mount you’ve got will take the blade you want? Call us at (800) 446-8222 or send us the make, model, and year. We’d rather answer that question than have you order the wrong part.
Where to start
Know your machine and already have a winch? Find your make and model in the complete Eagle Plow systems. Need the lift too, or want to pick your own blade? Start the Build Your Eagle Plow System form and work down the six steps. Still sorting out blade size or straight versus V? Our guide to choosing the right ATV or UTV snow plow takes all five decisions in order.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a complete Eagle Plow system include a winch?
No. A complete system includes the mount, push tube, and blade. You’ll still need a winch or a manual hand-lift kit to raise and lower the blade, and that’s bought separately. If you’d rather handle it all in one cart, use the Build Your Own path, which includes winch and winch mount steps.
Is building your own plow system harder to install?
No. You end up with the same parts either way, and the mount’s still machine-specific, so it’s the same install job. Building your own changes how you order, not how it goes together.
Can I use a hand-lift kit instead of a winch to save money?
On the mid-mount system, yes. The Eagle Hand Lift Kit is $203.95 and it’s the low-cost way to get a plow running, with an adjustable handle height and a float position you set with the bumper strap. It isn’t an option on Gen II front mounts or with a V plow. Those lift by winch only.
What if my machine isn’t on the complete systems list?
Look at the Eagle Talon universal ATV or UTV systems, built to fit machines outside the model-specific lineup. If you’re still not sure, call (800) 446-8222 with your make, model, and year and we’ll tell you what fits.
Can I upgrade to a bigger blade later?
Yes. Any Eagle blade fits any Eagle system, and the newer push tubes and blades interchange with the classic designs. Buy a wider blade on its own and run it on the mount and push tube you’ve already got.