You’ve got a choice to make after you size your blade, and it’s the one that trips people up: straight, Country, or V. For most driveways, the straight blade is the answer. It’s the cheapest of the three Eagle blades we make, it fits ATVs and UTVs, and the five swivel positions let you push straight or angle snow off to the side. The Country Blade is taller and slanted, so it rolls heavy wet snow up and off instead of letting it climb over the top. It comes with flaps and markers on every size. The V-Blade is UTV only. It breaks through drifts in V mode and carries snow in scoop mode, and it runs about two and a half times what a straight blade costs. Start with the straight blade unless your snow or your property gives you a real reason to go up.
Key Takeaways
- Most driveways run fine on a straight blade. It’s the cheapest of the three.
- The Country Blade is taller and slanted. It rolls heavy, wet snow off the side instead of spilling it over the top.
- The V-Blade is UTV only, comes in 66 and 72 inch sizes, and earns its price on drifts and open acreage.
- Angling from the seat is a UTV upgrade for 66 to 80 inch blades. The winch still does the lifting.
- Any Eagle blade fits any Eagle system. Start simple, change the blade later, keep the mount and push tube.
What are the three Eagle blades?
You measured the machine. You got your blade width dialed in. Now the page shows you three shapes and you’re stuck for a second, because they all bolt to the same Eagle push tube. Same mount. Same tube. But they move snow differently once it’s full, and that’s the part nobody thinks about until they’ve got snow over the hood.
Here’s what you’re looking at, straight from the product pages:
- Standard and Straight Blade. 50, 54, 60, 66, 72, and 80 inches. ATVs and UTVs. Five swivel positions.
- Country Blade. 50, 60, and 72 inches. Taller, slanted moldboard. Same five positions.
- V-Blade. 66 and 72 inches. UTV only. Runs straight, angled, scooped, or in a V.
All three are cut, rolled, and welded from American steel in our Minnesota shop. What changes is the shape. And the shape decides what happens when the blade fills up.
When is a straight blade enough?
Most of the time. I’ll tell you straight, that’s the answer for the majority of people who call in.
Set it straight ahead and you push snow forward. You stockpile it at the end of the drive. Angle it left or right and you windrow it off to the side so you’re not going back over the same pile. Five positions, 30 degrees each way. Covers a driveway, a shop lot, a side street. Covers most of what folks actually plow.
It’s also the lightest and cheapest option. A 60 inch straight blade weighs about 70 pounds shipped and runs $344.95. That weight matters on an ATV. You’re putting it out front of a smaller machine and every pound counts. On a UTV it matters less, but you still feel it.
The wear bar is reversible. When one edge goes, you flip it. You get a second life out of it without buying a new part. The 66, 72, and 80 inch sizes come with rubber flaps and plow markers built in. On the smaller sizes, you can add plow markers separately. If you plow at dusk, do that. You’ll see the blade and people will see you.
Where a straight blade lets you down is tall, heavy snow. Once the snow stacks up past the blade, it spills over the top. Snow on the hood. Snow on the windshield. You slow down, you clean it off, and you’re still behind. That’s when the next two earn their keep.
What does the Country Blade do better?
Picture a straight blade built for when the snow is not your friend. The Country Blade runs 17 to 21 3/4 inches tall, compared with 15 3/4 to 17 3/4 on the straight. And the moldboard is slanted. Snow climbs up the face, rolls to the side, and goes. It doesn’t pile over the top.
When does that help you? Wet spring snow is the big one. That dense, heavy stuff that sticks to everything. Drifted lanes after a wind picks up. A long driveway where you’re pushing snow a hundred yards before you can get rid of it. In those conditions, the extra height and the curl keep the snow in front of the blade. Less ends up on the hood. Less ends up on the windshield.
Everything else works the same way. Same five swivel positions. Same reversible wear bar. Same angled cut width as a straight blade of the same size. Every Country Blade comes with rubber flaps and plow markers, all sizes. That’s a nice thing at 50 and 60, where the straight blade doesn’t include them. You don’t have to go order them separately.
Here’s the trade-off. At 72 inches, the Country Blade ships at about 105 pounds and costs $653.95. The straight blade at the same size ships at about 85 pounds and costs $460.95. That’s roughly $190 more and 20 pounds more for the height and the curl. Is it worth it? Depends on your snow.
My take. If you plow a short paved drive and most of your storms are light, save the $190. Put it toward a winch. But if you’re out there after every wet, heavy storm on a long gravel lane, and you’re sick of cleaning snow off the hood every pass, get the Country Blade. You’ll stop fighting the snow. It’ll go where you point it.
When is a V plow worth it?
The V-Blade is a different animal. Its two halves move on their own, and you can set it up four ways:
- V position. The point faces forward and splits snow both directions. This is how you bust through a drift or packed snow that a straight blade would just ride up on and stop.
- Scoop position. The wings fold forward into a U and carry snow without spilling it off the ends. Good for cleaning up a lot or moving snow a long way to a pile.
- Straight. Runs like a straight blade.
- Angled. Left or right for windrowing.
It comes with rubber flaps, adjustable skid shoes and spacers, and a removable, replaceable cutting edge.
Now the part that catches people. The V-Blade is UTV only. You need the UTV push tube to run it. It comes in 66 and 72 inch sizes, at $1,035.95 and $1,190.95. The 72 inch weighs about 131 pounds. That’s a lot of steel on the front of a machine. It belongs on a full-size UTV. And it’s too big for regular ground shipping. It goes out by LTL freight, so you’ll need a loading dock or a forklift to take it in. Factor that in before you order.
The “Manual” in the product name refers to the wings. You change between V, scoop, and straight by hand. Takes a minute. You do get off the machine to do it. Not a big deal if you’re switching a few times a storm. A pain if you’re changing positions every pass.
Who should buy one? Acreage. Long rural lanes that drift shut. Small lots where carrying snow off without spilling it matters. If that’s your life, the V pays for itself. If it’s not, you’re paying a lot for features you’ll use maybe twice a season. I’d rather see that money go to a winch.
How do they compare on a 72 inch UTV blade?
Seventy-two inches is the size most full-size UTVs end up with, and it’s the one size all three blades share. So it’s a fair way to line them up. Here’s where they stand at current prices, with approximate shipping weights:
- Straight Blade, 72 inch: $460.95, about 85 pounds, 17 3/4 inches tall, flaps and markers included.
- Country Blade, 72 inch: $653.95, about 105 pounds, 17 to 21 3/4 inches tall, flaps and markers included.
- V-Blade, 72 inch: $1,190.95, about 131 pounds, ships freight, UTV push tube required.
Read that top to bottom and the pattern is simple. Each step up buys you more snow-handling. And it costs you money and weight on the front end. The right blade is the one where you stop paying for things your snow doesn’t need. I’ve seen plenty of people run a 72 V-Blade on a short paved drive and never use the scoop position. That’s $1,190 for a feature you’re not touching.
Can you angle the blade from the seat?
On a UTV, yes. The UTV Hydraulic Turn Kit by KYB adds a hydraulic cylinder to your push tube. You flip a switch and the blade angles. No climbing out in the cold, no wrestling with the swivel. It’s built for 66 to 80 inch blades and comes with the KYB cylinder, the wire harness, and all the brackets and hardware. It’s $969.95.
One thing to check before you order. The kit bolts to a Rev B UTV push tube, the one with a bracket welded on the passenger-side arm for the cylinder. If you’re running an older push tube, look for that bracket. If it’s not there, call us first. We’ll sort it out.
Two things people mix up. First, the turn kit angles the blade. It doesn’t raise or lower it. Lifting on a UTV front mount is the winch’s job. You still need one. Our winch guide covers sizing. Second, on the V-Blade, the turn kit handles the angle, but the V and scoop shapes are still set by hand. The hydraulics don’t do everything.
Is it worth nearly a thousand dollars? On a long driveway where you angle the blade a dozen times a storm, yes. You stop stopping. On a short drive you clear in ten minutes, probably not. Hopping off to swing the blade takes a few seconds. Ten minutes of plowing. The math is easy.
Which one should you buy?
Here’s how I’d decide if the question came to me at the counter:
- Paved or gravel driveway, mostly normal snow: straight blade. Spend the difference on a winch. You’ll use the winch every storm. You’ll use a V-Blade maybe twice a season.
- Long lane, lots of wet or heavy snow, or you’re tired of snow coming over the top: Country Blade. The curl keeps it in front.
- Full-size UTV, acreage or drifted lanes, or a lot where carrying snow matters: V-Blade. It’s the right tool for that job.
- UTV, long drive, angle changes all storm: add the hydraulic turn kit to whichever blade you pick, in 66 inches or wider.
Whatever you pick, size it first. The blade should be wider than your front tire stance so the angled blade still clears a path for your tires. If you’re running gravel, set your skid shoes right too. The gravel driveway guide walks through that.
And you’re not locked in. Any Eagle blade fits any Eagle system. Start with a straight blade. If your snow outgrows it, move up to a Country Blade or a V later and keep the mount and push tube you already have. That’s the point of building it modular. If you’re still weighing everything else, start with our full guide on how to choose an ATV or UTV snow plow.
Get the right Eagle blade for your machine
Every Eagle blade comes out of the same shop that answers the phone when you call. We cut it, roll it, weld it, and powder coat it here in Minnesota. We’ll tell you straight if a blade is more than your snow needs. You can compare all three on the Eagle plow blades page, or build your own plow system and pick the blade as part of it. US ground shipping is free on orders over $100.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a V plow better than a straight blade?
Not for everyone, and not for most people. A V plow handles drifts and packed snow better and can carry snow in scoop mode. But it costs more, weighs more, and only fits UTVs. For a driveway, a straight blade does the job for a lot less money. Save the V for when you’ve got acreage or lanes that drift shut.
Can I put a V plow on my ATV?
No. The Eagle V-Blade is UTV only and runs on the UTV push tube. If you’re on an ATV and want more snow-handling than a standard straight blade gives you, look at the Country Blade. It comes in 50 and 60 inch sizes and handles wet, heavy snow a lot better.
What’s the difference between the Country Blade and the straight blade?
The Country Blade is taller, running 17 to 21 3/4 inches, and the moldboard is slanted. Snow rolls up and off the side instead of climbing over the top. It includes flaps and markers on every size. It costs and weighs more than a straight blade of the same width. The question is whether your snow justifies that.
Do I need a winch with the hydraulic turn kit?
Yes. The turn kit angles the blade left and right. It doesn’t lift it. On a UTV front mount, the blade is raised and lowered with a winch. The two do different jobs. You need both.
Can I switch blades later?
Yes. Any Eagle blade fits any Eagle Plow system. You keep your mount and push tube and swap the blade. On a UTV, moving to a V-Blade means running the UTV push tube. But the rest stays.
Know your machine and your snow? Pick your blade on the Eagle blades page, or call (800) 446-8222 and we’ll walk you through it.