The Ultimate Guide to Snow Plow Blades

Featuring Black Cat Blades, Joma Sno-Shock, Olofsfors Carbides & Hardox® 500 Tuf

When winter storms hit, municipalities, DOTs, contractors, and airports all rely on snow plow blades that deliver maximum durability, reliability, and scraping performance. Choosing the right cutting edge can dramatically reduce downtime, maintenance costs, and equipment wear—especially across long routes, high-traffic highways, and abrasive road surfaces.

This in-depth guide highlights today’s most effective snow plow blade technologies while featuring leading products from Black Cat, Joma Sno-Shock, Olofsfors Carbides, and long-life wear solutions using Hardox® 500 Tuf.

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 Why Cutting Edge Selection Matters

Winter operations depend on cutting edges that can withstand:

• Abrasive chip seal

• High-speed highway plowing

• Gravel and rural roads

• Potholes, bridge joints, manhole impacts

• Continuous commercial plowing

Selecting the right blade improves:

• Wear life

• Plow performance

• Operator comfort

• Pavement protection

• Fleet cost efficiency

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 1. Black Cat Carbon Steel Snow Plow Blades

Black Cat carbon steel edges remain a reliable and cost-efficient option for municipalities, townships, contractors, and backup fleet trucks.

Benefits:

• Affordable and easy to replace

• Works well for light-to-moderate plowing

• Ideal for dump truck plows, box plows, and graders

• Good option for mild climates or low-abrasion pavement

Best Applications:

• Municipal streets

• Rural routes

• Backup trucks

• General-purpose plowing

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 2. Olofsfors Carbide Insert Blades

Olofsfors Carbide Blades are internationally recognized for delivering some of the longest wear life in the industry.

Why Olofsfors Carbides Stand Out:

• Precision-brazed tungsten carbide inserts

• Extremely high wear resistance

• Longest lifespan on asphalt, chip seal, and granular roads

• Reduced downtime for maintenance crews

Best Applications:

• State DOTs

• High-speed highway plowing

• Airport snow removal

• Contractors with long routes

These blades commonly last 5–10× longer than standard carbon steel.

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 3. Joma Sno-Shock Rubber–Carbide Systems

Joma Sno-Shock flexible blade systems combine carbide segments with a rubber suspension, offering a premium balance of performance, quiet operation, and pavement protection.

Key Benefits:

• Extremely quiet—ideal for urban and overnight plowing

• Rubber flex absorbs impact from potholes and raised surfaces

• Protects decorative concrete and sensitive pavement

• Provides excellent snow scraping and slush removal

Best Applications:

• Airports

• University campuses

• Commercial parking lots

• Residential plowing in noise-restricted areas

• Cities with high pavement maintenance standards

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 4. Olofsfors Double-Carbide Blades

Olofsfors also has the best snow pack and ice cutting snow plow blades on the planet.

Advantages:

• Reinforced bottom and face inserts

• Superior wear for gravel, sand, and mountain roads

• Reduces cutting edge change-outs dramatically

• Ideal for long-distance highway fleets

Best Applications:

• DOT highway plowing

• Mountain passes

• Rural chip seal roads

• High-abrasion routes with heavy aggregate

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 5. Hardox® Complex-Carbide Overlay Blades

Hardox complex-carbide overlay blades deliver unmatched abrasion resistance for gravel and unpaved applications.

Benefits:

• Excellent wear life in severe abrasion

• Perfect for motor graders and rural road maintenance

• Durable option for gravel, dirt, and mixed surfaces

• Ideal for box scrapers, loaders, and heavy commercial use

Best Applications:

• County highway departments

• Rural gravel roads

• Winter maintenance using graders

• Contractors plowing mixed terrain

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 6. Hardox® 500 Tuf Snow Plow Blades

Hardox® 500 Tuf is becoming one of the most sought-after wear plate materials for snow plow cutting edges due to its combination of durability and impact toughness.

Why Hardox 500 Tuf Is a Top Choice:

• Up to 2–3× longer wear than carbon steel

• High impact resistance—ideal for potholes and bridge transitions

• Consistent wear across the full blade (not limited to inserts)

• Performs well on asphalt, concrete, chip seal, and gravel

Best Applications:

• Municipal streets and townships

• DOT plow trucks

• Motor graders

• Airport plows

• Contractor pushers and box plows

Hardox 500 Tuf bridges the gap between traditional steel edges and carbide systems by delivering high wear life without carbide brittleness.

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 The Best Snow Plow Blade for Every Application

•  Olofsfors carbide and serrated carbide
  For longest life and high-speed durability.

Municipalities / Townships

• Hardox® 500 Tuf
  Improves impact resistance and reduces blade changes.

Airports

• Joma Sno-Shock
  Quiet, smooth, pavement-safe performance.

Commercial Contractors

• Hardox® 500 Tuf or Joma Sno-Shock
  Long wear life with minimal pavement damage.

Motor Graders / Box Scrapers

• Black Cat Carbide Overlay or Hardox® 500 Tuf
  Ideal for gravel roads and abrasive terrain.

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 Summary

• Black Cat Blades — carbon steel & single insert carbide & overlay.  7/8" tall carbide inserts.

• Joma Sno-Shock — flexible, quiet, impact-absorbing systems

• Olofsfors Carbides — industry-leading carbide and double-carbide blades

• Hardox® 500 Tuf — long-life, high-toughness wear plate solutions

With this lineup, you offer the best snow plow blade options for municipalities, DOT fleets, airports, contractors, and commercial snow removal companies across North America.

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Discover the best snow plow blades for municipalities, DOT fleets, airports, and contractors. Compare Black Cat steel edges, Joma Sno-Shock, Olofsfors carbide blades, and Hardox® 500 Tuf for maximum wear life and performance.

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1. Performance & Longevity Focus

Learn which snow plow blades offer the longest wear life. Explore Black Cat carbon steel, Joma Sno-Shock flexible blades, Olofsfors carbide inserts, and Hardox® 500 Tuf edges.

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2. Municipality / DOT Audience

Find the best snow plow blades for municipal and DOT fleets. Compare carbide, rubber, and Hardox® 500 Tuf cutting edges designed for asphalt, chip seal, and gravel roads.

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3. Contractor & Commercial Plowing Audience

Optimize your snow removal fleet with top-performing plow blades. See how Joma Sno-Shock, Olofsfors carbide, Black Cat overlays, and Hardox® 500 Tuf improve durability and scraping.

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4. Airport & Sensitive Pavement Focus

Discover pavement-friendly snow plow blade options like Joma Sno-Shock and Hardox® 500 Tuf. Ideal for airports, campuses, commercial lots, and sensitive surfaces.

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