Tom Maggs is the owner of Maggs Lawn & Landscape, which offers a variety of lawn care and landscaping services to Schenectady and Saratoga counties in Upstate New York. The company has been running snow management for commercial sites since 2019. It covers a wide range of jobs—everything from shopping centers, industrial properties and large HOAs, to a number of first responder stations. Over the years, Maggs’ No. 1 priority has been taking care of his employees:

"Without them, this operation would not at all be possible," said Maggs. "We accomplish this by treating them right—by not overloading them with work; by paying higher compensation than most companies; and, of course, by investing in the right equipment to get the job done."

Maneuverability and efficiency

Most recently, Maggs decided to equip his skid-steers with FISHER XRS™ automatic winged snowplows. Designed specifically for skid-steers, the XRS operates with existing skid-steer controls, giving the user optimal maneuverability. Positioned straight ahead, it carries the load in scoop mode. Fully angled, the inside wing automatically retracts for efficient windrowing. Plus, the mount provides 6° of oscillation (in either direction) to follow contours in the plowable surface to improve scraping, reduce surface damage, and minimize cutting edge wear. This means operations can get the most out of its skid-steers during winter, whether clearing large parking lots, maneuvering between cars and parking islands, or winter clean up.

Expanded earning potential

Maggs believes that having a dense route is crucial for a smooth running company. This past season, Maggs ran two skid-steers and five plow trucks, with each skid taking care of multiple sites. He credits the XRS for helping make that possible:

"One of the main reasons why the XRS stuck out to us was its width and ability to angle your blade. We drive these machines down main roads with low visibility during events. Having a compact unit is very important to us."


Maggs added that the XRS also offered financial incentives for his business. Not only was the price for the plow competitive, but its simple, straightforward design meant lower risk for maintenance costs:

"The wing design is simple and less prone to mechanical issues, which means less downtime for us. Worst-case scenario, if we break a cable, I keep extras in my plow truck. That’s an easy fix that can be done in the middle of a parking lot, and it doesn’t require a mechanic or dealer to get involved."

Unique features and flexibility

The XRS plow offers fast and easy hook-up, adding versatility to your snow-clearing arsenal. Maggs has seen this flexibility firsthand, and it’s changed his workflow for the better:

"We have multiple HOA communities that one of our machines services. These communities have individual driveways that are much easier to back drag in a skid-steer as opposed to a plow truck. On top of that, the XRS plows have the ability to be a full-time straight blade. This allows our operators to get right up to garage doors while back dragging, removing the need to have a shoveling crew on-site."

For Maggs, the time and money saved with XRS is noticeable, all the more since laborers have been extremely hard to come by—especially shovelers. This kind of efficiency and performance goes a long way, he says: "At both our townhomes and shopping centers, the XRS plows allow us to back drag walkways and curbs, which is a massive labor saver and could never be done with a typical rubber-edged snow pusher."

See for yourself: Browse the full line of FISHER snow and ice control products here or contact your local FISHER dealer to learn more about product availability, pricing, and service requests.

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