Utility side by sides are stupid expensive. There are some cheap Kei trucks out there, what are the odds that's a shortcut to having a small snow plow?
Utility side by sides are stupid expensive. There are some cheap Kei trucks out there, what are the odds that's a shortcut to having a small snow plow?
They make plows for quads, and riding mowers, so I'm sure there is stuff available one could make work on a kei truck.
Kei trucks with plows are popular on the internet and could be a good option compared to a SxS based plow.
You wrote, "there are some cheap Kei trucks out there." I have not looked recently but in the pre-covid world I was always interested in Kei trucks but the reality was that I could buy a Ford Ranger cheaper. The Ranger meant no odd parts or seating on the wrong side, etc. But I've seen the prices of Rangers rise and I have not looked at Kei prices.
I have a Daihatsu HiJet with a small lift and plow, works great.
In reply to John Welsh :
We have a couple hundred feet of sidewalk that gets the street plow offal from the major road alongside it. Regular size truck's plow doesn't work for it, it's been tried.
I'm thinking used, not new. This is a fork off my question about using a tractor for plowing + mowing.
SteveJones I'll have to look into that. Thanks!
Supposedly they can be had with 4WD at the port for $3k, but I've no idea how to proceed once it's hit our shores
https://carfromjapan.com/cheap-used-daihatsu-hijet-truck-for-sale?sort=totalPriceUSD
Anyone do this before?
The easiest way is to use an import broker. You'll pay them @$300 on top of all fees/shipping/duty/etc. Figure @$2k or so. You just need to decide if it's worth it, or find one here and let the guy that brought it in make a little for effort. A quick search on FB marketplace and I could buy one ready to go for @$6k and be done with it.
P3PPY said:Anyone do this before?
I imported a kei truck for my parents a couple years ago. I did all the paperwork myself, and as long as you're buying a cheap vehicle (like a kei truck) the process is surprisingly easy. I went to the port myself, loaded the truck on the trailer, and brought it home. It has NC plates and registration and everything.
Because kei trucks are so cheap, importing one falls under "informal entry" rules most of the time - that is, the lot has a value of less than $2500. That's the purchase price in Japan, excluding shipping fees and import duties or anything else. Informal entry has massively reduced paperwork, and is oriented so that an average Joe like you or me can complete it. You do NOT need to hire a broker for informal entry, though you can certainly hire one if you so choose. If you would like, I can point you towards the exporter I used and the online guide that gave me the instructions to go through the whole process.
In reply to AMiataCalledSteve :
Yeah that would be great, thanks!
Guide: https://wittymelon.wordpress.com/portfolio/importing-vehicles-into-the-u-s/
I followed this pretty much exactly. I've imported two vehicles with it - the aforementioned truck and a Honda Beat - and it went very smoothly, to the point where the customs official complimented my paperwork. I imported the truck about 4-5 years ago, but to my knowledge nothing has really changed.
Exporters: https://japancardirect.com/
After much research I used these guys for both transactions and it went very smoothly. You can browse the vehicles on the auction block in Japan for free, and they are very happy to help you with any questions you have, and will actively search for vehicles that match what you want. In the case of the truck, they had one in inventory that matched what I wanted at a good price, so we didn't have to go through the auction process. We did have them bid on the Beat though, and it went very smoothly. I might be able to find the video they sent me of them winning my car. They are native English speakers and are very friendly and helpful. I wouldn't hesitate to use them again.
nY won't let them be registered anymore unfortunately or I would have one. A local dealer has two tiny fire trucks on their lot. 
yea, NJ only lets them be registered under the 25 year rule.
In reply to mad_machine :
NY put a stop to that too. Any that are already registered are being told they can't renew them
In reply to Wally (Forum Supporter) :
I've heard about that, that's totally crazy. I can't think of another class of vehicle that is federally approved that states will refuse to register. Under federal law, there is no difference between a Honda Acty and an R32 GTR. I don't know why some states feel like banning them, but I suspect it's a combination of perceived danger (they are small and have no real crash structure to speak of) and the confusion caused by importers legally bringing newer than 25yo trucks over for off road use and then registering them as low speed vehicles.
The crash one is bogus of course, they're no worse than my dad's road-legal 1926 Model T, and the registration issue really shouldn't be a big deal for politicians to wrap their minds around. Let's hope the scourge of overenthusiastic bureaucrats at the nation's DMVs is relegated mostly to the northeast.
Well berkeley. I suddenly have a great desire to shop for a new snow plow. In Japan.
Sounds like you don't have to import from Japan. Just import from New York.
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