MARSHALL — Lyon County will be buying a new snow plow truck for its highway shop in Cottonwood a little sooner than planned. But doing so would save the county money and time, county commissioners said.

On Thursday, commissioners voted to approve the purchase of a tandem truck and plow package for a total of about $252,000. County Highway Engineer Aaron VanMoer said the new truck would replace a 2011 truck at the Cottonwood area shop that has had a lot of down time for repairs.

“This opportunity was brought forward because there was a demo truck that was built by J-Craft in Lake Crystal,” VanMoer said. “It’s a chance to pick it up for 2021 prices.”

VanMoer said the highway department had originally planned to replace the Cottonwood area tandem truck in its 2022 budget. However, rising steel prices and manufacturing delays from the COVID-19 pandemic could make it hard to stick to that plan.

State contracts are anticipated to have “double-digit” price increases in 2022, VanMoer said. Plus, if the county were to place an order for a new truck, it might take until the summer of 2023 to deliver it, he said.

By purchasing the demo truck, Lyon County could take advantage of lower prices and immediate availability, VanMoer said.

VanMoer said the truck was brought to Marshall for inspection last week. The equipment and build quality of the truck seemed to be on the same level as previous trucks the county had purchased, he said. The truck would also have a two-way plow, which can direct snow to the left or right of the truck.

County commissioners spoke in support of the proposal. Commissioner Steve Ritter said it was also worth considering that the new truck could save the county on maintenance costs.

“My opinion is, it’s an opportunity to save taxpayers money, now and in the future,” Ritter said.

Commissioners voted in favor of purchasing the truck and plow package, with a January payment.