Snow 47" or 54" Snow blower skid modifications

[fud]

Does anyone else need to regularly switch from blowing snow on gravel driveways to smooth pavement regularly? On gravel, the skids need to be set to allow good ground clearance to prevent throwing rocks. Yet, on smooth pavement I wanna scrape it clean. It is a pain to adjust the skids with snow and ice build-up in sub-zero temps with your gloves off!

I have some ideas for a modification that would be a no-tools-required quick flip between two positions. But, I'd would like to see if any one else out there has done this yet. Usually the ideas that are already out there make mine look kinda silly!

Please share if you've done this or seen something that works! Thanks!

Fud

 

[Dutch445]

interesting question.

maybe an option would be an easily removable
"skin" or shoe that would bolt to the bottom of the
ones that are already there, where you could have
bolts come up thru the existing shoes with wingnuts.
using a plow bolt or something recessed. i would
be worried about any tool free system with the existing
shoes due to the slots on the shoes and the pressure
exerted down onto the shoes, could you get it tight enough

but look, there's already holes??

to hold?

 

[fud]

Thanks for the comments, Dutch!

Your idea of a "shoe" is a good one. That could be very simple. I'm gonna let that rattle around in my head for a while.

To be clear, the positions I operate at now are: skids down ~1" and skids removed. The reason I take the skids off is so I can scrape the ice clean on my ice rink. I mentioned smooth pavement since I figured I'm the only nut in my particular situation.

The initial thought was to make bracket to mount on the outside of the end panels of the blower that would incorporate a hinge. The hinge would allow the skid to swing upward from its 1" position to completely out of the way. The hinge would have a hole in it to move onto a stationary pin in either position, allowing the skid to stay in either position with just a cotter pin. I don't know if you can follow my explanation.

This whole little mechanism could be made to work in the existing hole pattern to preserve the original blower.

My idea sounds like a lot of extra hoopla if I can figure a good way to implement your "shoe" idea. Hmmmmmm.

Fud

 

[MMagis]

Does your top link not have enough adjustment in it to do what you need?

 

[fud]

MMagis,

Sorry I didn't clarify - this is a front mount snow blower. Otherwise you were on the right track.

Fud

 

[Dutch445]

what type of area are you using the shoes
in the down position on? a gravel driveway?

 

[couch-man]

Side crank trailer jacks on each of the back sides?

 

[eepete]

Here's my totally untested attempt at this problem. On the other hand, ever since I put them on we've had nothing over 5" of snow which the blade handles just fine. Maybee I should have taken it up to Virgina for a test drive...

Pete

 

[fud]

Dutch - Currently I use the skids/shoes on my gravel surfaces.

Couch-man/Eepete - Nice idea on the use of jacks. For our MN winters this approach would only work if I put them in behind the blower, which is a possibility. Otherwise, when cutting through a hard snow drift, one of two things would happen: the jacks would get damaged/broken off or more likely, the tractor wouldn't be able to push the blower into the drift any further.

Keep those ideas coming!

Fud

 

[Tig]

My Buhler (TPH mount) has shoes that adjust in seconds but I find it just as effective to simply raise the blower and let it hover off the ground. That way I can scrape where I want to and stay out of the gravel where I have to.