Snowblower skids excessive wear?

[Zick]

Used the BX5455HD for the first time last week and looking at the skid shoes it looks like they are wearing excessively fast?
Ran for probably only about 30-45min on concrete in float mode (in case anyone was wondering).

I wish I looked at the skids when they were brand new but I'm guessing the front part was just as thick as the back half.

 

[Gordon Gould]

I am guessing if you have a concrete drive it probably has a rough finish - like a brush finish - for good traction. So you can expect the shoes to wear but that does look like a lot for 30 minutes. The fronts are worn because they don't lay flat when you are pushing. They may be flat when you are stationary but when you start to push the blower is going to try to role forward and will because there is always some degree of slop in the push connection joints. You might have to experiment with the angle but you can see from the wear how much it roles. I don't have a blower like that but other implements do the same thing so I am assuming your blower will too.
I could be all wet !!

gg

 

[Rustyiron]

Shorten your top link a turn or 2.

 

[Zick]

I am guessing if you have a concrete drive it probably has a rough finish - like a brush finish - for good traction. So you can expect the shoes to wear but that does look like a lot for 30 minutes. The fronts are worn because they don't lay flat when you are pushing. They may be flat when you are stationary but when you start to push the blower is going to try to role forward and will because there is always some degree of slop in the push connection joints. You might have to experiment with the angle but you can see from the wear how much it roles. I don't have a blower like that but other implements do the same thing so I am assuming your blower will too.
I could be all wet !!

gg

Shorten your top link a turn or 2.

Should have mentioned this is a front mount blower, thus no way to change the angle.

 

[Peter 315]

weld some wear plates on the bottom

 

[Gordon Gould]

Should have mentioned this is a front mount blower, thus no way to change the angle.

I probably wasn't clear in what I said. What I tried to say was change the angle of the shoes so they are flat on the pavement while pushing - They have adjustment bolts. You will no doubt need to build them up with wear plates from time to time as suggested.

gg

 

[mikester]

It’s a wearable item and you are just grinding it up on concrete.

Your options are to keep buying replacements, buy some hard facing weld rod and build up the bottoms of the wear pads, try different wear pad materials ie. bolt on UHMW pads (really going to be the same problem), or add wheels to the back of the blower to take some of the load.

 

[Zick]

Guys, I understand these are wearable items (skids and scraper bar) but I just thought this looked a little excessive wear for only about 30min of actual use. Doesn't seem like these will last very long.

I'll try playing w/ the skid shoes to see if I can get them to lay flatter to wear more evenly.

Also, I can't image needing to weld on a wearable surface to a brand new piece of equipment (especially one that costs so much).

 

[JerryK]

You could take them off and hang them on the wall... They will stay like new that way....... [ It's just a wear item, will wear the concrete smoother over time, too... ] I would weld some wider/longer pads on them... that way they will not wear down as fast... Or you could rope some big helium balloons to the front of the blower to lighten up the load they have to carry.... AND, make sure you are using float and not trying to lift the front of the tractor on the little pads....

 

[mrmikey]

I would weld some wider/longer pads on them... that way they will not wear down as fast

Did that with my walk behind, used 2 x 3/8 flat. Doesn't want to wander all over the place and last a couple of years on a frozen crusher dust driveway. I would imagine that would be equivalent to a 10 grit sandpaper, least ways that's what it felt like when I slipped and landed on one knee ...............Mike