Skid shoes for rear blade, why?

[FatTire]

I use a Landpride RBT3584 for grading driveways and some light reclamation work. I do not have skid shoes for it and have never used skid shoes on a dirt blade. I'm wondering how they help, and how often or in what cases do you change the height while working? Also, skid shoes vs. gauge wheels?

Thanks,
Dave

 

[davesl708]

I am not an expert on this but the skid shoes and gauge wheels keep the cutting edge of the blade a set height above the surface you are grading to keep from digging up the gravel (like when clearing snow). You would set the height to the level that works best for your application.

 

[LD1]

Skid shoes also help to get a level grade.

Lets say you are grading along and the left rear tire drops in a bit of a low spot. Well the left side of the blade digs in and creates another low spot about 5' behind the first. Make another pass, same thing and now you have 3 low spots.

Gauge wheels or skid shoes help keep the blade from digging in too deep f the tractor goes over uneven terrain.

 

[FatTire]

I can see how a gauge wheel would really help, but its harder for me to see how skid shoes help much. Seems like if the blade starts digging in, the skid shoe just follows along.

 

[Wolfy]

Wheels work better, but the skid shoes do help. It just makes a bigger surface area for the ground to "swallow". Running a grader blade in reverse, without skid shoes is very difficult.

 

[MtnViewRanch]

I use a Landpride RBT3584 for grading driveways and some light reclamation work. I do not have skid shoes for it and have never used skid shoes on a dirt blade. I'm wondering how they help, and how often or in what cases do you change the height while working? Also, skid shoes vs. gauge wheels?

Thanks,
Dave

All I can say is speed the $200 and get them. You will not be sorry.

My first rear blade did not have them, and while I got by just fine when I upgraded to my Land Pride RBT45108 I got them. They just make life easier. Worth every cent IMO. :thumbsup:

 

[CADplans]

Look at the gauge wheel sets for landscape rakes on eBay.
IIRC, the set is only around $200,,,

Tires are much better than skids.

I have tires on my rake,, and skids for the JD 6' blade.
The only time I ever used the skids, was for snow plowing.
The skids only worked when the driveway gravel was frozen solid.

 

[FatTire]

All I can say is speed the $200 and get them. You will not be sorry.

My first rear blade did not have them, and while I got by just fine when I upgraded to my Land Pride RBT45108 I got them. They just make life easier. Worth every cent IMO. :thumbsup:

Do you "set and forget" or do you need to readjust as you work in different areas?

 

[RNeumann]

With shoes the top link is adjusted to change the depth of cut in very fine increments. And while I'm spending your money consider a hydraulic top link or TnT.

Edit: shorter top link pivots (the shoes are the pivot point) the blade closer to the ground. Inverse is true with a longer top link.

 

[MtnViewRanch]

Do you "set and forget" or do you need to readjust as you work in different areas?

All depends on what you are doing. The shoes for the RBT series blades have 5 setting. 1" increments. I typically have mine set for a 1" cut. But if I'm roughing out a road, then 2". This is for dirt grading, snow plowing would be just the opposite having the blade up 1 or 2 inches. I think someone mentioned gravel- 3/4" rock and I agree with there point, with certain types of material, the skid shoes would be basically worthless.