Snow Attachments Snowblower skid shoes for a gravel drive.

[MMagis]

While the idea of oversize shoes is the correct way to go, I would have made turned up tips (like ski tips) and opted for T1 (hardened steel)
over Teflon as Teflon is soft and will wear away fairly fast.
IMHO, even regular steel is better than Teflon for this application.
On my blower I have 2 X 10" skids made from T1 and the have withstood 4 yrs of constant usage so far.
I agree however that you are on the right track.

UHMWP is not Teflon. It's quite different, and will wear much better.

It's a matter of preference. Plastic would be better suited for a concrete or paved driveway. Personally, I would use HDPE and just replace as needed, it's cheap and easy to work with. I also have an never ending supply.

 

[oldpilgrim]

Would they function better if instead of the 4 bolts holding it rigid to the blower, you had one bolt only that allowed the shoe to 'flex' over the ground, along with the turned up tips, of course.

 

[jix]

I like the 5' wide shoes and about 24" long with true ski tips fore and aft.. but late in the winter I shall reduce the standoff height to about 1"..Coz my driveway has a camber for drainage.

 

[LittleBear]

Would they function better if instead of the 4 bolts holding it rigid to the blower, you had one bolt only that allowed the shoe to 'flex' over the ground, along with the turned up tips, of course.

That is an interesting idea, allowing the shoe to follow the contours of the ground. I wonder if anyone has tried that?

 

[Trials]

:laughing: doesn't anybody make things out of wood anymore? ah crap, now I feel old.
my first snowmobile had wooden skis and rode on wood and rubber tracks that slid on hardwood rails.

 

[Green Acres Homestead]

I made a pair about 10 years ago with the slippery plastic. Man they slide some easy. the plastic I used was thinner and had to be replaced every year but then again I had about 40 driveways to do. I had the shoes up higher so they would not hit the gravel at the first of the year. If I kept leaving 5 cm of snow every storm, by the end of the year I would have a foot of snow on the driveways. Be sure you are able to lower the shoes to scrape it down good and not leave to much snow. Other then that it is a good idea.

 

[LittleBear]

I made a pair about 10 years ago with the slippery plastic. Man they slide some easy. the plastic I used was thinner and had to be replaced every year but then again I had about 40 driveways to do. I had the shoes up higher so they would not hit the gravel at the first of the year. If I kept leaving 5 cm of snow every storm, by the end of the year I would have a foot of snow on the driveways. Be sure you are able to lower the shoes to scrape it down good and not leave to much snow. Other then that it is a good idea.

I actually have two sets of skid shoes on the blower (see second pic). After the ground freezes hard, I can take the end shoes off and make lower cuts. No chance to use her yet due to the warm weather.

 

[FatTire]

If you have surface you really need to protect, maybe something like pavers, Fall Line out of Reno, NV does polyurethane covering for skid shoes. FallLine Corporation | Specialists in Urethane Technology and Manufacturer and Distributor of Custom Molded Products and Ski, Construction, Snow Removal, and Sports Recreation Industry Products