Really Struggling With A Front-End Snow Blade

[allen in texas]

"float" on your front end loader simply means that all the hydraulic pressure has been released from the lift cylinders and the FEL weight all rests on whatever it is attached to plus what is on it.. But you already knew that. Float really only serves a purpose (for me anyway) during back dragging. If I try to go forward with my bucket on the ground and the FEL in float, My front tires will be in the air in short order and that is with the bucket tilted back just enough so that it does not bite but just slides across the ground.
Now as far as using a snow plow, I haven't a clue since normally I don't see enough snow to have one but I tend to agree with everyone else that you would need to manually control the contact of your blade with your controls. 900 pounds plus the weight of the FEL is a lot of weight on those little skid pads. I'm sure it would be fine if you were clearing a paved parking lot but obviously, it doesn't work on gravel. The shoes just dig in. Good luck is about all I can offer.

 

[Snakebit12]

Thank you so much for all of the feedback - a great forum.

I have attached 4 pictures: 3 are of my setup and 1 is purely for your amusement (the results of my "float" test").

 

[vtsnowedin]

You do need it to pivot freely around it's push points. With my setup here I just set the loader arms to the right height and lower the blade by the dump cylinders until the lift chain slackens. Raise the loader arms a little higher to have the blade ride on the ground and cut clean or a little lower to rock it back on it's shoes if you have them.

 

[Snakebit12]

I tried ABS (black plastic) and it lasted 5 minutes, if that. View attachment 415003

When I think ABS, I think the flexible, ridged drain pipe - is that what you used initially?

I was thinking more like Schedule 40 PVC. Having looked at the blade edge in more detail, there may be enough room for a 3" pipe.

 

[vtsnowedin]

Thank you so much for all of the feedback - a great forum.

I have attached 4 pictures: 3 are of my setup and 1 is purely for your amusement (the results of my "float" test").

Yeah that last one is pretty funny.
Sad to say it but I don't think that setup will ever work off pavement and certainly not on soft unfrozen ground.

 

[LD1]

I wouldt waste time on plastic pipe. The theory is already proven. IF you want a pipe, go for it but dont waste time on plastic.

However, I think you are still wasting your time. The skid shoes are designed to work with the weight of the plow, not the weight of the plow AND loader. You need to make that change first IMO. A picture of your setup would help us advise you on how to best achieve that.

 

[Snakebit12]

A picture of your setup would help us advise you on how to best achieve that.

There should be a few pics up a few posts.

 

[LD1]

Certainly no easy way to make that one float.

 

[Snakebit12]

Certainly no easy way to make that one float.

LOL. No, there isn't.

Unless the steel pipe option would work, I am pretty much down to mastering the "feathering" technique that others use. The blade actually does a good job on the driveway (which does NOT look like my small experimental section). It just requires a lot of focus and much slower speeds.

 

[Fallon]

When I think ABS, I think the flexible, ridged drain pipe - is that what you used initially?

I was thinking more like Schedule 40 PVC. Having looked at the blade edge in more detail, there may be enough room for a 3" pipe.

No, think black plastic sewer pipe rather than white PVC water pipe, but pretty similar. I also tried it on my back blade before I build my front blade. I ended up getting shoes for the back blade, which helped a bit but still plows a bit of gravel on some driveways.

I have shoes for the front, but haven't modified the 3/4" holes to take standard 1" shank shoes yet. May or may not get to it as it works well without for now.

Also realized my 7' blade got loaded into my truck by 2 guys, so is probably 200 lbs, 300 tops. 900 lbs is freaking heavy even without the loader arms weight. No wonder you plow ice & gravel.