Snow Blade Avoiding removing gravel while plowing snow.

[jon edwards]

I was talking to a friend today. He said he had a local welding shop cut a grove in a 2inch pipe so he could slip the pipe over the mold board on his blade. They also put a couple of attachment points on the pipe and he used rubber tarp fasteners to hold the pipe in place. He said this eliminated the issue of getting into the gravel while plowing snow. Has anyone ever done this or seen a similar setup?

Thanks

 

[murphy1244]

I was talking to a friend today. He said he had a local welding shop cut a grove in a 2inch pipe so he could slip the pipe over the mold board on his blade. They also put a couple of attachment points on the pipe and he used rubber tarp fasteners to hold the pipe in place. He said this eliminated the issue of getting into the gravel while plowing snow. Has anyone ever done this or seen a similar setup?

Thanks

If you scroll down to the bottom of this thread you will see links to similar threads.

 

[ray66v]

Slitting the pipe, is totally unnecessary.

Just weld some tabs on it, and bolt it on the bottom, using the existing bolts.



I also added some 10" rubber castors, as gauge wheels. This allows me to set the blade a couple inches above the gravel.

I don't move more than a 5 gallon bucket of gravel off the driveway, all season, anymore.

 

[TemporaryKubotaOwnerMark]

There are a few threads on it around here. Some use PVC pipe. There's a vendor here who sells plastic shoes that seem to do the job.

 

[s219]

I was talking to a friend today. He said he had a local welding shop cut a grove in a 2inch pipe so he could slip the pipe over the mold board on his blade. They also put a couple of attachment points on the pipe and he used rubber tarp fasteners to hold the pipe in place. He said this eliminated the issue of getting into the gravel while plowing snow. Has anyone ever done this or seen a similar setup?

Thanks

Very popular mod here on TBN, and it's my preference for snow removal (also tried horse stall mat for a cutting edge but not as good as the pipe in my opinion).

As ray66v noted, I just welded ears onto some iron pipe to bolt onto the blade. But if you have a plasma cutter, you can slit the pipe and just hammer it over the edge.

Prior to using an iron pipe, I tried this with PVC, and it worked well but of course wore out very quickly.

 

[Oldpath05]

Slitting the pipe, is totally unnecessary.

Just weld some tabs on it, and bolt it on the bottom, using the existing bolts.

View attachment 491804

I also added some 10" rubber castors, as gauge wheels. This allows me to set the blade a couple inches above the gravel.

I don't move more than a 5 gallon bucket of gravel off the driveway, all season, anymore.

One issue I see with this is the when the pipe is on the front of the cutting edge, it would have a tendency of holding snow on the blade, perhaps if it was bolted behind the cutting edge would be better.

 

[jon edwards]

Thanks for the replies. That helps.

 

[s219]

Here's how I set mine up. You can weld the ears on any position you like. I tried to minimize any front overhang.

 

[fried1765]

I was talking to a friend today. He said he had a local welding shop cut a grove in a 2inch pipe so he could slip the pipe over the mold board on his blade. They also put a couple of attachment points on the pipe and he used rubber tarp fasteners to hold the pipe in place. He said this eliminated the issue of getting into the gravel while plowing snow. Has anyone ever done this or seen a similar setup?

Thanks

Look at "Edge Tamers"

Go to: r2manufacturing.com

 

[ray66v]

One issue I see with this is the when the pipe is on the front of the cutting edge, it would have a tendency of holding snow on the blade, perhaps if it was bolted behind the cutting edge would be better.

You could certainly do that. Or, mount it in the center below the blade.

My thought was, ice and any obstructions would not be able to bend it away in the front.

It's been the way it is in picture, for 5 years. And, it works great. Including when I back drag the plow.

 

[ray66v]

One issue I see with this is the when the pipe is on the front of the cutting edge, it would have a tendency of holding snow on the blade, perhaps if it was bolted behind the cutting edge would be better.

You could certainly do that. Or, mount it in the center below the blade, like s219 did.

My thought was, any ice and any obstructions would not be able to bend it away, with it in the front.

It's been the way it is in picture, for 5 years. And, it works great. Including when I back drag the plow.

It really doesn't hold any consequential amount of snow.

 

[JCByrd24]

After I and my father wore through slit pipe versions (on light duty plows on trucks) I revised my approach to the yard guard. I simple made my own cutting edge with two pieces of flat bar welded to form a slightly acute angle, like _\ The more vertical part simply replicates the factory cutting edge, and the more horizontal part is a 1.5" x 1/2" wear surface, much heaftier than standard pipe, and much cheaper than heavy wall pipe. It also won't fall apart like the split pipe method might, it'll just wear out. The bottom surface is not perfectly flat on the ground, it's angled just slightly so is slides rather than digs. Another huge advantage is this edge will back drag like a champ.

 

[oosik]

I've used another method if we get snow and the driveway hasn't frozen hard. I simply reverse the rear blade and plow with the "curl" pointing forward. It doesn't work as well as using the blade in its normal configuration and it isn't so good if you have a lot of snow. It does plow the snow and its doesn't scalp the gravel off the driveway.

 

[JerryK]

It's common practice up here to add pipes to plow blades in the winter. Also can be used for pushing leaves on trails in the fall. Local machine/steel/welding shops sell 8.5 foot pieces and tabs for $90. The slot is cut into them with a plasma cutter, and they make up a bunch of them each summer to install that winter. The usually use schedule 80 1/4" wall 2" pipe. A pipe should last a homeowner for just about forever, not so a contractor.... Here is a picture of a left over piece I have laying around and the tabs they gave me from just doing my 78" front blowers [ I made my own tabs ]...

 

[Garandman]

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[fried1765]

.

These are "Edge Tamers", and are sold by: r2manufacturing.com
They can be used on the lawn, and driveway: Winter, Spring, Summer, or Fall.
There is a good video on their website.

 

[TheMan419]

Edge Tamers are great if you are using the bucket to plow. If you are using an actual plow blade the edge tamers will not work.

 

[s219]

It's common practice up here to add pipes to plow blades in the winter. Also can be used for pushing leaves on trails in the fall. Local machine/steel/welding shops sell 8.5 foot pieces and tabs for $90. The slot is cut into them with a plasma cutter, and they make up a bunch of them each summer to install that winter. The usually use schedule 80 1/4" wall 2" pipe. A pipe should last a homeowner for just about forever, not so a contractor.... Here is a picture of a left over piece I have laying around and the tabs they gave me from just doing my 78" front blowers [ I made my own tabs ]...

I bet a company that figured out how to sell the slotted metal pipe over the internet would find a pretty good demand. I know I would have bought one!

 

[ray66v]

I bolt a piece of treated 2x4 to the bottom edge of my dads bucket.

It does a great job of protecting the concrete. $6 including bolts.

 

[JerryK]

I bet a company that figured out how to sell the slotted metal pipe over the internet would find a pretty good demand. I know I would have bought one!

Any of your local metal fab/machining/welding shops can make one for you. Just need to figure out how wide a slot you need, you can cut 2" pvc pipe using a rip fence and the blade set just above the table surface ... CAREFULLY...!!!! Then take the dimensions to the shop and have them put a slot in some 2" heavy wall schedule 80 steel pipe. You can have them make the tabs, or do it yourself.. Most of those places will install it for you. Shipping on something like that would have to go via freight... $$$$$$.