Rear Blade for Snow Removal on B2620

[ericdube]

I'm currently in the market for a rear blade to use on my B2620 for snow removal during the winter. At the moment, I don't have any plans on using it for anything else except snow removal, so I'm not sure what to look for in terms of important features. The only requirement I have is that the rear blade needs to have a skid shoe option, so it doesn't destroy what's left of my driveway!

So far, I've got prices on the Woods RBC60 with skid shoes ($650) and the Landpride RB1560 with skid shoes ($690). While I'm not sure if those are good prices or not, the Landpride is a little heavier and has nicer skid shoes than the Woods (although, the salesman feels the Woods is a better product.) Any opinions on these two?

In addition, are there any other rear blades out there that I should be looking at that also have skid shoe options? Thanks in advance for the assistance!

 

[dodge man]

Is your driveway gravel? If it is the skid shoes would be nice. If its not gravel, I'm not sure you need skid shoes. Mine is asphalt and I put a rubber edge on mine and its pretty gentle on the driveway. You can get by pretty simple for a blade thats for nothing but snow removal. You just need to be able to angle it and drive back and forth. With mine, I just level it using the 3 point turnbuckle, leave it angled and drive back and forth.

 

[GolfAddict]

I have the RB1560, and it is a good heavy duty blade for the money, and with way the holes are set up to drop the pin in for the angling you end up with 7 forward angles up to 45* and 5 reverse angles up to 30*. I'm not familiar with the Woods so don't know if it has that much variability.

This isn't my primary snow removal tool, but have used it on occasion. I don't have the skid shoes, but on my gravel driveway I use it with the blade reversed, or backwards, at an angle and it pushes the snow off fine that way without taking a lot of gravel with it. Not sure how well that would work if it was a heavy snowfall, as I've only tried it on snows of maybe 3 inches or so.

 

[GPintheMitten]

If just for snow removal, TSC has 5' blades for $300, no skids but you could fab something for added bucks and time. Might be an option for you.

 

[ericdube]

Is your driveway gravel? If it is the skid shoes would be nice. If its not gravel, I'm not sure you need skid shoes. Mine is asphalt and I put a rubber edge on mine and its pretty gentle on the driveway. You can get by pretty simple for a blade thats for nothing but snow removal. You just need to be able to angle it and drive back and forth. With mine, I just level it using the 3 point turnbuckle, leave it angled and drive back and forth.

The driveway is a very old base coat. Much of it has broken up into very small pieces due to it's age (looks like a jigsaw puzzle) and a lot of it also has been cold patched from holes developing during the winters. So it's very uneven and fragile to say the least. I was hoping the skid shoes would keep the blade just over the actual asphalt so as not to do anymore damage to it (it's going to be another year or two before I get enough money to repave it.)

You bring up a good point on the rubber edge. I've also read about those urethane edges as well. I wonder how those would work over what's left of my asphalt and if it would "glide" along (without digging in) or not.

I have the RB1560, and it is a good heavy duty blade for the money, and with way the holes are set up to drop the pin in for the angling you end up with 7 forward angles up to 45* and 5 reverse angles up to 30*. I'm not familiar with the Woods so don't know if it has that much variability.

This isn't my primary snow removal tool, but have used it on occasion. I don't have the skid shoes, but on my gravel driveway I use it with the blade reversed, or backwards, at an angle and it pushes the snow off fine that way without taking a lot of gravel with it. Not sure how well that would work if it was a heavy snowfall, as I've only tried it on snows of maybe 3 inches or so.

Thanks for the feedback. I'm leaning towards the Landpride myself. Specifications-wise, the Landpride seems like a much better blade for only $40 more. Thicker moldboard (1/4" vs. 3/16"), more angling options, nicer skid shoes, etc.

If just for snow removal, TSC has 5' blades for $300, no skids but you could fab something for added bucks and time. Might be an option for you.

Thanks. I will admit though that I'm rather fabrication "challenged", so if I go this route it will probably just end up getting added to my long list of good intention, lack of execution projects! I'd like to get something that I can just bolt together and go.

 

[GolfAddict]

Hey Eric, off topic here, but can you tell me how you include multiple quotes in your posts?

 

[ericdube]

Hey Eric, off topic here, but can you tell me how you include multiple quotes in your posts?

No problem. The easiest way is to open multiple windows. The first window is the original topic window, and you start a reply in the second window. From there you keep opening new windows using the QUOTE button from each reply you'd like to quote. Then just cut & paste the text into the second reply window. Hopefully, that makes sense?

 

[GolfAddict]

Yes, it does - thanks!

 

[BeezFun]

Get one wide enough that even at a sharp angle it will cover your tracks.

 

[farmeratheart]

"The driveway is a very old base coat. Much of it has broken up into very small pieces due to it's age (looks like a jigsaw puzzle) and a lot of it also has been cold patched from holes developing during the winters. So it's very uneven and fragile to say the least. I was hoping the skid shoes would keep the blade just over the actual asphalt so as not to do anymore damage to it (it's going to be another year or two before ..."

Hi Eric,

I'm a proponent of the rubber edge (TSC HORSE STALL MAT). I plow from my old Pavement right up onto the lawn with no ill effects from the blade cutting edge. I'm sure the LP is a fine outfit, but there are other options!


Frank