Rear Blade Settings

[JDGreenGrass]

Up here in the frozen north, we do not even try to clean down to the gravel. There little to be gained from trying to do so. It just isn't blacktop. If we only get 2-3 inches, we drive over it, creating a base. This tends to lock the gravel down, below an inch of compacted snow.

Yes, using the blade turned around is where most folks need to begin there rear blade experience. :thumbsup:

Push back with blade in "normal" position, then spin the blade around to pull it down the drive. You'll like it.

I too believe in a base. However, years like this the base doesn't form in November and disappear in April.

I am working on my 3rd base in the past 2 months.!!

 

[Zork]

Like LD1 said, the frame should be level fore and aft, if not the blade won't be level when you angle it.

I added skid shoes and hydraulic angle to mine, works really well for snow. The shoes are height adjustable with washers.

Sean

The skid shoes are a great idea. I'll get right on it. Advance has parts for snow plows and I will purchase my shoes and make the holder. The disk in my area is $19? and the sled is $29.

Snowplow Shoe Assembly, Snowplow Aftermarket Mfg Snowplow Shoe Assembly

 

[gwdixon]

I built the gauge wheels shown. With the hydraulic top I can adjust from a full cut (like shown in picture) to an infinite amount of blade float above the surface. This or something similar would work well for snow removal.

Beat me to it! Nice setup. (Ooops...the post disappeared??)

I was going to suggest wheels welded to the blade much in the manner that Chilly807 mounted the skid shoes. That way you can back up close to something if you are dragging forward.

It would seem that the skids would wreak havoc on a gravel road like the OP has while wheels would not be so damaging.

 

[bp fick]

I too believe in a base. However, years like this the base doesn't form in November and disappear in April.

I am working on my 3rd base in the past 2 months.!!

It is not uncommon. Unless one resides in the extremely cold regions, the cycle of having snow followed by thaw, followed by snow, is pretty routine.

But the principles remain the same. If one has gravel, it is seems best to always leave the last one inch in tact and compacted. Turning the blade around and pulling it accomplishes this best. One can attempt to clear snow completely from blacktop or concrete, but it doesn't seem prudent to attempt this with gravel.

I like my gravel in the lane, not so much out on the grass.

 

[orezok]

Beat me to it! Nice setup. (Ooops...the post disappeared??)

I was going to suggest wheels welded to the blade much in the manner that Chilly807 mounted the skid shoes. That way you can back up close to something if you are dragging forward.

That's true, but the longer the the distance between the blade and wheels the more level the final cut. Wheels or shoes at the blade just result in it following every rut or hummock. Since it is held in place with a single hitch pin, it only takes a couple of seconds to remove if I need to get close.

 

[gwdixon]

That's true, but the longer the the distance between the blade and wheels the more level the final cut. Wheels or shoes at the blade just result in it following every rut or hummock. Since it is held in place with a single hitch pin, it only takes a couple of seconds to remove if I need to get close.

OK, found your post. It had jumped to page 1 somehow.

I have a land leveler that works on the same principle as your set up so know the function.

 

[Chilly807]

The skid shoes are a great idea. I'll get right on it. Advance has parts for snow plows and I will purchase my shoes and make the holder. The disk in my area is $19? and the sled is $29.

Snowplow Shoe Assembly, Snowplow Aftermarket Mfg Snowplow Shoe Assembly

I made mine from discs of 3/8 steel cupped with a press, the ones I could find in the stores were flat on the bottom. That price sounds about right.

If you have to use the flat ones be sure your pipe fit is fairly snug, if not the shoes will tip and hook in. I think I have about 1/16-1/8 clearance. I used 1.25 schedule 160 pipe, the shoes have a 1" stem. The ones from Advance appear to be the cat's meow, very similar to what I have.

Sean

 

[gerard]

As chilly807 indicated in his post, get skid shoes, you won't be disappointed. You set the general height using the washers that come with the shoes. Fine adjustment can then be donw by lengthening/shortening the top link. Just using the top link adjustment, I can either scrape right down to the blacktop (which I do on the driveways), or set about an inch gap when plowing the dirt/gravel lanes down to the pasture. For a gravel drive, set about a 1 1/2inch gap until you get a solid base, then you can reduce it a little if you want but that way you'll leave almost all the gravel where it belongs - on the road. The other methods (driving backwards or reversing the blade), will work better than going forward but you'll still pick up a fair amount of gravel until you get a solid base down.