shoe or not to shoe?

[Green Acres Homestead]

Was going to upgrade my snowblower on my 2025 john deere to a front mounted blower. However after being told by my dealer that it was "no big deal" to change between the blower and bucket, I seen that it was quite more than I would want to do in the winter here in the U P of Mich. So after selling my old agrotrend blower, than finding out about the amount of work changing over/back to blower and or bucket I purchased a new J D 54 rear blower. Unlike the old agro, JD has shoes on it. Driveway is gravel, seems the shoes cause more trouble than the agrotrend without shoes! They dig into driveway, sod on edge of driveway. Thinking I might just remove the shoes and use it that way. Agrotrend did not seem to be so damaging?? Any Ideas on this? Yooperterry

Don’t give up on shoes until the ground gets frozen if it freezes in you area. Also if you have a gavel driveway shoes can be adjusted so you don’t pick up the gravel. I have my shoes set low but a lot of times I tether k(keep the blower up by raising the 3pth. Also I put driveway stakes in so I know where the lawn is.

 

[ruffdog]

I have an old blower that has small round shoes that will dig into soft ground. If I were going to use the blower more than I do, I would be getting some of those large aftermarket shoes to bolt on. If I do have to run the blower, I just lift it a bit so it doesn't dig in.

 

[PILOON]

Hey, a while back I posted my cure.

I welded some 12 inch 3/8 X 3 inch 'skids' onto my factory skids.
I bent both ends like ski tips.
My blower no longer tosses stones onto my grass.

 

[yooperterry]

Have not given up on the shoes! Had a pretty good base set up and things were working out better,however last week we had a warm spell here in the U P and wouldn't you know it most of the base melted!!!! Has since tightened up again so will be going at it again. Thanks for all the help!