Snow Snow Blade wheel kit

DHS · Aug 20, 2009

I have a PT-422 with a snow blade on which I installed skids instead of the PT wheel kit. I suspect the wheels may work better than the skids. I am thinking about using the stem caster wheels from my mower and fabricating the support brackets.

Do any of you have pictures of your snow blade wheel kit that you will share? I am willing to share my experience with skids compared to wheels.

Yes, I realize it is early to be thinking of snow.

Thank you,

Dale

MossRoad · Aug 21, 2009

DHS said:
I have a PT-422 with a snow blade on which I installed skids instead of the PT wheel kit. I suspect the wheels may work better than the skids. I am thinking about using the stem caster wheels from my mower and fabricating the support brackets.

Do any of you have pictures of your snow blade wheel kit that you will share? I am willing to share my experience with skids compared to wheels.

Yes, I realize it is early to be thinking of snow.

Thank you,

Dale

I have the wheels on my snow blade. They work O.K., but are kind of hard to get set just right. The problem is this... if you set the wheel height so that if you angle the blade, lets say so the left side is closest to the tractor, then set the wheel height to your desired height, if you angle the blade all the way to the right the wheel height is different.

I have found that I have to angle the blade straight across with the blade PERPENDICULAR to the ground at a perfect 90 degree angle, THEN set the wheel height. Then, when I angle the blade to either side, as long as I use the dump/curl to keep the blade perpendicular to the ground the blade will stay at the right height.

I think is would be the same for skids.

DHS · Aug 21, 2009

MossRoad said:
I have the wheels on my snow blade. They work O.K., but are kind of hard to get set just right. The problem is this... if you set the wheel height so that if you angle the blade, lets say so the left side is closest to the tractor, then set the wheel height to your desired height, if you angle the blade all the way to the right the wheel height is different.

I have found that I have to angle the blade straight across with the blade PERPENDICULAR to the ground at a perfect 90 degree angle, THEN set the wheel height. Then, when I angle the blade to either side, as long as I use the dump/curl to keep the blade perpendicular to the ground the blade will stay at the right height.

I think is would be the same for skids.

Yes, my skids act the same as your wheels when changing the angle of the blade. One of the problems I have with skids is they seem to produce more drag than I assume wheels produce. The second problem, I wear the skids rapidly. I had them welded twice. They are heavy duty snowplow skids. Third, the skids mark up my asphalt driveway.

Thank you

Dale

MossRoad · Aug 22, 2009

DHS said:
Yes, my skids act the same as your wheels when changing the angle of the blade. One of the problems I have with skids is they seem to produce more drag than I assume wheels produce. The second problem, I wear the skids rapidly. I had them welded twice. They are heavy duty snowplow skids. Third, the skids mark up my asphalt driveway.

Thank you

Dale

I have an asphalt driveway, too. The wheels leave no marks.

I am very surprised that you are wearing out skids with a 1500 pound tractor. I used to plow snow as part of my job at the airport and never wore out a skid in 6 years. Are they the round pancake style skids or the rectangular ski type skids? Just curious.

SpringHollow · Aug 23, 2009

I have never even come close to wearing out a skid on my snow plow - incl my neighbors, i plow 1/2 mile of gravel driveways.

Ken

Bob999 · Aug 23, 2009

I wonder if the center pivot of the PT snowplow has enough "play". The snow plow I have on my skid steer has, by design, allowance for the plow to "articulate". That allows it to make contact across the full width, including when the blade is angled left or right.

I suspect that the wear on skids varies quote a bit depending on the surface being plowed--I would expect that a gravel surface would wear a skid less than asphalt and asphalt would be less abrasive than concrete.

SpringHollow · Aug 23, 2009

As i think about it more, our driveways ice up and stay that way for most of the winter so it is only part of the time that one hits gravel.

Ken

RegL · Aug 23, 2009

Bob999 said:
I wonder if the center pivot of the PT snowplow has enough "play". The snow plow I have on my skid steer has, by design, allowance for the plow to "articulate". That allows it to make contact across the full width, including when the blade is angled left or right.

I suspect that the wear on skids varies quote a bit depending on the surface being plowed--I would expect that a gravel surface would wear a skid less than asphalt and asphalt would be less abrasive than concrete.

That's the problem. The PT plow has no articulation at all. I think an attach setup similar to the PHD or brush hog would work much better. I find the light material bucket more useful for snow in my situation.