2 stage snowblower skids or wheels

[MalMac 1,333]

The skids on my snowblower want to dig down into the gravel on my drive way. Needless to say that then lowers the cutting edge to the point it starts to pick up rocks and hurl them like incomming projectiles. I am thinking of replacing them with small pneumatic tires and rims. Has anybody tried this? I am open for pros and cons.

Tim

[876wheelhorse 46]

i have thought the same thing but then the wheels will be on the outside where the cutting edge isnt so you'd be pushing the tires through the snow when the inside the blower would be throwing. i have thought about it trust me lol my snow blower will trow stones farther than snow sometimes lol

[Confused99 2]

How about sticking a couple behind the blower housing? There is plenty of room.

Jason

[GlenPettit 1,718]

Most of the skids have longer slotted slits/holes to bolt to the side of the unit; the skids can be angled slightly so the front of the skid or 'shoe' is higher. On a gravel drive, the cutting edge needs to be an inch or so higher because the gravel is never perfectly flat anyway. The 'wings' on the outside would probably allow you to put in the wider-bigger pneumatic tires and still have them out-of-the-way, the unit is very heavy so you would need a strong mounting system for these tires, just might work, let us know how you are doing with pictures. You might be on to something.

[Lane Ranger 11,633]

:party:

I have concrete on my drive but I have steel wheels on the snowthrower. I like the steel wheels and the adjustment that is on the wheel horse snowthower.

I start out with a higher cut and move down a couple notches on the adjustment to get a cleaner removal of the snow. The conrecte drive is not perfectly flat but I had no problems doing this with the auger hitting conrecte, etc.

I think that gravel surfaces having more variation in the surface facing the auger of the snothrower would benefit from steel wheels rather than skids. The wheels need to be able to be off the surface a little higher or adjustable (up and down).

I suppose you could also make an adjustable skid with multiple holes for the carriage bolts on the side, etc or some other adjustment that would work also. But when it's snowing and your using that snowthrower you don't like making too many off tractor adjustments!

I would go with steel wheels instead of the skids on gravel and maybe a slightly larger wheel that the original wheel horse type.

Here is a place that sells some very nice steel wheel options:

http://www.mappcaster.com/ProdInd/Metal-St...eels-Index.aspx

B)

[MalMac 1,333]

Well guys I think we have got some valid points here. I did not think to angle the skids up on the front. I still think there might be to much wieght on them on a gravel drive way. Now as for the wheel option the draw back I see with that is what was metion about the wheels being wider than the blower. Now if the 2 stage had wings like on the single stages you could hide them behind the wings like was metioned. I tried just rasing up the blower with the lift but that was just to much wieght sticking out there. I think if we put are ideas togther we will come up with somthing that will work. The idea of a paved 270+ feet drive way is just that an expensive Idea. Thanks for all your imput. I am opened to any and all suggestions.

Tim

[pumper.atv 26]

be careful using pneumatic tires, as a flat/low tire could mean problems B)

[bitten 134]

The idea of a paved 270+ feet drive way is just that an expensive Idea. Thanks for all your imput. I am opened to any and all suggestions.

Dont forget to put heat in it.

Can you fab up a set of wider shoes with a bigger tip? With more surface area I would think that it wouldnt dig into the gravel as much.