Snowblower skids

[Beetle-Kill]

Has anyone seen or made a "floatation" skid for their snow thrower? My drive is a couple hundred feet long, and dirt. After the 10"+ of heavy snow we got last night, I was digging into the dirt way too much. I am thinking of cutting off the tips of some old tele skis and attaching them to the factory skids, keep the augers out of the dirt a bit. Anyone try this? Blower is a 30" husky w/ 11.5 hp. Thanks in advance.

 

[Danno77]

Has anyone seen or made a "floatation" skid for their snow thrower? My drive is a couple hundred feet long, and dirt. After the 10"+ of heavy snow we got last night, I was digging into the dirt way too much. I am thinking of cutting off the tips of some old tele skis and attaching them to the factory skids, keep the augers out of the dirt a bit. Anyone try this? Blower is a 30" husky w/ 11.5 hp. Thanks in advance.

I don't have any personal experience with this, but I'd think your ski idea may not be a bad one.

 

[smokinj]

Has anyone seen or made a "floatation" skid for their snow thrower? My drive is a couple hundred feet long, and dirt. After the 10"+ of heavy snow we got last night, I was digging into the dirt way too much. I am thinking of cutting off the tips of some old tele skis and attaching them to the factory skids, keep the augers out of the dirt a bit. Anyone try this? Blower is a 30" husky w/ 11.5 hp. Thanks in advance.

10 in late march sounds like you need a snow cat to me...

 

[Beetle-Kill]

It's not an uncommon thing here. Year before last, we had almost 10 weeks to the day, without snow. I DO have snow cats, two of them. At least that's what I call them after I get tired of the mewing and toss them into a snowbank. :coolgrin:

 

[LLigetfa]

Ja, my skids have 2" flat stock bent up on both ends and welded on. Here is a link to a pic I posted on MTF.

http://www.mytractorforum.com/showpost.php?p=475306&postcount=14

 

[Beetle-Kill]

Thanks LLigetfa, that will work. Easier than what I was envisioning with the ski tips. Does 2" offer enough "lift", or would you have gone wider? thanks again.

 

[LLigetfa]

The larger skids ride up on the snow so I added about 10 pounds of removable weights to the front to hold it down when that happens.

 

[Beetle-Kill]

I'll give 'er a shot, more snow this weekend. Thanks again.

 

[daveswoodhauler]

Ja, my skids have 2" flat stock bent up on both ends and welded on. Here is a link to a pic I posted on MTF.

http://www.mytractorforum.com/showpost.php?p=475306&postcount=14

Very cool idea. Thanks for the tip!

 

[feelingasi]

go to the local snowmobile scrap yard. they will probly give you some old "sliderails" out of a mid 80's or 90's sled. ask for a junk set usually the holes where the suspension parts bolt in are oblonged and junk. BUT, if you cut the curved portion out of the sliderail and keep the nylon "slider" portion on the sliderail this can provide for years of "not digging in". you just bolt the sectioned pieces to the outside of your snowthrowers cutting frame. I use this method on my 60" 2 stage that i have mounted to the front end loader frame of my massey 50. Works Great and was/is alot easier than babysitting my hydraulics!!

 

[raybonz]

Ja, my skids have 2" flat stock bent up on both ends and welded on. Here is a link to a pic I posted on MTF.

http://www.mytractorforum.com/showpost.php?p=475306&postcount=14

That's a great idea and would help with my dirt driveway too!

Ray

 

[Tony H]

Looks like that would help solve that problem. well done.

 

[Mainely Saws]

I know of someone who mounted small wheels on the front of his 10HP Cub Cadet snowblower to keep it from digging into his gravel driveway & it works great .

 

[burntime]

Just raise it a little the first few storms. You end up with hard pack and then its fine. OR, the 2 inch skids do work well if you can weld. I did the same thing with mine until I paved the drive...

 

[Beetle-Kill]

I feel a little silly now, even thinking about the ski-tip mod. We had just modified some BIG snowthrowers for a local HS, to clear the football field using snowboards as skids. I work for a metal fab. shop, so the bent flat stock should have been obvious. DUH! Feel free to call me names.