You can bolt the plastic on the upturned part on both ends of the skid. Heat the plastic, bend it up on both ends and bolt it there. Now the bolts wont be scratching your driveway when you quickly wear away the softer material. Plus you won't be catching the square end of the plastic on any cracks or ice on your driveway. Hope this helps. God Bless.
Gotta check the skids before use every time to ensure the screws aren't about to scrape the driveway and leave marks. Plastic wheels might also work. They would still wear but the snow and ice they'd be riding on would mitigate the wear.
Counter sinking the holes helped a lot. Three seasons and still going strong on the original set. Thank you for the great idea. I just tried ceramic coatings the inside of the snow blower to prevent snow buildup, worked great. I will post my results shortly.
I am actually looking for a wider shoe for my John Deere 60" front attach snowblower. I use it up at camp and early in the season when the ground hasn't frozen yet, I am trying to keep from digging in. Base is dirt and stone. I am trying to find someone that makes a wider shoe for early in the season
I had a stone driveway for years and it worked at the time. My problem with living on a hill was the constant washout from drown pours and everything turning to ice after the vehicles packed down any leftover snow. At one point in winter, I had a 4" layer of ice on the driveway which made it unusable. If my driveway was flatter or received sun during the winter, I probably would have stayed with stone and use the money I for a vacation.
I should really do that on my blower. Nice job! Since you agonized over what people call that particular piece, in my neck of the woods they're called skid shoes!
That is what I did for my customer's driveway. Not only does it protect the driveway but the blower has much less friction resistance. It almost seems like the blower rides on air. Friction free is a much better feeling when blowing snow. Because it reduces the friction, it lessens the traction required to navigate steep driveways. I did a couple of things a bit different. First off I ran the poly up the ski slope of the steal runner. This way the poly doesn't fetch up on the lip or curb, of the driveways, rocks, frozen snow or ice. The second thing I done was run a poly strip the full length of the cutting edge. I cut the poly that ran the length of the cutting edge on a bevel so it acts like a ski and doesn't fetch up driveway curbs etc. I did manage to tear it off one day so lots of bots is required. Also I heated the steal cutting edge up and applied pressure so the poly actually became counter sunk over the steal. This help secure the poly from tearing off again. Great video. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for watching and for your great ideas. I made a change to the snow blower to prevent clogging. I just need some snow to try my idea and post my results, thanks again.
The guides you are referring to are called skid shoes. My front mounted blower came with steel ones similar to yours but Kubota sells plastic skid shoes too. My blower also came with a hard plastic cutting edge attachment that can be bolted onto the steel cutting edge. Great idea and fabrication of the plastic wear strips to bolt onto your skid shoes!
I seen a few saying they may not last long. They will wear but there are materials that are very tuff. BAM, Teflon, and several others. They are know as material with the least friction and known to be very tuff. Consult one the the shops that sell this stuff in your area.
I wish I could but it's not possible. I purchased the tractor about 18 years ago and at that time quick disconnects for the front bucket was not available. I would have to purchase a new tractor with the redesigned front-end loader to be able to attach the snow blower on the front. They do make pull behind snow blowers, but you're driving over snow and packing it down before it gets to the snow blower.
Hi Rich, nicely detailed video. Your setup there is great - I've never used my loader to push snow in my driveway and went with a custom width plow for my JD2320 machine. I've found that the plow and rear snowblower is a great combination for snows over 10 inches. Rear snowblowers are great but I've found that if I go out every 6-8 inches I really don't need the rear pto blower here in Maryland. I've just put UHMW plates on my plow and will likely consider adding them onto my rear PTO blower as you did (great idea). If you get heavy snows and use your blower alot I suggest you consider adding a electric rotator and linear motor chute deflector. Thanks for posting and sharing, all the best and God Bless. 🙏❤🇺🇸
Hello, thanks for watching and the comment plus the suggestion. I need to look into adding an electric rotator and motor chute deflector. It would be a great addition plus save me from looking like a snowman. I'm also looking into adding LED lights to the top of the folding ROPS bar. Stay tuned I'm going to test ceramic coating the inside of the chute and see how it compares to using silicon spray to help prevent clogs. Thanks again God Bless!
@@diymyestate Oh yes, the LED lights today are awesome (I've added them to the rear of my tractor and they work great) I using a 'Snow and Ice Repellent' spray for inside the cute to minimize the risk of any clogs there (and on my plow). I've only used my rear PTO blower twice in 10 years but it's good to know it's at the ready if needed, all the best and God Bless. 🙏❤🇺🇸
Joe, what are UHMW plates? I am looking for wider shoes for my JD 60" front attach snowblower to reduce dig in early in the season. I have a dirt and stone base. Thanks
The poly is not going to last very long if it is directly on asphalt. That’s like putting a grinder to the guide. Another recommended forming plastic to the upturns on your guides. Other wise when the snow melts and your plastic is past the screw heads . Guess what you will find in the spring.
Amazon - HDPE (High Density Polyethylene) Plastic Sheet 3/8" x 12" x 24" Natural $22.11 I originally cut one strip the length and width to cover the bottom of the skid. After some testing I added two pieces of HDPE to both skids. The increase in height matched the rubber I added to the cutting edge of the snow blower. I used the snow blower all season absolutely no marks on the driveway, worked great! I'm new to TH-cam and looking for new subscribers. If possible, subscribe I appreciate it very much. Thanks again for watching.
A couple comments. 1-I hope your old neck turns better than mine. BE very careful when blowing snow around your buildings with a rear mounted snowblower or you'll have way more significant damage to your buildings than a few scratches on your driveway. 2-But if you want to eliminate scratches turn your skids shoes upside down and and fill the spaces between the end plates with a nice piece of hard maple or hickory and you'll have long wearing nice shoes that won't make marks. Over summer you can throw them into a bucket of old drain oil and they will soak up some lubricant. I recall my grandfather making wooden bearings and shoes for his old haybale elevator and he used grandma's pressure cooker to pressure cook the oil into the wood and they lasted for decades. ANyhow I have put wooden shoes on my John Deere 54" front mounted snowblower on my 4 wd 4 wheel steer 25 hp gas lawn tractor. I plow with my ATVs and then move the bank over with the snowblower. Plowing is quick and one roundtrip with the blower moves the bank. Saves using the front end loader in the winter on a nasty sidehill if I need to move the banks because the road is getting too narrow. Please be very careful around your buildings.
Hello Gary, Thanks for the information and suggestions. I'll give it a try a soon as we get some snow. I also want to try an idea to eliminate clogging but again no snow. Thanks again.
I can't see any advantage to using that rear mounted snowblower design. I would spend money on a front mounted blower with its own engine or even just a front mounted blade.
You can bolt the plastic on the upturned part on both ends of the skid. Heat the plastic, bend it up on both ends and bolt it there. Now the bolts wont be scratching your driveway when you quickly wear away the softer material. Plus you won't be catching the square end of the plastic on any cracks or ice on your driveway. Hope this helps. God Bless.
That is a great idea. Thank you for the suggestion. I'm going to make the change and will provide a follow up video with the results.
Thanks again!
Gotta check the skids before use every time to ensure the screws aren't about to scrape the driveway and leave marks. Plastic wheels might also work. They would still wear but the snow and ice they'd be riding on would mitigate the wear.
Counter sinking the holes helped a lot. Three seasons and still going strong on the original set. Thank you for the great idea. I just tried ceramic coatings the inside of the snow blower to prevent snow buildup, worked great. I will post my results shortly.
because a tractor with no FEL is just half a tractor.
I am actually looking for a wider shoe for my John Deere 60" front attach snowblower. I use it up at camp and early in the season when the ground hasn't frozen yet, I am trying to keep from digging in. Base is dirt and stone. I am trying to find someone that makes a wider shoe for early in the season
I'd love to have a paved driveway but the more I think about it I'll stick with my gravel. We plow way to much up here in NH.
I had a stone driveway for years and it worked at the time. My problem with living on a hill was the constant washout from drown pours and everything turning to ice after the vehicles packed down any leftover snow. At one point in winter, I had a 4" layer of ice on the driveway which made it unusable. If my driveway was flatter or received sun during the winter, I probably would have stayed with stone and use the money I for a vacation.
Subscribed! Hello from MN. I look forward to getting a 3 point mounted snow blower soon. Good advice.
Awesome! Thank you!
I should really do that on my blower. Nice job!
Since you agonized over what people call that particular piece, in my neck of the woods they're called skid shoes!
Thanks for the comment and letting me know what that piece is called, thanks again.
That is what I did for my customer's driveway. Not only does it protect the driveway but the blower has much less friction resistance. It almost seems like the blower rides on air. Friction free is a much better feeling when blowing snow. Because it reduces the friction, it lessens the traction required to navigate steep driveways.
I did a couple of things a bit different. First off I ran the poly up the ski slope of the steal runner. This way the poly doesn't fetch up on the lip or curb, of the driveways, rocks, frozen snow or ice. The second thing I done was run a poly strip the full length of the cutting edge. I cut the poly that ran the length of the cutting edge on a bevel so it acts like a ski and doesn't fetch up driveway curbs etc. I did manage to tear it off one day so lots of bots is required. Also I heated the steal cutting edge up and applied pressure so the poly actually became counter sunk over the steal. This help secure the poly from tearing off again.
Great video. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for watching and for your great ideas. I made a change to the snow blower to prevent clogging. I just need some snow to try my idea and post my results, thanks again.
You could also extend the slots on you guides ( skies)
The guides you are referring to are called skid shoes. My front mounted blower came with steel ones similar to yours but Kubota sells plastic skid shoes too. My blower also came with a hard plastic cutting edge attachment that can be bolted onto the steel cutting edge. Great idea and fabrication of the plastic wear strips to bolt onto your skid shoes!
Thank you.
I seen a few saying they may not last long. They will wear but there are materials that are very tuff. BAM, Teflon, and several others. They are know as material with the least friction and known to be very tuff. Consult one the the shops that sell this stuff in your area.
hi there it will be interesting to see how long they last , will need a follow up john
So far it made it through 1 year of usage. We still haven't had any measurable snow this year put I will keep you posted.
nice setup, any chance you can mount the snowblower so that it's facing forward
I wish I could but it's not possible. I purchased the tractor about 18 years ago and at that time quick disconnects for the front bucket was not available. I would have to purchase a new tractor with the redesigned front-end loader to be able to attach the snow blower on the front. They do make pull behind snow blowers, but you're driving over snow and packing it down before it gets to the snow blower.
Hi Rich, nicely detailed video. Your setup there is great - I've never used my loader to push snow in my driveway and went with a custom width plow for my JD2320 machine. I've found that the plow and rear snowblower is a great combination for snows over 10 inches. Rear snowblowers are great but I've found that if I go out every 6-8 inches I really don't need the rear pto blower here in Maryland. I've just put UHMW plates on my plow and will likely consider adding them onto my rear PTO blower as you did (great idea). If you get heavy snows and use your blower alot I suggest you consider adding a electric rotator and linear motor chute deflector. Thanks for posting and sharing, all the best and God Bless. 🙏❤🇺🇸
Hello, thanks for watching and the comment plus the suggestion. I need to look into adding an electric rotator and motor chute deflector. It would be a great addition plus save me from looking like a snowman. I'm also looking into adding LED lights to the top of the folding ROPS bar. Stay tuned I'm going to test ceramic coating the inside of the chute and see how it compares to using silicon spray to help prevent clogs.
Thanks again God Bless!
@@diymyestate Oh yes, the LED lights today are awesome (I've added them to the rear of my tractor and they work great) I using a 'Snow and Ice Repellent' spray for inside the cute to minimize the risk of any clogs there (and on my plow). I've only used my rear PTO blower twice in 10 years but it's good to know it's at the ready if needed, all the best and God Bless. 🙏❤🇺🇸
@@ActiveJoe Hi Joe, how does the Snow and Ice Repellent work? Is it preventing clogs? Is this something I can purchase at box store or online?
Joe, what are UHMW plates? I am looking for wider shoes for my JD 60" front attach snowblower to reduce dig in early in the season. I have a dirt and stone base. Thanks
You could use uhmw for a cutting edge also
Yes, I agree but I already had the horse stall matt.
The poly is not going to last very long if it is directly on asphalt. That’s like putting a grinder to the guide. Another recommended forming plastic to the upturns on your guides. Other wise when the snow melts and your plastic is past the screw heads . Guess what you will find in the spring.
Thank you for your comment and suggestion.
Rich, where exactly did you order the plastic from? This is a great idea!!!!
Amazon - HDPE (High Density Polyethylene) Plastic Sheet 3/8" x 12" x 24" Natural
$22.11
I originally cut one strip the length and width to cover the bottom of the skid. After some testing I added two pieces of HDPE to both skids. The increase in height matched the rubber I added to the cutting edge of the snow blower. I used the snow blower all season absolutely no marks on the driveway, worked great!
I'm new to TH-cam and looking for new subscribers. If possible, subscribe I appreciate it very much.
Thanks again for watching.
A couple comments.
1-I hope your old neck turns better than mine. BE very careful when blowing snow around your buildings with a rear mounted snowblower or you'll have way more significant damage to your buildings than a few scratches on your driveway.
2-But if you want to eliminate scratches turn your skids shoes upside down and and fill the spaces between the end plates with a nice piece of hard maple or hickory and you'll have long wearing nice shoes that won't make marks. Over summer you can throw them into a bucket of old drain oil and they will soak up some lubricant. I recall my grandfather making wooden bearings and shoes for his old haybale elevator and he used grandma's pressure cooker to pressure cook the oil into the wood and they lasted for decades. ANyhow I have put wooden shoes on my John Deere 54" front mounted snowblower on my 4 wd 4 wheel steer 25 hp gas lawn tractor. I plow with my ATVs and then move the bank over with the snowblower. Plowing is quick and one roundtrip with the blower moves the bank. Saves using the front end loader in the winter on a nasty sidehill if I need to move the banks because the road is getting too narrow.
Please be very careful around your buildings.
Hello Gary,
Thanks for the information and suggestions. I'll give it a try a soon as we get some snow. I also want to try an idea to eliminate clogging but again no snow.
Thanks again.
I can't see any advantage to using that rear mounted snowblower design. I would spend money on a front mounted blower with its own engine or even just a front mounted blade.
Great idea!