Snow shoe setting on Blower?

[forceten]

First big snow of the season maybe coming to Nj this friday. I say maybe because it could be rain, could be 5-6 inches could be 8-18 inches. Everyone is guessing.

This will be kubbies first test in the snow since i got her last august.

For those of you with front blowers on your kubota. What do you have your shoes set at on the sides? I have half asphalt to blow - but half rocked driveway with 3/4 inch stone. Most is pretty packed down but some areas aren't as crushed in.

I rather not break some shear pins first time out (I do have 20 spares just in case )


Think I can float on the rocks and try with the shoes all the way up (bucket closest to the ground). or should I go up one or two notches? I have to go look but I think there are 4 settings for the shoes......

 

[JeffL]

I like to run my shoes level with the scraper with the blower weight on the scraper for asphalt. Shaves all the packed snow and ice off the pavement. However, that setup will kill your blower on gravel. Keep the shoes down and blade up to clear the rocks. If you can get a good packed base to cover the rocks maybe not so high. Always run the valve In float position unless you want to dig a layer off. Jeff

 

[forceten]

I like to run my shoes level with the scraper with the blower weight on the scraper for asphalt. Shaves all the packed snow and ice off the pavement. However, that setup will kill your blower on gravel. Keep the shoes down and blade up to clear the rocks. If you can get a good packed base to cover the rocks maybe not so high. Always run the valve In float position unless you want to dig a layer off. Jeff

Think the shoes level - but in float - will still dig into the rocks?


I wonder how much of a pain it would be to move the shoes each time between the paved and the rocked parts. I love having the paved part down all the way but I know that may no float on the rocked part.


Wonder if I could come up with a quick connect/disconnect for the shoes instead of the bolts.......

 

[Grouse Feathers]

Think the shoes level - but in float - will still dig into the rocks?


I wonder how much of a pain it would be to move the shoes each time between the paved and the rocked parts. I love having the paved part down all the way but I know that may no float on the rocked part.


Wonder if I could come up with a quick connect/disconnect for the shoes instead of the bolts.......

Yes you will pick up rocks. You may even pick up rocks with the shoes all the way down until you build up a layer of frozen snow/ice on top of the gravel. Unless you have really big rocks around 2" or bigger you will not shear pins, you will just throw the gravel in your lawn. In New Jersey do you ever build up a good base of frozen snow that lasts for the winter of does the snow melt between most storms? In Northern Michigan I can have a layer of frozen snow starting in December that stays until late April. Even the county roads can have a frozen snow for up to a month at a time. If you will have loose gravel most of the winter I would consider splitting a 1 1/2" plastic pipe on one side and driving it on the cutting edge of the blower. If it gives you acceptable results on gravel and asphalt a more permanent solution might be a piece of steel pipe.

 

[SLIMSHADIE]

You need a good snowpack to use a blower over gravel. Even on float it may dig, believe me I know. Rebuilt my new blower after the first season.
Any car can drive thru 1-2" of snow, keep that in mind. With your different surfaces, I'd probaly set the shoes even for asphalt, raise the blower 1-2" over gravel and letter rip.
Last year I tested a 1.5" pvc pipe over the cutting edge of the blower, thats what I had on hand but would probably do 2". Let it float on the concrete and it cleaned up really well, no marks and the pvc just wears down. Had it about 1-2" high over gravel and it also did very well, kind of let the rocks roll under and smash the snow down. After snowpack then float over gravel. Around the house, I also blew a couple rows wide for the dogs and myself to the shed, on float with the rolled pipe edge it cleaned right down to the grass without digging. So this year I flipped the pipe to the other side for a new sacrificial edge. But I'm also starting with my new front snow blade, once a good snow pack is in place over the gravel then my blower may need to come out. My snow removal is 300-400' on gravel and 50' on concrete, not including neighbors.

 

[JeffL]

Maybe you could come up with a spacer that would clip on to the existing shoes. Someone rigged up a shoe with wheels to do what you need.
I never tried the pipe cover over the blade, a lot of people have so must work. I would give that a try first sounds like the easiest. Would a PVC pipe slide on and off easily for a paved to gravel transition? Jeff

 

[KeithG]

I have a long asphalt driveway and a stone drive going around to the back of my property. After a couple of years trying to plow the stone drive I ended up covering it with "hard pack" which is like a stone dust with smaller pieces of rock. Since I got my snow blower I have been experimenting with different heights and I found that flowing over the hard pack works just as well as floating over the asphalt. It may pick up a few of the smaller rocks (i.e. about the size of a small marble 1/4 - 1/2 inch in diameter) but they are not thrown very far. It definitely leaves a very clean result. One thing I would highly recommend though is to put a linear actuator on your deflector so you can adjust how high/far the snow goes without having to stop. I did pick up some rocks down by the road and was glad I had the deflector set at a very low trajectory because that rock would definitely have broken something...

 

[forceten]

About 8 inches so far this morning at 8am. Been coming down all night..... Gonna come down all day.

With the snow drifts its already a foot or more in spots.. Would have liked a smaller test the first time out - but it is what it is.

Kubbie is warming up so I can make some first time passes before it gets too high.


Looks like its gonna be 18" or more by the end. Drifts with all this wind are gonna be the killer

 

[RonBoyBX25D]

Good luck, the Orange will come through. Stay safe and warm.

 

[forceten]

Figured I would report back in. Hell of a storm. over 2 feet

We did the first run at 8-9am with 15 inches. 2nd run around 4pm with 8 inches, last run will be in the morning - maybe 4 more inches.

Orange came through today. On the paved driveway area kubbie didnt even blink. Blew off the entire driveway without blinking.


Rocked in area a different story. You guys were right - even with the shoes all the way down I would pick up rocks in float (man rocks shoot far).

I have two sections of rocked driveway. One we have had for 10 years and I have big oil trucks that roll over the top of the rocks. Its compacted like crazy. That area the rocks stayed put since its so solid. Floated on top of the rocks without picking up any.

But we added a newer section last summer. And the rocks are not solid at all yet. Man i had a hard time doing it. Did the best i could with 15 inches of snow down to try to judge how high up to keep the blower.

Around here we dont get to keep the snow all winter long. this blizard will be melted next week. So now way to keep a snow base down. Until that section gets packed down tight in the next year or so I have to maybe try your guys trick with the pvc. I will do a search - but what keeps the pvc pipe on the bottom. Do you guys drill and bolt the pipe in? or will it stay put? (I'm thinking if I back up and forget to raise the bucket up the pipe will just pop right off unless its secure somehow)

 

[forceten]

The section in front of the truck is 10 years old and packed down really tight from the weight of the truck. But the other two spots are new and of course loose as hell - you can tell the colors a bit where the new rocks are out to the driveway. Hard to blow today

 

[Ossekeag Orange]

" I will do a search - but what keeps the pvc pipe on the bottom. Do you guys drill and bolt the pipe in? or will it stay put? (I'm thinking if I back up and
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forceten - I use a similar pipe solution on the FEL bucket. I use black ABS 1-1/2 inch split plumbing pipe on the bucket edge to prevent lawn and gravel drive dig-ins until we have a total freeze up with a good snow cover. You are correct in that the pipe will come off, in my case if I try and backdrag. This solution is only held in place by the friction fit of the split pipe but for the price it works fine. To split the pipe I chaulkline a straight line and use a skill saw to split it and then hammer it on the edge of the bucket, or in your case blower, with a rubber hammer. I use black ABS as I have found PVC, for me shatters in the cold weather. I typically make up 2-3 of these at the start of winter. I have never used on the snowblower but will be trying this soon, perhaps for the next storm.

 

[SLIMSHADIE]

As Ossekeag stated friction holds it on. I can make 2 out of an 8', rip it on my table saw. I thought I cut it pretty darn straight but I was off a little. Maybe that helps making it spring loaded. I found it easier to start 1 side then rubber hammer down the rest. I used white pvc 1 1/2", sched 40? But when it wears out I'll try bigger like 2". It never fell off, aslo would be no big deal to put back on either. If that seems to be the trick, I would prob fab up a metal pipe weled to flat stock and replace the cutting blade. Shoes all the way up, well you probably could just take them off.
This mod worked awesome on concrete, grass, and snow packed gravel all on float. You still have to be careful on fresh gravel, drop the blower, raise 1-1.5" and go.

 

[Grouse Feathers]

As Ossekeag stated friction holds it on. I can make 2 out of an 8', rip it on my table saw. I thought I cut it pretty darn straight but I was off a little.

Fasten a piece of wood to the plastic pipe to keep it from turning. A couple of screw holes will not hurt anything, just make sure you don't hit the screws with your saw blade.

 

[forceten]

Thanks guys - gonna try to make some up this week.....

on the paved section the blower worked like a charm! Fresh rocked area was hard.

I would up today actually using the blower as a blade and backdragged some of the snow to the paved part. That worked a but - but even then backdragged some rocks.


Will try 2" pvc and see how it floats over the rocks - or at least pushed them down


If it works really well I will weld a pipe on in the summer for next year maybe.