# Do drift cutters work...



## Notes

… or do they just look macho? We might have a ton of snow coming. Curious. 
Thanks


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## detdrbuzzard

i put them on my 521 just because but we haven't had enough sonw for the drift cutters to cut


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## sscotsman

They work..but probably 95% of snowblowers, and snowblower owners, dont need them..because the snow never gets high enough.

I live in Rochester, NY..one of the snowiest cities in the lower 48. There has been one or two occasions in the past 5 winters where I thought drift cutters would have been useful..because the snow at the end of the driveway was higher than the bucket! but those are rare occasions..(I dont have them on my snowblower, and realistically, I will never need them..)

So yeah..they work..when they are needed, which is very rarely.
most people will go their entire lives and never need them..

Scot


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## Shryp

If you have an older style teardrop bucket on an Ariens or Toro the drift cutters will allow you to tip the machine up on the front end. 

I bought a set just because they were on clearance, but I didn't leave them on long since the snow wasn't really deep enough.


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## micah68kj

I have a couple of piecesof light angle thay I can bolt on in a couple minutes if I would ever need it. Works just as well as any store bought. In over 20 years I've needed them one time. As Scot said, they work if ya need 'em.


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## darcy32171

I really don`t think they do a darn thing. I bought my blower used and it never had them. I bought a set and tried them out. They don`t do anything but make the drift smooth. What about in between the drift cutters? Exactly, the drift breaks up and ends up on top of the blower and falls behind. I`m wishing I never spent the money on them. This is just my opinion.


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## Blue Hill

They've been putting them on snowblowers since the early days, so I'm guessing they work when you have enough snow to need them. I have a set on my blower that I bought new this fall, but have not yet needed them. As Joe says, you should be able to cobble some together from stuff you have laying around that will work as well as store bought.


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## Ray 1962 10ML60

Used them once in a storm of 18 inches with 2-3 foot drifts, worked great.


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## sscotsman

darcy32171 said:


> I really don`t think they do a darn thing. I bought my blower used and it never had them. I bought a set and tried them out. They don`t do anything but make the drift smooth. What about in between the drift cutters? Exactly, the drift breaks up and ends up on top of the blower and falls behind. I`m wishing I never spent the money on them. This is just my opinion.


Thats not how they are meant to be used..
If you run into the middle of a tall drift, then yes, the drift cutters will cut out a chunk of snow, which will then fall on top of, and behind, the snowblower..but that isnt how drift cutters are intended to be used..

You approach the tall drift from the side, (lets say the drift is on your right) the snow to the *left* has already been cleared, and that space is open and free of snow..the right-side drift cutter cuts into the tall drift, taller than the bucket, (the left side drift cutter is doing nothing..no snow over there) you give the machine a nudge, and the sliced-off chunk of snow falls down *in front* of the bucket, where the machine then picks it up and spits it out..

Most of the time, you get the taller "drifts" and tallest piles of snow on the side of the driveway, right up at the road, because more snow was deposited at the end of the driveway by the road plows..its the edges of those drifts where drift-cutters most often come into play..and the center of the driveway is often cleared first, before the sides..

As we have said, most people will never need them! but they can be handy, rarely, if you do need them..

Scot


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## scipper77

I do not have a drift cutter and I routinely cut into the giant pile piles at the corners of my driveway. I have never had any trouble taking cuts taller than the bucket as long as you only do a little at a time.


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## HH4

I consider them a must have accessory if you have to deal with snow much deeper than the bucket. The fold away design of the Ariens cutters was ideal. I kept them folded along side the bucket until needed. This made it easier to maneuver around cars and closer to objects in front of the bucket.
They were easily rotated into place if needed when the drifts get higher than the bucket. Once the drifts get higher than the handle bars I usually just knock the snow down in front of the blower with a shovel.

When I modified the Ariens cutters to bolt on to the new Honda I decided to copy the design of the factory Honda cutters and connect the two sides together. I just used a length of threaded rod and some nuts and washers. I have to say that this setup works so well I wish I had done it on every blower I ever used. The snow has to almost be over the top of the chute before it falls back on to the top of the blower.


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## Spectrum

Scott has the right idea of twitching snow down when it gets really high.

If you don't get serious banks or drifts then duhh, they won't have a lot value while working. 

The secondary and sometime best use is as a "kick stand" when putting the machine up on its nose for servicing the underside.

I prefer to only have them on one side and for my needs I have never decided which is best. In some cases I want so sneak the bucket in under someting like a mail box and the drift cutter would be in the way.

Pete


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## Kiss4aFrog

They help me. I made my own on the cheap with square tube steel and stainless hardware. Went to Menards and picked up a length of boxed steel and a packet of SS bolts and locknuts. Cut the tube in half, drilled the holes, painted and done. Under 10 bucks.


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## SnowGuy69

At least they are inexpensive.


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## sr71

yes they work but as noted few people actually need them. to combat the snow drifts that might tend to fall onto the engine (and miss the bucket), I noticed on the Honda Japan website that they offer this option... basically a sheet metal plate between the cutters. pretty simple to make....


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## UNDERTAKER

I just knock them down with my arms. or if I am feeling it I punch them like a boxer. good stress release method..


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## Surge

My dealer gave me the drift cutters for free. Never quite understood how they worked. I have a stone wall on both sides of my driveway and the drift cutters help prevent me from scraping the blower against the stone wall. The snow can sometimes drift two to four feet in my driveway, so I have experienced snow that is much higher than the blower. For the most part it just cuts the snow and the excess slides over the top. I try to blow the snow before it gets too high, or else I just knock it down lower with a shovel. I am guessing that their effectiveness may depend on the consistency of the snow. Wet packed snow may not be as easy for the cutters to knock down?


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## Geno

As several have said.. they do work but rarely need. What I've noticed is by time the drift cutter slices through the high drift the machine is too close so some amount usually ends up dropping onto top of bucket. I think a better design would be to have them go forward 3-4 inches then angle up. But who am I to say it would work better.. and that would also make the machine that much longer. I think I might take mine off for storage though as they tend to be in the way in tight quarters.


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## SnowGuy69

sr71 said:


> yes they work but as noted few people actually need them. to combat the snow drifts that might tend to fall onto the engine (and miss the bucket), I noticed on the Honda Japan website that they offer this option... basically a sheet metal plate between the cutters. pretty simple to make....


Wow! I like that. That can be made with some l shaped angle iron and sheet metal.


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## Marty013

we regurlarly have snow banks taller than the bucket around here and drift cutter arent just handy.. they are **** near required!.. without drift cutters, it means YOU hafta stop.. fiddle with a shovel and start again.. repeating this process every few feet.. using technique (lift the bucket or use your machine to break the overhanging ledge to fall in front of your bucket) means you can keep a decently steady pace once snow topples your bucket.. and remember 6inches of blowing snow once your banks are 4 feet high.. means snow drifts of 4 feet high each time it snows.. it isnt the snowfall per.. but whats on the ground that dictates the `need`.. and if you like snowblowing enough to spend more time than you need to


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## 43128

i never really thought drift breakers work, the only drift breakers that are worth using are the ones on the craftsman 3 stages and that honda one above


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## RoyP

Thanks everyone.....saves me a few $$ plus the time to install them.


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## micah68kj

The stuff I made mine from was left over garage door opener angle. It's lightweight and full of holes so having to drill it is more than likely not going to be needed. Drift cutters work great if needed but as I said in an earlier post I've only had need of them one to two times in over twenty years.


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