# Drift Cutters worth extra money



## jsup (Nov 19, 2017)

I know this has probably been asked 109,847 times before, but I did a search and didn't find anything about the effectiveness of drift cutters. Perhaps my search skills just suck. 

I'm picking up my new blower tomorrow or by the weekend. Depends when I have time to go get it. 

Should I get a set of drift cutters? Typically 18-24 inches a few times a year, once in the while we get 30-40 inches of snow. The machine is a Simplicity Signature 24 inch with the 14.5 Briggs. 

Just wondering if they have any value.


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## RIT333 (Feb 6, 2014)

They probably won't be helpful for your normal snow blowing, but they can be very helpful for the End of Driveway snow removal - if you have to face that.


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## jsup (Nov 19, 2017)

I do have an EOD situation, seems the town plow guys seem to enjoy plowing in the EOD. Icy chunks sometimes.


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## micah68kj (Oct 8, 2011)

They're helpful any time snow depth is higher then your bucket. Particularly helpful if there is any type of crust on it. 
I generally have made my own drift cutters out of anything I have laying around. Steel angle, garage door angle, smashed conduit pipe etc.
Our street is divided and they plow to the center so no EOD problems. I have no idea how they would work in that situation. I very rarely use them and currently don't have them on any of my blowers.


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## toroused (Mar 1, 2015)

They probably have just as much value in the maintenance and safety mode as they do in aiding in knocking down snow in the front of the machine.

They are great in early winter maintenance as you can easily tip the blower frontwards and upwards such as to get at the belly pan. It relieves the problem
of having to throw a piece of old carpet or old work gloves on the ground as a padding/protection for the tipped-over machine. In this position, it also makes it easier to pop the wheels off and lube the axles. 

From a safety standpoint, I find them very effective of providing something to hold on to while you are working at the end-of-the-driveway and the plow starts to come by once again. I can be in all sorts of positions when this occurs, and I find them great for being around to grab onto when the plow comes by. Especially on those wet, slippery March storms or the basic ice-storm environment when I can easily slide into the plow if I am not paying close attention. 

As far as performance, as described, they do help in the EOD burm. I find them very useful in cutting into the curb and making a parking space out in the street. Especially in the 
middle and latter ends of winter, when the storms are adding up and the snow height out at the curb is in the 6'+ foot mark. They really aid in cutting into this wall of hardened snow.


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## tdipaul (Jul 11, 2015)

Nice machine, congrats!

Drift cutters are great to have for the big storms especially when there's a desire to clear up to the curb right in front of the mailbox so the mail carrier can get to it. 

in this video right at the 3:18 mark, you can see me struggling with the snow because it's way above the top of the bucket. Drift cutters would have made things much easier but unfortunately the SM does not have them.






So I was sure to incorporate some homemade cutters on a 5/24 rebuild project...


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## jsup (Nov 19, 2017)

Thanks for the information, greatly appreciated. They aren't expensive, so perhaps I'll pick up a set for the deeper snow, which can be over the bucket a few times a year.

They video is exactly what I'm dealing with, and the comments about the hard crust on top, or the wall of hardened snow. That's what I have to deal with, so it should make the hard work easier, which is why I am getting this unit in the first place.


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## HCBPH (Mar 8, 2011)

Personally I don't use them. In fact I've given a couple of sets away over the years that have come on machines I've bought. They just get in the way when storing the blower IMO and using it, and I've had maybe once in the last 10 years or so that they might have helped with. They don't cut into piles left by snow plows so again they're just in the way for me.
If you want some, they're easy to make with just some flat iron then all you need to do is figure out how you want to mount them.


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## jsup (Nov 19, 2017)

HCBPH said:


> Personally I don't use them. In fact I've given a couple of sets away over the years that have come on machines I've bought. They just get in the way when storing the blower IMO and using it, and I've had maybe once in the last 10 years or so that they might have helped with. They don't cut into piles left by snow plows so again they're just in the way for me.
> If you want some, they're easy to make with just some flat iron then all you need to do is figure out how you want to mount them.


Storage was one of my concerns. Also, someone told me, they tend to catch you in the nuts if you walk around the machine. If they don't help at the end of the driveway, I really don't need them. For the little bit of money they are, $20, maybe I'll just throw them on the shelf and install them if I need them. Last thing I need is crap laying around the garage, but hate not having something if I need it.

Maybe replace the nut and bolt with a knob and nut for quick removal. Would be nice if companies would weld a nut inside the blower instead of a nut and bold through the housing.


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## Coby7 (Nov 6, 2014)

My first Yamaha didn't have them, I sure appreciate the drift cutters on this one, it makes it easier when you get snow drifts and does a neater job. You don't have to drag a shovel with you except for those 3-4 feet of snow storms.


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## jsup (Nov 19, 2017)

Due to lack of consensus, I'm thinking just to get them and put them on the shelf, try them for myself.


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## Vermont007 (Mar 29, 2015)

I bought a couple "universal" Husqvarna Drift Cutters for $16.95 (less their 10% Veterans Discount) from Lowes for my MTD. They're slotted, so with Wing Nuts, they can easily be slid out of the way when not needed, even with Gloves or Mittens:








I don't have to use them much; but they're really not in the way until needed . . . . so that's not an issue. And the cost isn't worth talking about.


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## jsup (Nov 19, 2017)

I like that.


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## Kielbasa (Dec 21, 2013)

Unfortunately, there is good and bad with drfit bars. They can be in the way with storage, but are super helpful when removing high amounts of snow. Unfortunately for me, mine do not adjust and do get in the way at times when she is in the garage. But they will and do shield me with not getting to close to the augers when I walk down or around the the machine. 

I think the most important thing with the drifts bars is... what angle they are set at. If they are set too high, snow will fall over on to the machine. If the angle is lower and the drift bars are made bit longer in length, this keeps the snow from falling on to the machine.


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## JLawrence08648 (Jan 15, 2017)

*Cute a straight line along the edge of the drive and walk*

What is nice about drift cutters when the snow is high, they cut a nice straight wall along the edge of the driveway and sidewalk, thus reducing the chance of fall in after you've gone by.


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## leonz (Dec 12, 2014)

Good morning Coby,

How is the new light working out on that beautiful blue mule?? 
I looked out on the driveway this morning and the JD snow blower has yet to be stolen to relieve me of it-must be the crap disease of JD quality has gotten around and prevents folks from wanting to relieve me of it? haha? 


I went to start the JDLA115 yesterday to put the junk snow blower on it and when I moved the throttle to the choke position the plastic throttle lever broke off right to the base. 


More of a high quality John Deere product assembled in Louisville.:sarcasm::icon_cussing_black:
At least I wont be dealing with poor design when I fire up the TORO Snow Pup and the TORO CCR. 



If I had bought the imported Kubota mule I wanted 30 years ago I know it would still be working!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## leonz (Dec 12, 2014)

*drift cutters*



Kielbasa said:


> Unfortunately, there is good and bad with drfit bars. They can be in the way with storage, but are super helpful when removing high amounts of snow. Unfortunately for me, mine do not adjust and do get in the way at times when she is in the garage. But they will and do shield me with not getting to close to the augers when I walk down or around the the machine.
> 
> I think the most important thing with the drifts bars is... what angle they are set at. If they are set too high, snow will fall over on to the machine. If the angle is lower and the drift bars are made bit longer in length, this keeps the snow from falling on to the machine.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I agree completely with that Kielbasa, The drift cutters on the 47 inch JD Junk I own are Vertical-go figure. I parked the JD LA115 yesterday when the throttle hand broke and said:icon_cussing_black: it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## deezlfan (Nov 8, 2017)

I was almost 30 years old before I saw a snowblower with factory made drift cutters. Every machine I ever saw with them had a pair of old lawnmower blades attached to the bucket. Walking into the end of one of those got your attention quick. 

I don't find drift cutters all that useful. I live on the end of a town road paved with screened river gravel and while the A-holes that plow have started leaving me huge snow drifts to get through lately, I can't just use the ramming technique that seems so popular in a lot of snowblower videos. The problem is the rocks, dirt and frozen ice chunks that are often mixed in with the snow. The town's wedge plows can push up huge chucks sometimes exceeding a foot in diameter. So I use a flat bladed shovel to shave the face of the snowbank onto the ground and then blow the snow away after I am sure there is no lethal material hidden in the snow. So if I were going to spend $20-$25 on an accessory for my blower, it would be a shovel not drift breakers.


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## leonz (Dec 12, 2014)

YUP. I have the same issues with NYSDOT and their lack of maintenance on Route 79 West. 
Once again I told them that the culvert below me is plugged and almost flooded out the road three weeks ago.
If it creates another 1/2 mile long ice dam that floods my property and in turn does not allow my property to drain due to my absentee landlord /neighbors property that surrounds me I will be sending the governor a phone call and following up with a registered letter. 
AND just maybe they will rip it out.
They still love to throw salt half way up my driveway too They just done get it that salt makes the road so much worse than using salting sand.


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## sscotsman (Dec 8, 2010)

For me, about one time per year the snowbanks at the end of the driveway are high enough that I think "a driftcutter would be handy here". I have been casually looking for a set (or even just one, two arent really needed) for my 1971 Ariens. 

So, are driftcutters necessary? 95% of the time, No.
Would it be nice to have? yes, but very rarely.

For me, it would be worth spending $10.
but no more..


Scot


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## Bob E (Jun 9, 2014)

There were a couple of times in the last 5 years when I can remember wishing I had drift cutters, but space in the shed is at a premium, and winters keep getting more and more mild.


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## Coby7 (Nov 6, 2014)

leonz said:


> Good morning Coby7,
> 
> How is the new light working out on that beautiful blue mule??


The light is perfect for my needs, it fills the shadow left by the chute from the Yamaha installed LED light behind it. It is also a spot so it lights the whole length of the driveway so I can see what I'm up against. The LED lights work the same as the Yammy, flawless. Just like my Korean built Buick Encore, turn the key and go.

Didn't need the drift bar for the last storm but it was practical to mount my LED light since my drift cutter has a cross brace. :nerd:


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## Julien Morrissette (Oct 7, 2017)

What about making those drift cutter's? is it easy?


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## Jetranger (Jan 22, 2018)

NO! They really serve no purpose other than to increase your risk of having your face cut open if you fall near the front of the machine. They are also good for catching your leg on. Another practical use is taking up more space in your garage and scratching up your car because you didn't realize how far they stick out. All the BS about cutting the snow bank at the end of your driveway is marketing FUD. Any snow you cut with drift cutters falls behind the bucket in most cases anyway. All things considered, they are a liability. We take them off every machine we can for the safety of our customers.


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## tadawson (Jan 3, 2018)

Well, I guess I fall for FUD then, since in my application (Upper peninsula of MI) it would be hard to live without one (note I say *one* . . . never felt the need for a second.) Without them, the drifts/banks get high enough that the blower tunnels under them, and either the blower ends up buried, or (far more often) a shovel is needed to cut the upper bank back after the first pass, and requiring a second pass (accompanied with much swearing, freezing, and time) accomplishing what the cutter would have done in one pass . . .

Oh, and to my comment of 'only one', this is partly blower determined. I run right side only, since the chute is offset to the left, giving maximum range and clearance. Trying to run one on the left, the bank often gets in the way . . . That, and I have never hit a case where things are that high on both sides, and my natural pattern is ''right side to the bank' . . .

If you get banks that high, my experience is that they can help a lot!


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## Coby7 (Nov 6, 2014)

Jetranger said:


> NO! They really serve no purpose other than to increase your risk of having your face cut open if you fall near the front of the machine. They are also good for catching your leg on.


You can't cut your face or hurt your leg on this one. Comes in very handy here where we get a lot of snow. No sharp edges and the ends are nicely rounded.










Beautiful spot to mount a light too.


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## Kiss4aFrog (Nov 3, 2013)

Jetranger said:


> NO! They really serve no purpose other than to increase your risk of having your face cut open if you fall near the front of the machine. They are also good for catching your leg on.


:welcome: to SBF Jetranger

I will admit they can be dangerous but for some of us they are very useful in knocking down drifts. Purchasing or making a set that fold or retract help out a lot for safety. I grabbed some tube stock at a box store, cut it in half, drilled, painted and mounted. Cheap and haven't had any problems with them.

Like anything some will think they're a necessity, some ridiculous and or dangerous and others just not see a need. Just depends on your situation.


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## dr bob (Dec 12, 2015)

Looking at some of the various DIY options displayed here, and the discussion about the safety concerns, I'd be inclined to make a hoop out of some handy and inexpensive 3/4" EMT (thin-walled Electrical Metal Tubing = Conduit), with ends flattened and drilled to fit the hole spacing on the bucket. Some carriage bolts and nylok-style locking nuts with flat washers would take care of attachment. Having a hoop over the front would help with safety issues, at least the ones about spearing yourself accidentally. Just a few nuts to loosen or tighten to install or remove. Put it high enough to mount a nice LED utility light and have no shadows from the chute.

Where we are now, there's no plowing service on our street so no issues with deep berms and EOD piles, and snow doesn't (hasn't so far...) pile up high enough next to the drive or road to deserve the drift-cutters. Meanwhile, the EMT sells for a few dollars at Home Depot. If you don't have a bender, you can manually "draw" the tubing over a wood form without kinking it if you are careful. Or find an electrician who has the correct bender for you to use.


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## SnowG (Dec 5, 2014)

I think the EMT or tubing approach would present too thick a cross-section for efficient drift cutting, especially with packed EOD snow. 

The type of drift cutter made by Honda and Yamaha are clearly the way to go for both safety and efficiency. I see no reason they couldn't be emulated with 3 sections of flat steel bar stock, with the 2 outer (vertical) sections bent 90-degrees at the upper corners and joined together with bolts at each corner to a horizontal center-span bar. 

Those people who own factory cutters that don't have a top cross-piece should be able to fabricate one. That way you won't have those two dangerous bars jutting out that are a risk to eyes or your body if you happen to slip and fall on one.


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## Rob Okray (Nov 30, 2018)

Bob E said:


> There were a couple of times in the last 5 years when I can remember wishing I had drift cutters, but space in the shed is at a premium, and winters keep getting more and more mild.


Mild? in Michigan? I'm in WI and it's not getting mild here, no sir.


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## russ01915 (Dec 18, 2013)

I have no use for them. What do they do that the side of the bucket doesn't?


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## Bob E (Jun 9, 2014)

Rob Okray said:


> Mild? in Michigan? I'm in WI and it's not getting mild here, no sir.



Just the other day it was in the high 50's and sunny here. I mulched some leaves and took the dog for a walk, in a t-shirt... in December... 

I can't figure out if that should make me happy or sad.


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## tabora (Mar 1, 2017)

1. They save me from having to go back and trim the higher banks with my shovel so much. This was more important on my old HS80 than on the HSS1332. And I added a bucket extender that also helps with that now.

2. They make a nice light mount.


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## Kiss4aFrog (Nov 3, 2013)

tabora said:


> They make a nice light mount.


Yes they do. That looks really nice.

.


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## Rob Okray (Nov 30, 2018)

Bob E said:


> Just the other day it was in the high 50's and sunny here. I mulched some leaves and took the dog for a walk, in a t-shirt... in December...
> 
> I can't figure out if that should make me happy or sad.


Enjoy:smile2:


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## Rob Okray (Nov 30, 2018)

tabora said:


> 1. They save me from having to go back and trim the higher banks with my shovel so much. This was more important on my old HS80 than on the HSS1332. And I added a bucket extender that also helps with that now.
> 
> 2. They make a nice light mount.


Sweet! I might need to steal that idea, though I don't think my old beast has an alternator.


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## RedOctobyr (Mar 2, 2014)

I put some on my machine during our super-snowy winter ('14-15). That year the banks were getting extra tall, so they got some use. Since then, I think I've maybe used them once. I usually just leave them swiveled down, so they're next to the bucket. When they're "stowed" they really don't make the machine any tougher to handle, and there's no risk of hurting yourself on them. I probably should have just skipped them. Oh well.


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## SnowG (Dec 5, 2014)

tabora said:


> 1. They save me from having to go back and trim the higher banks with my shovel so much. This was more important on my old HS80 than on the HSS1332. And I added a bucket extender that also helps with that now.
> 
> 2. They make a nice light mount.


Do you need sunglasses with all that light? :surprise:


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## GustoGuy (Nov 19, 2012)

I have never had drift cutters on any of my snowblowers. Unless you get extremely deep meaning greater than 3+ feet of snow they are not all that needed. Maybe at the end of the driveway pack due to the snowplow berm they could help cut a cleaner opening.


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## Nshusky (Jan 1, 2017)

Every blower I have owned (with the exception of the Honda) came with drift cutters and in all of the years I have been blowing (including as a kid using the parents old blowers) the cutters helped making a clean cut on snow higher than the bucket. 
It isn't a necessity but they do serve a purpose that not everyone finds valuable.....like mudflaps on a car I suppose.

On my tractor I have a cab and the cutters on my blower help with the drift cutting but also so I can see where the ends of the blower are in relation to where I am trying to clear....especially when things get blustery with the snow you are blowing flying around in the wind reducing visibility.


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## Rob Okray (Nov 30, 2018)

Lookie here! Just bolt one of these to each drift cutter and Bamn!

https://www.amazon.com/12inch-Driving-Waterproof-Pickup-Trucks/dp/B01K9YRY96/ref=pd_day0_hl_263_6?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B01589LUHE&pd_rd_r=e670e93d-fa5a-11e8-a6fb-839e66d9df63&pd_rd_w=cPK64&pd_rd_wg=Zm36O&pf_rd_p=ad07871c-e646-4161-82c7-5ed0d4c85b07&pf_rd_r=68BVP23GPYF9YVKCH87E&refRID=68BVP23GPYF9YVKCH87E&th=1


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## LtJake (Dec 7, 2018)

I’ve had snowblowers for an butload of years and I’m embarrassed to say I just found out what those were on my Ariens when I lent it to my son...he told me(lives in NH now).


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## SimplicitySolid22 (Nov 18, 2018)

As many have said on here when the snow gets deep they are awesome and also when the snow banks are high carving out a path for mailbox by EOD they are worth their weight in gold! 



The LED's attached would be awesome too.


I had some copy Big larry's and taped them too my cutters and it was awesome for the 10 minutes they survived the snow and wet....unfortunatley were not weatherproof....but they were $3 dollar throw aways so was some fun while they lasted.


I should have used these.....might have lasted: 
*Nebo Larry C LED Flashlight 170 Lumens *


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## tabora (Mar 1, 2017)

SnowG said:


> Do you need sunglasses with all that light? :surprise:


 Yeah, I just wear this:


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## WVguy (Nov 24, 2018)

Just two days ago I installed a set on the Ariens Deluxe 24. Realistically I'll use them about every four or five years but they'll be nice to have when needed, mostly at EOD. They do fold down so they're out of the way when not needed, just a couple of hand knobs need turning to use. Image shows them stowed:


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