# Making your chute slick?



## fishrman

I have seen some posts somewhere that talk about spraying something into the chutes to make the snow blow out more easily. Do any of you use anything on yours? What do you suggest?


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## bigbelly

A couple of old timer neighbors, ya, they're older than me. use Pam (vegetable spray). I tried it but it seemed to work for about 1 day. Some one else I know uses wd-40. I haven't tried it though.


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## rhenning

I use a graphite paint called EZ Slide that you just spray paint in the chute/blower housing. It lasts about a year and I add a new coat every Fall. Farmers use it in planters to make sure the seeds flow and don't get stuck in the planter chutes. Roger


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## fishrman

rhenning said:


> I use a graphite paint called EZ Slide that you just spray paint in the chute/blower housing. It lasts about a year and I add a new coat every Fall. Farmers use it in planters to make sure the seeds flow and don't get stuck in the planter chutes. Roger


 That is black isn't it?


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## micah68kj

bigbelly said:


> A le couple of old timers, ya, they're older than me. use Pam (vegatable spray). I tried it but it seemed to work for about 1 day. Some one else I know uses wd-40. I haven't tried it though.


I'm one of the old timers. I use generic Pam cooking spray. Only when snow is heavy. WD-40 is too spendy for me. I'm cheap.


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## Kiss4aFrog

Available at tractor supply, sears, lowes, amazon ......

EZ-Slide Graphite Based Coating, 12 oz. Aerosol - Tractor Supply Co.

Sears.com

I don't use it but I make sure I start out the year with a fresh smooth coat of enamel.


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## dbert

Say that three times fast.
chute slick chute slick chute slick
Anybody tried the spray endorsed by Ariens or venture to guess what it's made of?
Ariens-sno-jet spray


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## Toyboy

I spray Silicone on mine


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## fishrman

*Fluid Film*

I have read about Fluid Film too but never seen it or used it.


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## AugsOfSteel

What about rain-X window treatment. Anyone try that? I love it on my windshields so i might give that a shot this winter.


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## fishrman

AugsOfSteel said:


> What about rain-X window treatment. Anyone try that? I love it on my windshields so i might give that a shot this winter.


 I have read that it's problem is if it comes into contact with rubber or plastic it might not be a good thing. I know that doesn't make much sense because windshield wipers are rubber! A little confusing to me.


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## Garnetmica

I've been using Rain-X De-Icing spray for years on my yardman, very helpful. I Have not used it on my new Ariens yet, but plan to if I encounter sloppy, heavy snow. 

Rain-X® De-Icer - Rain-X


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## AugsOfSteel

fishrman said:


> I have read that it's problem is if it comes into contact with rubber or plastic it might not be a good thing. I know that doesn't make much sense because windshield wipers are rubber! A little confusing to me.


Actually now that you mention it i have heard about that as well. They say you should only use it with their windshield wipers because the rubber formula is different. It turns all other regular wiper rubber brittle and falls apart. My old Craftsman doesn't have any rubber on the the impeller so ill still give it a shot but anyone who did the mod or has one that came with rubber might want to stay away.


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## nt40lanman

I think I will try automotive carnauba wax this year.


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## Kiss4aFrog

_*"I have read that it's problem is if it comes into contact with rubber or plastic it might not be a good thing. I know that doesn't make much sense because windshield wipers are rubber! A little confusing to me."

*_Rain-X is applied to the glass and you normally raise the wipers out of the way when you apply it so it isn't actually being applied to the wiper blade as a liquid. You've allowed it to dry and you've polished it into the glass BEFORE you drop the blade back onto the surface.


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## HJames

AugsOfSteel said:


> Actually now that you mention it i have heard about that as well. They say you should only use it with their windshield wipers because the rubber formula is different. It turns all other regular wiper rubber brittle and falls apart.
> 
> I wonder if that is a ploy to get you to buy their wipers. I have been using rainx on my truck for the 8 years I have owned it. I have only replaced the wipers twice in 8 years with conventional wipers and I haven't run into any problems with the rubber windshield seal either.


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## Kiss4aFrog

Someone needs to try this stuff and let us know how it holds up when applied to an impeller housing and chute !!

Superhydrophobic and oleophobic coating. [VIDEO]


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## Shryp

Kiss4aFrog said:


> Someone needs to try this stuff and let us know how it holds up when applied to an impeller housing and chute !!
> 
> Superhydrophobic and oleophobic coating. [VIDEO]


Wow, cool video.


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## JerryD

Home Depot sell that product, it's marketed by 3M. I was thinking of coating most of the snowblower with it.


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## fishrman

It is very cool! And only 540.00 a gallon!!! ULTRATECH Ultra-Ever Dry, Top Coat, 1 Gal. - Epoxy, Urethane, and Specialty Coatings - 43Y779|4003 - Grainger Industrial Supply


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## Saewoody

I rebuilt my entire Ariens 824 (924050; circa early to mid 80s I'm guessing) this fall after a broken connecting rod blew a hole 2" in diameter in the old Tecumseh engine. So I decided to redo the entire machine. My chute got sanded, 2 coats of primer, and 2-3 coats of color (I can't actually remember) and three coats of carnuba auto wax. It might have been overkill, but snow has not been sticking to, or clogging the shoot. 

I'll also admit, I put a $99 Harbor Freight 6.5 HP engine on it. This blower has eaten through everything that has been thrown at it. It has way more power than the 8HP Tecumseh ever had. And believe me when I say I researched a lot of engines. Just ask my wife! I figured for $99 why not give it a shot. If it doesn't work out it's only four bolts to pull it off. So far I am very pleased.


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## JerryD

Home Depot $16.95 for the kit.


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## Hova04

Have you tried the rustoleum? 
What about something like liquid wrench? 
I'm picking up my frost snowblower tomorrow, but my neighbor puts crc silicone spray on his honda 2 stage! That thing spits the snow and he just wipes when done. He does the whole block on occasion.


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## craftyman

I used krazy carpet and riveted into place. took a few precision cuts to make it fit to my liking. but snow never sticks to it anymore.


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## Kielbasa

Here is what I use. (I also call this my "impeller kit") 



$10 At Wal-Mart

I wax EVERYTHING! The inside of the chute, deflector, the impeller, impeller area, augers, auger shaft, gear box, gear box shaft, the inside of the bucket and what I believe is the most important area to wax is around the exit hole, right above and right below. 

I have been reading about the impeller kits for a long long time now. There is no doubt that they help with the throwing distance of the snow. It really is amazing on how this kit helps. But, what I have always asked myself is "what is causing the actual blockage?" To me, it's not the space between the impeller fan and the impeller belly area. I think it's because the slushy snow (sticks) to the exit hole area and the lower area of the inside of the chute, simply because when the paint is not waxed, it has drag to it and the snow sticks. When you wax the exit hole area, the slushy snow will not stick and there for, you will not have any blockage. Now I have been waxing the inside of my bucket area for years now and I have not had any blockage and it also helps keep the bucket area clean so that there is not a lot of snow to clean out after you are done clearing. 


This is after I got done clearing almost 40" of snow out of the apron area of the driveway. There is hardly any snow in the bucket. 

Now it is a job that takes me an hour or two every summer depending how many coats I put on, but to me all of that work is well worth it. Plus I think all of the waxing helps with the throwing distance of the snow. The more the snow slips and slides off and over the paint, the better the throwing distance.


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## uberT

I applied this to the chute last weekend of my 921030: 










It worked great so far, but I'm a bit concerned about how it will hold up over many uses. In fact, I think the coarse snow/ice is going to be very hard on _anything_ applied to that surface.

The CQuartz has a very strong hydrophobic effect.


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## erock

Try regular old *SKI WAX *that you would use on snow skis. Available at probably every sporting goods store. Works for me !!


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## Kiss4aFrog

My mistake. I saw the video and was very impressed with it. Doing more research I see how it's difficult to apply properly and most importantly it doesn't seem to hold up well to abrasion. That and it's also a two part application.
It sure looked good at first !!


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## TheCaptain

Actually WD40 in theory should work given that its name comes from "water displacement". Per the wiki page it is designed to repel water. Not sure how long a coating would last but I'm thinking start with a good clean paint, a excellent coating of wax, and then using WD40 before a run in heavy slush might work quite well. Going to try part of this tomorrow sans the new clean paint as that will wait for the summer.


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## Kiss4aFrog

Let us know how that works and then try it with just the wax.

I'm thinking a good wax on smooth paint would be as good as it gets.


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## TheCaptain

Results thus far...
My "new" older Toro 421 #38010 is has a few minor spots of rust and/or worn paint. I simply ignored that and coated everything I could with some old mothers wax I had laying around. Waited a few minutes then buffed it all off as best I could. Auger, Impeller, Chute, etc. Worked like a CHAMP! Very impressed with how well the wax held up.

The 2nd day you could tell a difference but it was still mostly working. I supplemented with WD40 in the chute and on the impeller. I believe it helped initially but after about an hour it faded. Never had a clog but there was more to clean up than the 1st day.

In the summer I'll plan a tear down and repaint project. Hope my results help anyone curious about using WD40.


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## chrisexv6

SC Johnsons floor wax (paste form, in the yellow tin). 

Cheap, works great. Holds up OK, but since its so cheap I dont mind applying again during the season.


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## micah68kj

Never had snow stick after spraying everything with Food Lion cooking spary or Dollar Generl spray, for that matter. Can lasts me a coupla seasons. Cheap and fast. Spray before each use.


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## Big Ed

JerryD said:


> Home Depot $16.95 for the kit.


I was going to mention this too. I have not used it but if anything it would be good to protect the items that you used it on.
Here is a video,
http://laughingsquid.com/rust-oleum-...-repel-liquid/

I have not tried anything but some pam spray, it seemed to work on the shovels, but for the snow blower moving the slush it would still clog up sometimes.

Don't you hate it when you get a nice snowstorm and then the last hour is rain! That is what seems to happen around my area almost every storm. 


There is another thread on this subject here,
http://www.snowblowerforum.com/foru...on/111-snow-blower-shovel-spray-products.html

It is mentioned that Slip Plate works well. I used to haul new cars for around 5 years and have a couple of cases of the Slip Plate in my garage. Worked well on the loading ramps raising arms. It is a dry film graphite lubricant.

Slipplate Products : SLIP Plate®
A copy and paste,
For easy, do-it-yourself lubrication jobs, SLIP Plate is an easy-to-use, dry-film lubricant that eliminates almost any sliding friction problem as well as an environmental barrier on farming, industrial, and home equipment. The benefit of using SLIP Plate on equipment and tool surfaces includes wear resistance, increased flow characteristics, corrosion resistance and sticking reduction. 

I don't know about the cost but what I have is there for me to use free. I did not pay for them.  The guy I was running for had 5 rigs hauling cars and I was sort of like his eyes and ears on the road. I took care of ordering all the parts for the others. And making sure that they were not doing side work on their own. The guy I ran for bought the best trucks available, he thought he was going to make a million. For what I did I got 45% of the gross. After he made his payments I was making more then him. 

My Old Big Red,
Edit,
Took out pictures of Old Red, you can see them in my gallery folder if you want .
Need room in my attachment folder.
He finally sold them all and told me to keep the stock I had, chains, wheel straps, grease. etc. I sold most of the stuff but hung on to the grease. I went back to hauling tanker, I like the rock and roll of the tanker. And you don't have to worry about wiping cars out on bridges and trees.
I have not hauled new cars since 2005 and was going to bring them on the road with me and sell to car haulers. I have a use for them now. 

I have both the spray and the brush on. I will try it out.
I know that you don't really want to get that on your hands as it sort of stains.

I guess it is sort of the same thing as the EZ- slide?
I would think that both of these would make a mess?

Has anyone used Slip Plate on the snow blower?
Messy?


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## Chuck2

I sprayed the entire front end of mine down with Armor-All last night . It's snowing now. So I'll get to see how it performs later on. I have a good feeling it will make a difference. Just hope it doesn't get on the tires. That would have a negative effect on traction & I'm not sure how I would remove it. Brake clean perhaps?


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## KC Snow 28

Hello all. I started with a brand new ariens and waxed the heck out of it with Mothers. From there I started with white lithium grease, and seemed to do well. Moved to a silicone spray, and that worked about the same, but pricy. Then found fluid film, and do not see changing because it works the best!!!! I am not sure how to unclog the chute - because it has not happened. My blower came with a shovel/tool but have never used it.
Basic practice is I spray it down the night before, and have used it for hours and hours, then store inside garage. With the fluid film there is better clean outs of the intake so re-freeze of ice on the impeller isn't an issue, the chute doesn't clog, and the best part..... I think it throws farther!!!

As we approach the spring I am thinking of a good cleaning with soap and a re-wax, then spray everything with fluid film.

I don't sell the stuff, only wish I had developed it!!


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## Chuck2

Chuck2 said:


> I sprayed the entire front end of mine down with Armor-All last night . It's snowing now. So I'll get to see how it performs later on. I have a good feeling it will make a difference. Just hope it doesn't get on the tires. That would have a negative effect on traction & I'm not sure how I would remove it. Brake clean perhaps?


Well, it did make a considerable difference. I had to pay closer attention to where the snow was landing. A couple times it came close to hitting my neighbors truck in his driveway which is a good distance away. I never came close before under similar weather conditions. And there was less build up on the auger & both inside & out of the housing. I will be using it again.


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## SnowGuy69

The amount of abrasion the chute and auger section go through makes me wonder how long a shot of Pam or WD40 or rainX would last. I thought of wax too. But I have tried waxing the bottom of my boat with Marine wax and it most is off after on trip.

Then I tried Zaino. One coat of All-in-one, then two coats of polish, then a clear seal. It didn’t last much longer. 

Some of the coatings mentioned are interest. Ultra-Ever Dry at $540, is just too expensive.


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## madmedic22

Old thread, I know, but I have something to add you might be interested in.

That Never-Wet by Rustoleum? I wouldnt' suggest it for this. It leaves a coarse surface, like 60-grit sandpaper, which seems to me would be an impediment to good distance. It also has a whitish tinge, kind of makes whatever you apply it to look dusty. It really works for repelling stuff, as good as or better than the videos, but uses seem limited by the two points I made above. I can attach pics of what it looks like applied to an electric motor that sits outside, if anyone wants to see it.

I use it on my son's battery-powered cars and such, as well as one of my fishin' hats. I can push the top of the hat down, fill it with water, and take a drink from it without losing any water or getting the hat wet! Bone dry when I'm done. I usually use bottles of water, though, more of a "look at this!" type thing.


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## Kielbasa

I just gave my chute two quick coats of wax before last weeks storm. It was a job that I did in the sun and took maybe five minutes. A little elbow grease and a little labor never hurts anyone.


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## SnowGuy69

dbert said:


> Say that three times fast.
> chute slick chute slick chute slick
> Anybody tried the spray endorsed by Ariens or venture to guess what it's made of?
> Ariens-sno-jet spray


The folks here seem to like it:

http://www.snowblowersdirect.com/Ariens-2983500/p824.html

They say it is a "polymer based coating” and “The more you use it the better it works.” I have to see what it costs.


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## KC Snow 28

I use fluid film spray over a few coats of maguires wax. Nothing sticks and works really well. I also fluid film for mower decks. Wish this was around earlier in life and it didn't take me all these years to find it.


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## cbnsoul

SnowGuy69 said:


> The folks here seem to like it:
> 
> http://www.snowblowersdirect.com/Ariens-2983500/p824.html
> 
> They say it is a "polymer based coating” and “The more you use it the better it works.” I have to see what it costs.



As usual, your results may vary, but I thought the Snow-Jet was horrible. So much so that I just threw away the remainder after several uses as it just didn't seem to help at all.


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## Kielbasa

Why spray over the few coats Maguires? I can not see the need to. To me it is defeating the purpose of the wax job. The wax alone works wonders for me. When I hear of a good size storm coming in, I will recoat the exit hole and the inside of the chute for the best performance for that next storm. It's a 5 minute rewax job. 



KC Snow 28 said:


> I use fluid film spray over a few coats of maguires wax. Nothing sticks and works really well. I also fluid film for mower decks. Wish this was around earlier in life and it didn't take me all these years to find it.


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