# what to do about skids



## leonz (Dec 12, 2014)

Since I purchased the new lawnmower yesterday and expect it late this coming week I have turned my interest 180 degrees to the snowy side of things now.

SO the decision for me is to either weld skis on to the cast iron skids the Toro will come with or have steel skids made for it.

If you have several operating conditions what have you done with your cast iron skids?replaced them or welded on them? I do not want to start vacuuming up dirt from the ground when clearing with the skids all the way down. 

I need the floatation for the second driveway which is grass and dirt and it may not freeze at all and the pups struggle with it to open it up. 

Thanks much


----------



## Hanky (Nov 14, 2014)

I bought Armor skids and am very happy with them, my own driveway is pavement but the other 2 i do on is fine dirt gravel with grass. I also make dogie paths on grass . These skids work very well for me.


----------



## leonz (Dec 12, 2014)

Hello Hanky,

Thanks for refreshing my memory about the ArmorSkids; Once I have the new snow mule in the stable I will order the correct size ArmorSkids for it. 
I have to tell my neighbor about theArmorSkids as he has a new 2019 Ariens that he bought last year.
Now all I have to do is start shopping and not drool on the keyboard while I shop. 


Leon


----------



## RIT333 (Feb 6, 2014)

Leonz , advance auto has a gallon of fluid film for $32. Sounds like a great price ?


----------



## leonz (Dec 12, 2014)

OH MY GOD YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! BUY TWO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! keep them in a warm place especially in winter. 

They were $64.00 last year, oh my poor sheep!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Buy the Fluid Film hand pump sprayer or dedicate a plastic one gallon sprayer for it so you can coat the snow mule with several coats letting the dry between coats using a clean shop rag to wipe it in firmly between coats and let it dry for a few days.

Of course if you have hot weather and sun that will let it dry sooner between coats.

You can use it on the lawn mower deck too and avoid using the poison stuff no stick stuff they sell. 
If you can take the mower to the car wash and pressure wash the underside to get rid of all the hidden dirt and grass dust first that would be best to start the mowing season.
If you can hook up the garden hose to a hot water faucet to dissolve the grass dust off before you coat it that's ok too. 

Coating the underside of the discharge guard shield helps to keep the grass from sticking too so you could do that for the mowing season.


----------



## guybb3 (Jan 31, 2014)

Do you guys know if they make the thicker PRO armor skids for TORO?


----------



## Hanky (Nov 14, 2014)

After 5 winters My Armor skids look like new , I usually get 15 to 25 hrs of use per year on my blower if that helps you.


----------



## Zavie (Sep 23, 2014)

leonz said:


> Since I purchased the new lawnmower yesterday and expect it late this coming week


Congrats on the new lawnmower and best of luck, enjoy!!


----------



## guybb3 (Jan 31, 2014)

Well, I ordered the Pro Armor Skids. I'll let you guys know what I think when they arrive.


----------



## Zazzy (Dec 21, 2020)

I just bought my first snowblower and we have a concrete and gravel driveway. So, this thread is of interest to me. 

This morning before I saw this thread and was reading about adjustments to the skids, I was thinking about having Tap Plastics fabricate a skid I could slide on, clip on, bolt on, (don't know how yet) to the existing Toro skid. I'll do the design, they cut/machine it. 

I doubt I'm the first one to do this so any feedback is welcome. I'm planning on using King Starboard which doesn't get brittle to about -105 degree F. I've used this product before for other projects and thought I could make something easy and inexpensive. I could clip it on, do the gravel portion of the driveway, then unclip it, and do the concrete, then clip it back on so no metal comes in contact with the garage floor.

Feel free to comment.


----------



## Oneacer (Jan 3, 2011)

I have now on all my snow blowers the Arnold Poly Roller Skids ... Amazon is sold out, But Home Depot.com and Walmart.com have them at the sale price of 22.40 a pair as well.

You should never have your scraper bar in complete contact with the ground. The proper way to adjust side skids is put a wooden yardstick or a couple wooden paint stirrers under the cutting edge, drop the side skids to the ground and tighten.

Snowblowing over gravel or stone is a learned experience. To do it over a large area, you would have to know how much you have to drop the side skids to keep you out of your loose material without spewing all your rocks, etc....


----------



## tabora (Mar 1, 2017)

Zazzy said:


> I just bought my first snowblower and we have a concrete and gravel driveway.


Hopefully one with tracks? They work really well on gravel.


----------



## Coby7 (Nov 6, 2014)

I don't worry about skids anymore.


----------



## Zazzy (Dec 21, 2020)

tabora said:


> Hopefully one with tracks? They work really well on gravel.


I asked the neighbor who used to clear the driveway for the prior homeowners. He said tracks weren't needed. And, I'll be pouring concrete next summer.


----------



## Johnny G1 (Jan 28, 2020)

Coby7 Where did u get those wheels??? thinkin of a set for my 928.


----------



## groomerz (Feb 7, 2015)

Johnny G1 said:


> Coby7 Where did u get those wheels??? thinkin of a set for my 928.


They look like roller blade wheels??


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## guybb3 (Jan 31, 2014)

Well, I received the Armor Pro skids yesterday (10 days not bad considering it's snow season) and I have to say they are beautiful. I'll take pictures today and compare them with my TORO skids and my home made poly skids.


----------



## Coby7 (Nov 6, 2014)

groomerz said:


> They look like roller blade wheels??


That's because they are 78mm cement and asphalt roller blades with ceramic bearings.


----------



## kd8tzc (Dec 6, 2020)

Coby7 said:


> That's because they are 78mm cement and asphalt roller blades with ceramic bearings.


So how do you adjust the height?


----------



## Coby7 (Nov 6, 2014)

I don't 78mm is perfect. 80mm leaves a trail. Trial an error.









8x 78mm OUTDOOR Inline Skate Wheels W Bearings rollerblade roller fitness 85a | eBay


Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for 8x 78mm OUTDOOR Inline Skate Wheels W Bearings rollerblade roller fitness 85a at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!



www.ebay.ca


----------



## kd8tzc (Dec 6, 2020)

78mm is perfect for your machine (looks to be a Yammy)... not sure that would be the same for mine. Interesting idea though. I assume you just got a longer carriage bolt and bolted them on?


----------



## Coby7 (Nov 6, 2014)

Yes, Got all stainless steel hardware, 8mm bolt. Been on for 5 years. Not even a scrape on the bottom of the Auger and the skids at the rear are like new. Only thing as I suspected would happen is the bearing rusted out. Ceramic bearings won't.


----------



## Kiss4aFrog (Nov 3, 2013)

Zazzy said:


> I just bought my first snowblower and we have a concrete and gravel driveway. So, this thread is of interest to me.


Welcome to SBF Zazzy
 








Another way to do wheels is to use the adjusters off a lawn mower.

.


----------



## Zazzy (Dec 21, 2020)

Kiss4aFrog said:


> Welcome to SBF Zazzy
> View attachment 172286
> 
> 
> ...


Great idea. 

You're sig makes me laugh. Last week, one of the locals drove by with a pickup plowing the street. I had to jump out of the way of the slush. I know he saw me and thought "Hmmmm. Fresh meat!"
I know he was aiming. I thought it was hilarious because I would have done the same.


----------



## kd8tzc (Dec 6, 2020)

Kiss4aFrog said:


> Welcome to SBF Zazzy
> View attachment 172286
> 
> 
> ...


Now that is interesting. No issues with the axles seizing up? It looks like you have skids and then you mounted the wheels too so you could use either or?


----------



## 140278 (Aug 27, 2020)

Zazzy said:


> Great idea.
> 
> You're sig makes me laugh. Last week, one of the locals drove by with a pickup plowing the street. I had to jump out of the way of the slush. I know he saw me and thought "Hmmmm. Fresh meat!"
> I know he was aiming. I thought it was hilarious because I would have done the same.


have had that happen so now when i see that one plow driver coming i aim the chute at him .one thing for sure is he now slows down plowing my street at a way safer speed where he has more control of the truck and plow


----------



## Kiss4aFrog (Nov 3, 2013)

kd8tzc said:


> Now that is interesting. No issues with the axles seizing up? It looks like you have skids and then you mounted the wheels too so you could use either or?


I couldn't tell you. It's something I ran across online and have yet to try. I have about 300' of gravel so the idea of wheels was kind of attractive. Up until the ground freezes I've always had a problem with my skids digging in some. I also don't have any curbing I need to get right up to so the added width of the wheels wouldn't matter to me.



.


----------



## Oneacer (Jan 3, 2011)

@Kiss,

If I had gravel or stone driveway of 300ft. length, I would certainly entertain the idea of installing the lawn mower adjustable wheels as pictured above. It would allow you to bring up the machine enough quickly to skim above the gravel and stones, thus removing the bulk of the snow quickly, without churning out all that destructive material. I imagine the first pass may be a bit difficult pushing the extended wheels into an area outside the bucket, but should be minimal after first pass, as one side would then be open.

I do not do any stone or gravel driveways, so the Arnold Poly Roller Skids work fantastic for me on all the driveways I do.


----------



## Kiss4aFrog (Nov 3, 2013)

My process is to drive on the first and maybe second snow to pack down the snow and then run the blower. I have the skids set fairly high so I don't suck the gravel up into the auger/impeller. Unlike being in the city I don't need to get down to the surface as there's no public sidewalk or a customer to complain.  


.


----------



## guybb3 (Jan 31, 2014)

Pictures of the ArmorPro skids, stock TORO skids, and my home made poly skids.


----------



## Big_6 (Dec 16, 2020)

I'm not liking the big skids. I feel they ride up on the packed snow.
A fix is in order.

Sent from my SM-N975U using Tapatalk


----------



## Oneacer (Jan 3, 2011)

I have switched over all my machines, as well as any that come to me for repairs , to the Arnold Poly Roller Skids ... 22.40 on sale at Home Depot and Walmart.

Flawless and effortless operation.


----------

