# Roller Skids



## CarlB (Jan 2, 2011)

I just finished up a set of "Roller Skids" for my 11/26 Cub Cadet and they work great. Here are some still and video's. 
























































The two below are videos of how well it rolls.


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## bwdbrn1 (Nov 24, 2010)

Looks good. Hope you'll keep us posted on how they work when the snow starts flying. You'll have to trade your shorts and t-shirt in for something a little warmer though.


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## HCBPH (Mar 8, 2011)

Very interesting. One question though, do you have a bushing or bearing in them? Curious as that looks comparable to some cutting board material I've used and I had issues with wear points where an axel goes through them. I ended up finding some inline skate wheels that worked in place after the rollers wore enough (not in a snowblower setting) to develop slop in the axel area.


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## CarlB (Jan 2, 2011)

HCBPH said:


> Very interesting. One question though, do you have a bushing or bearing in them? Curious as that looks comparable to some cutting board material I've used and I had issues with wear points where an axel goes through them. I ended up finding some inline skate wheels that worked in place after the rollers wore enough (not in a snowblower setting) to develop slop in the axel area.


The material I used is called UHMW and also goes by such trade names as Delrin. It is a self lubricating type polyethylene and has very good wear characteristics. There is no bushing installed and the axle so to speak is just the unthreaded portion of the 3/8 bolt.


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## Wayne195 (Nov 16, 2010)

That is a great snowblower skid modification; thanks for sharing!


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## abumpa (Nov 21, 2010)

I think they look good too. My only concern would be freezing up and not turning, and getting flat spots. That is not a criticism of your specific design, just a concern in general.

I guess time will tell. Good job!!!


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## CarlB (Jan 2, 2011)

The clearance between the roller and the axle or bolt is very small and i did coat it with white lithium grease to help keep water out, I also placed o-rings on either side of the roller to help keep any moisture/water out. Only time will tell if this is a successful venture or not. Worse case i put the original skid shoes back on since these were just spares to begin with.


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## HCBPH (Mar 8, 2011)

Carl

Worst case, if you had any issues in the future, it would be a simple mod to add a bronze bushing for the axels. Easy to find on the web or home supply stores, pretty sure even Ace Hdware carries them.

Regardless, looks great to me.

Paul


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## CarlB (Jan 2, 2011)

HCBPH said:


> Carl
> 
> Worst case, if you had any issues in the future, it would be a simple mod to add a bronze bushing for the axels. Easy to find on the web or home supply stores, pretty sure even Ace Hdware carries them.
> 
> ...


I thought about using a bronze bushing when i built them but I figured that the plastic would be less prone to freezing then the brass/bronze busing against the stainless steel axle. This particular polyethylene is self lubricating and very wear resistant much more so than carbon steel.


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## djturnz (Feb 2, 2011)

Would the sealed bearings in skateboard wheels freeze up?


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## CarlB (Jan 2, 2011)

djturnz said:


> Would the sealed bearings in skateboard wheels freeze up?



I am not sure if the "sealed" bearings in a skateboard wheel will freeze up or not I just didn't want to take the chance and the rolling resistance of this setup is very low. Since no bearings or bushings are employed the likelihood of freeze up is minimized. they are packed with white lithium grease just to help keep moisture out. Only time will tell how well it works, but, I don't foresee a freezing issue.


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## CarlB (Jan 2, 2011)

Update 

We got about 2-3 inches of very wet snow yesterday. The roller skids worked like a charm. No freezing or icing up. The snow blower was a little overkill being an 11hp 26" machine. This was the first test of the snow blower since i only restored it last summer and it was a new/old machine to me at the time. I blew all the snow to the end of the driveway until it was about 15" deep then blew the already wet snow that i had piled up at the end of the drive way just for kicks. The 11hp Honda clone while working hard did not hesitate to move the snow with ease blowing the already blown wet stuff 30' feet or more. I did install a 1/2" larger drive pulley on it when i restored it so the impeller speeds are somewhat faster and the 14" impeller has also been modified for 1/16" impeller to housing clearance. (homemade clarance kit).

Having a true differential it was easy to turn and for such a heavy machine (325lbs) quite maneuverable. All in all I am very pleased with both the roller skids and the machine.


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## HCBPH (Mar 8, 2011)

*Maiden voyage*

Congrats on a successful maiden voyage of your blower. Shoulds like it all come together as you want/need it to be.


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## Marcintosh (Dec 21, 2011)

Tracks nice and straight too!


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## CarlB (Jan 2, 2011)

I forgot all about this posting until i just read about roller skids on another thread. I have now three years of use on these skids and they are working as good today as the day i put them on the snow blower. There are no flat spots and i have not had to adjust the height due to wear. there appears to be a very small amount of wear after three years of use.


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## dbert (Aug 25, 2013)

Good news. Thanks for the update Carl.


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## micah68kj (Oct 8, 2011)

I think that's great, Carl. Good job. Thanks for the update on a fairly old thread.


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## warreng24 (Mar 8, 2015)

Carl - Where did you buy these "Roller Skids?"


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## CarlB (Jan 2, 2011)

warreng24 said:


> Carl - Where did you buy these "Roller Skids?"


I did not buy them i built them using an old pair of skids.
I used 1" UHMW and cut out a circle with a hole saw then bored the hole to the correct size. I just cut up an old pair of skids and welded a stainless steel bolt to the back to use an an axle. I did not use any bushings as i wanted to keep it as simple as possible and UHMW has very good wear and lubrication properties. Don't confuse UHMW with HDPE what cutting boards are typically made from. UHMW is much more wear resistant


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## RedOctobyr (Mar 2, 2014)

CarlB said:


> The material I used is called UHMW and also goes by such trade names as Delrin. It is a self lubricating type polyethylene and has very good wear characteristics. There is no bushing installed and the axle so to speak is just the unthreaded portion of the 3/8 bolt.


CarlB, very nice mod! I like the attention to detail you put into it, with packing the shaft hole with grease, and adding o-rings at the sides to help keep water out. 

Just note that Delrin is not a brand-name of UHMW PE. Delrin is acetal (POM), not a type of polyethylene. Just in case anyone is searching for Delrin, when trying to buy UHMW PE. 

I'm glad the wheels are still working well!


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## GtWtNorth (Feb 5, 2014)

Yes, thanks for the update CarlB, nice project.
RedOctober, I was also under the impression that Delrin was UHMW. How do their characteristics compare for an application like this (wear, hardness, temperature, COF)?
Thanks


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## CarlB (Jan 2, 2011)

Thanks for that info on delrin i guess i got a little confused in my research. I did get this info today (off the net) if it is any help to anyone.

delrin is the best for machining and uhmw is very tough material but not so good for machining. it is better used in the food and dairy industry and for sliding and wear applications.


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## RedOctobyr (Mar 2, 2014)

Delrin (acetal) is more expensive. It machines very well, is good dimensionally, and is still low-friction. It's often used for wear surfaces in machines. We use it a lot at work. 

UHMW is cheaper, though I'm guessing it doesn't machine as nicely as Delrin. It is very tough (good impact-resistance), and is apparently lower-friction than Delrin. It has an excellent reputation for abrasion resistance (I realize that's not quantitative). 

This is actually quite interesting, as it's testing by a single company, comparing a lot of different materials in different categories, which makes things easier to compare. It includes abrasion resistance, wear resistance, friction, etc: 

http://www.all-stateind.com/plastics/selection.pdf

Some generic information on each. 
Acetal, or POM (Delrin): 
MatWeb - The Online Materials Information Resource

UHMW: 
MatWeb - The Online Materials Information Resource

I'd use UHMW for skids or rollers, if it were me.


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## CarlB (Jan 2, 2011)

I also made a set of UHMW skids 12"long 1"thick and 4" tall, but, i have not tried them since the roller skids worked so well. I can't believe i did this mod so long ago.


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## Coby7 (Nov 6, 2014)

At the beginning you mention roller skate wheels. I put 60 hours on my roller skate wheels this winter on 2 paved driveways and it hasn't event worn the casting line in the middle of the wheel.


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## RedOctobyr (Mar 2, 2014)

Wow, I just installed my Ariens Non-Abrasive plastic skids (72600300). I believe they are UHMW PE. They're thick and solid, I'm hoping they'll last a long time. 

But when I took off my old skids, I found that I had worn through part of the 0.12"-thick stainless-steel plates I had welded onto the skids a year ago. It looks like I had the skids tilted forward somewhat, or at least that's where they wore the most. But still, the plates wore more quickly than I expected, albeit after a record-breaking winter. 

Hopefully the plastic ones will last longer.


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## CarlB (Jan 2, 2011)

Coby7 said:


> At the beginning you mention roller skate wheels. I put 60 hours on my roller skate wheels this winter on 2 paved driveways and it hasn't event worn the casting line in the middle of the wheel.


they look great where did you get them.


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## RickDangerous (Mar 27, 2017)

Someone is making these commercially now:

SNOW THROWER ROLLING SKID SHOE KIT - FITS ANY SNOWBLOWER WITH 2-3/4"-3" MOUNTING | eBay

I suppose these would be better for pavement than for gravel? 

What is generally considered the best skid type for gravel if I can ask?


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## wow08816 (Feb 2, 2017)

A long skid shoe like Armorskids works well with a gravel drive.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/ARMORski...-3-in-and-1-in-Slot-Spacing-asc0310/203668795


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## JLawrence08648 (Jan 15, 2017)

How do you think metal garage door rollers would work? The bearing is very exposed so it would need to be well greased but they are very cheap. I may have replaced mine for $1.50? each and have a few extra.


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## theoldwizard1 (Nov 23, 2011)

RickDangerous said:


> Someone is making these commercially now:
> 
> SNOW THROWER ROLLING SKID SHOE KIT - FITS ANY SNOWBLOWER WITH 2-3/4"-3" MOUNTING | eBay


Has anyone tried these ? I would like some feedback before dropping $35.


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## drmerdp (Feb 9, 2014)

Always thought they were a silly concept. 

Personally I’d go with polyurethane skids if you don’t like basic metal ones.


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## NeoGP (Jun 21, 2017)

Based on everything I have read online, the armor skids are the cats pajamas.. I am in a new house and the driveway is 20+ years old and probbaly has not been sealed in 21.. its gutted, rutty, gravel patched delightfullness that I KNOW is going to eat my brand new scraper bar and auger housing for lunch.


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## sscotsman (Dec 8, 2010)

IMO, these roller skids are a bad idea..
Because they could freeze up and lock up, then they wont turn, and you will wear a flat spot on them, making them useless..

also, IMO they are "a solution without a problem"..
Because regular skids work perfectly fine..even metal ones..they glide across a thin layer of snow while in use, very little friction, and my steel shoes have never made the slightest mark on my driveway..

not seeing any point, or reason for roller skids..
I dont see how they could be any better than normal skids, (which really dont have any issues) and they can potentially be worse, if they freeze up..regular skids have been working fine for 50 years..

just because you *can* change something, doesnt necessarily mean its an improvement! 
IMO, these are worse than regular skids, and there is simply no reason for them.

Scot


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## Dauntae (Nov 10, 2016)

I have a cement drive and that seems to wear skids pretty fast so I added bearings to mine, No flat spots and have not had one freeze up yet.


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## uberT (Dec 29, 2013)

sscotsman said:


> Because they could freeze up and lock up, then they wont turn, and you will wear a flat spot on them, making them useless..



^^ This is exactly what happened to mine. Not worth the price of admission. I'd also agree that the poly skids are likely the best solution on these machines, especially if you have Auto Turn (Ariens).


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## Prime (Jan 11, 2014)

sscotsman said:


> IMO, these roller skids are a bad idea..
> Because they could freeze up and lock up, then they wont turn, and you will wear a flat spot on them, making them useless..
> 
> also, IMO they are "a solution without a problem"..
> ...


+1 on on them freezing up. I see every type of snow there is wet, dry, slush, sudden temp changes. some storms 8-10 hrs out there. Ive seen days Im getting frozen buildup on the housing and chute. Snow to rain to flash freeze all within a few hours. Cant see any way roller skids would be any improvement. Armour skids are the only variation I have seen that may have a real benefit. Poly skids if you are picky about the metal on your drive, but they wear very fast. Ive tried them and gone back to regular metal skids. With metal I can build up the wear surface as needed by welding a strip on. Works for me. When I see the damage done by plow trucks, I dont get too concerned over a possible scratch from a blower skid. If any of my clients would rather have a plow do their drive, Power to em.


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## Coby7 (Nov 6, 2014)

I installed in-line skate roller wheels designed for asphalt and concrete. Best idea I ever had.


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## CarlB (Jan 2, 2011)

I made a pair of roller skids using 1" UHMW on a stainless steel shaft attached to modified steel skids. They have been on my blower for over 6 years and have never frozen up or been a problem. Somewhere on here is a link to a video of my blower with the roller skids.


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## dr bob (Dec 12, 2015)

I made some skids from some spare Delrin I had in the workshop. They are about 8" long, 3/4" thick. I "milled" slots in them using a small router. Our driveway is textured paving stones, street is asphalt, neighbors' driveways are concrete slabs with brick inlaid ribbons. I/we use the machine to clear at least five driveways plus a couple hundred feet of our shared private street, so the skids see plenty of use/abuse. The Delrin pieces have outlasted the original Husky plastic skids by at least 10x so far. The originals ground down a lot faster than I realized at first, so the scraper bar saw some extra wear. I'm almost ready to flip the Delrin skids over to get another life out of them. I made a few sets shortly after I started to notice the rapid wear on the factory skids, now almost three snow seasons ago.

In the meanwhile I've given thought to the other options mentioned, including sealed bearings as rollers, skateboard wheels, rollerblade wheels, Armorskids, and some DIY variation of a long Armorskid with a Delrin or HDPE wear face on the bottom. Even with the extended use during the 2016-17 snow season, I should be good for the next ten years or so with the spares I've already made. As I was doing the pre-season prep a few weeks ago, I grabbed another stick of the plastic to make more, then did the mental math on use rate vs. what's in the spares bin already.

For those playing along vicariously... The first plastic set I made was 10mm UHMW PE, six-inch skids. They weren't much better than the factory skids, requiring adjustment for wear after every use. The bottom seemed to wear in long tear-out grooves. The Delrin I used is twice as wide and 30% longer so a much bigger contact/friction/wear area, and a material that doesn't tear out the same way as the PE. The Delrin cuts easily with a chop saw and table saw, and drills/routes fine with normal woodworking tooling. Adjust cutting speeds so you are cutting rather than melting your way through and you'll be fine.


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## dr bob (Dec 12, 2015)

FWIW, the roller skids look pretty sweet on there. The amount of clearance between the scraper bar and the floor is a lot, IMO. The uneven surface plays into the discussion I know, but the height of the bar off the smooth floor need be no greater than the deepest depression in your river stone surface. Guessing that surface is pretty slippery with snow on it. Looking forward to feedback on your setup.


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## dr bob (Dec 12, 2015)

Looks like snow to me.... 

Having the blade up that high will leave an extra [blade clearance] of snow at every pass with the machine. Goal would be to have the blade just high enough to clear the coated stones without damaging them. With that epoxy-coated finish I'd probably be trying a plastic or a rubber-edged scraper bar of some sort too. Our textured concrete paving-stone driveway is somewhat self-healing of minor scrapes and tire-stud scrubbing. Guessing that the epoxy-coated surface isn't as forgiving.

Share back how it works out when we finally get some snow here.

----

House next door just sold. New owners (from Florida) will move in around New Years. They mentioned last evening that he just bought a snowblower at Lowes. Exiting owner left him a Toro electric single-stage, but he says he doesn't want to mess with the cord. We told him to consider returning his new one, since we generally clear his driveway for him whenever snow is much more than an inch or two shovelable. He's sticking to his purchase, an 18" gas something-or-other single-stage. Good chance it's no more than the gas version of the electric paddle-flinger he's inheriting with the house. We've got him covered if the new toy isn't enough.


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