# Wheels instead of Skids



## q95

I have seen 3-4 different posts that talk about or show pictures of an interesting (to me) modification. People have pulled off the skids and added wheels.

On a few, I have posted for more information. Mostly, where are the wheels from and additional pictures from the inside of the bucket. I think the main question is what wheel and sealed bearing they are using that they have had success with. 

One guy said he bought his wheels at Home Depot, but I could only find assembled caster wheels. I didn't get a reply to model/item number specifics or a better description.

Today, a new member (RoyP) posted in a thread that was discussing Armor Skids that he has a new machine and may put wheels on it, like his older one.

So, I thought I'd start a new thread to get more specifics. Plus, maybe some feedback from anyone that tried wheels and went back to skids.

Note, I have a well insulated garage where I store my blower. It is not heated. However, almost all of the time, when I use my machine, all of the snow from the prior blowing has melted off (I hand clear the majority of the snow). So, I'm not overly worried about freeze/thaw, but it is probably one of the main issues to get more feedback from.


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## q95

I searched the internet and found some options (vs make my own).

MTD Roller Skid Snow Thrower Skid Shoe (Pair) | MTD Yard Machines 490-241-0038

They're on ebay and a few other sites. Not a lot of feedback or details in the specs.

Here's a slightly different product:







Does anyone have any experience/feedback with this type of product/modification?


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## sscotsman

I still dont understand why anyone would bother, when there is nothing wrong with skids.

Scot


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## Normex

I can only see it might help in his situation as mentioned his blower melts away all snow and ice? otherwise the frozen wheels become skids and flat grinded.


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## Bob E

In a couple of places I've seen guys using wheels off of a push lawn mower. I kind of like the idea of the quick height adjustment.

-edit-
Here's one
http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/owning-operating/92983-snowblower-skid-shoes-digging-into.html


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## J_ph

I'm guilty of having created a couple versions of the wheel-thing. Had a similar setup on a old yardman that worked for years. But I have to say, the only reason that I do this it because a have a couple gravel driveways, and a long brick sidewalk. Each of these require change the height during a single event. 

If it wasn't for a need to make quick adjustments, I wouldn't bother with wheels. I think the biggest drawback is the additional width to the auger housing which can restrict the ability to cut through a bank..... as a result I'm contemplating creating a fender.... maybe.


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## RoyP

I wish I had my old machine to show you the wheels that I had on it....using a angle iron (Home Depot) and the 1.5" swivel caster (home Depot) I mounted mine on the outside of the auger assembly......very little drag when going through the snow banks....there was absolutely no drag on the machine, except when you ran the wheel into the grass. That's to be expected. I have the Honda HS1132.....I will be putting casters on this as well.


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## micah68kj

sscotsman said:


> I still dont understand why anyone would bother, when there is nothing wrong with skids.
> 
> Scot


Well, skids do wear down eventually. I'll more than likely never have any wheels on any of my blowers though. I made a set of skids this past summer to put on my Toro 521. Made 'em out of HDPE. There's some pics of them around here somewhere....


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## RoyP

Micah68kj: I like your skids....but aren't they going to wear now quickly. I had wheels on my old Wheelhorse......they were great....can't wait to put them on my Honda.....but I have to figure out what's wrong with the auger height peddle first.


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## Spectrum

Wheels keep coming around (no pun intended) but I don't get it. I don't see how they will much more than fancy ice encrusted skids when they are out there working in any kind of a serious storm. Also they they either need to be wide making for a lot of resistance or skinny providing poor support on tender surfaces. Keep it simple.

I will say that there are some clever looking retrofits shown above but knowing how ice packs onto cold machines I'll pass.

Pete


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## micah68kj

RoyP said:


> Micah68kj: I like your skids....but aren't they going to wear now quickly. I had wheels on my old Wheelhorse......they were great....can't wait to put them on my Honda.....but I have to figure out what's wrong with the auger height peddle first.


They may possibly wear down. I don't know. But I won't have any rust marks on my pavement and I made them long enough to go up over any obstacle (uneven sidewalks etc) without bumping. And, I can always make more!


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## uberT

I was at Sears a couple of days ago and noticed their new machines are fitted with some sort of soft (HDPE?) skids now.

I did the "wheels" experiment for a season or so, and then they developed flats spots when they froze up with slush/ice during a session. I guess if you wanted to replace them annually, they'd be OK. They were outstanding in terms of not doing damage on a wood deck.

One thing that bothered me about them was their width . . . I felt like I couldn't get as close to edges and garage doors, etc., as I'd like.


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## Waterlooboy2hp

Best of both worlds. -(circa 1962) These are made if steel. The originals had worn down to the smaller circle, that you see on the wheel. They were still round, even after 50+ years of use. I guess they never froze up. I added some rings, to bring them back to size. 

Guess you could make the same thing out of somewhat thicker non metal material, with a steel axle bushing -- John


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## J_ph

hmm..... patented last year?

Patent US20140250739 - Height Adjustable Snow Blower Shroud - Google Patents


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## micah68kj

Waterlooboy2hp said:


> Best of both worlds. -(circa 1962) These are made if steel. The originals had worn down to the smaller circle, that you see on the wheel. They were still round, even after 50+ years of use. I guess they never froze up. I added some rings, to bring them back to size.
> 
> Guess you could make the same thing out of somewhat thicker non metal material, with a steel axle bushing -- John


Pretty neat, John. I've been up your way at least three times in the past month. Bought a generator from a guy in East York and picked up some other items as well.


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## Grunt

micah68kj said:


> Pretty neat, John. I've been up your way at least three times in the past month. Bought a generator from a guy in East York and picked up some other items as well.


I'll bet your three trips have been on a "Saturday" Joe.


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## micah68kj

Grunt said:


> I'll bet your three trips have been on a "Saturday" Joe.


Yep! Every one of them was taken on "Saturday".  (Gosh but I love being retired!)


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## SteelyTim

Discovered one interesting thing about wheels vs. skids with the recent Buffalo snow.

As in my sig line, I have an old Ariens (with skids) and an equally old Snowbird (with steel pizza cutters). With the combined weight of the front end of the Snowbird and the pizza cutters, I didn't have to lift up on the handlebars of the Snowbird AT ALL to get down through the harder packed snow closer to the driveway....it took it right down to pavement by just letting it chug along and do its job. Since I have partially torn rotator cuffs, lifting up on the handlebars after a while makes my arms pretty sore. Not so with the 'Bird.


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## Jim hutchins

*Wheels*

I bought a set of snow blower attachment wheel skids this winter. Half the winter on me wheel fell of the other one is coming apart,don,t know why you sell junk like this,a loltr of money for thin kind of junk.30.00 dollars.jin hutchins. Hooksett nh. [email protected]


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## al from Utah

Hi there!

We recently went from a plow guy (friend that left the state) to an old Troy Bilt (to make sure our drive could be cleared with a snowblower) to a 2017 Ariens 28" deluxe. Like you, we have ~100' of asphalt, some concrete sidewalk, and a big chunk of gravel drive to work with. 

J_ph, I really like your design of the quick adjust wheels for gravel, then pulling them up to use the skids on the asphalt and concrete. Did you purchase the wheels and brackets special, or pull them off of a lawn mower. I can't seem to find just the wheels and brackets

Thanks! Alex


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## deezlfan

I'm wondering if adding height adjustable wheels BEHIND the bucket instead of on the end of the bucket wouldn't minimize the freezing and clearance issues some of you mention for gravel and uneven surfaces. 

Here a rough sketch. Lawn mower wheels mounted to a bell crank on each side. A shaft would connect both bell cranks under the bucket. Then a rod running up behind the bucket to your adjuster. This could be an old Ariens shifter mounted to the bucket and use the notches as height adjustment.


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## KOBO

sscotsman said:


> I still dont understand why anyone would bother, when there is nothing wrong with skids.
> 
> Scot



IMHO, the regular steel skids are fine for the occasional clearing at home, but not if you have many properties to tend to over a whole season. Years back I had multiple elderly family members who needed me to help them out and I was going through 3 sets of skids a season; the concrete and asphalt just ate them up. I later got a custom made pair of heavy duty skids but even those took a beating over time. I keep looking at the roller idea myself, just gotta get the time to sit and play with it.


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## dr bob

In my estimation, the wheels need to be pretty close to in line with the ends of the scraper to protect it on any uneven surfaces. Meanwhile, most skids seem to live between the vertical centerline of the auger and the scraper bar. One big pizza-cutter wheel might be OK, but it seems to me that a couple smaller-diameter wheels on each side might better protect the driveway and the snowblower pieces, placed in line with the auger and with the ends of the scraper. Freezing and flat-spotting frozen and iced-in wheels is a worry. I'm riding on some DIY Delrin skids right now after going through the factory skids in the first winter. Metal wear faces like armorskids would last longer but would be tough on the textured-pavingstone driveway. Maybe aluminum rub strips so less scraping damage and no risk or rust stains.


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