# Skid shoes?



## fishrman (Oct 19, 2013)

Ok, I got my new Platinum 24 put away in my garage Friday. Sweet looking machine! Most of what I blow is on cement. Some of it is a little irregular in my driveway. I set my shoes to about 1/8 inch below the blade. I got to thinking about reading somewhere about changing out the shoes for a heavy duty type of shoe but I really don't know what benefit that would be. Does Ariens sell such a thing and are they really any benefit?


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## GreatWhiteNorth (Nov 10, 2013)

I just bought a new Deluxe 28 and installed the plastic non scratching shoes when I got it home. They're expensive but I've heard good things about them.


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## micah68kj (Oct 8, 2011)

GreatWhiteNorth said:


> I just bought a new Deluxe 28 and installed the plastic non scratching shoes when I got it home. They're expensive but I've heard good things about them.


Make 'em out of HDPE. Very easy and inexpensive. Only takes an hour or so. Wears like a pig's nose. (Right Larry?) In all seriousness, these will probably last the life of tbe blower. They are reversable also and can be flipped too. Made them from wife's old cutting board. Just a suggestion. Non-marring and no rust spots on floor. Quiet as well.


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## GreatWhiteNorth (Nov 10, 2013)

I just had them added to my order at Home Depot when I picked up the snowblower. I was spending $1000 on the snowblower. Didn't figure it was a big deal to add on $35 shoes. Glad I picked them up.


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## fishrman (Oct 19, 2013)

GreatWhiteNorth said:


> I just had them added to my order at Home Depot when I picked up the snowblower. I was spending $1000 on the snowblower. Didn't figure it was a big deal to add on $35 shoes. Glad I picked them up.


Which ones did you get? Do you think they are better than the ones on the OEM? If so, why? Just trying to decided if I should get some or not. Like those made out of the cutting board. Great idea!


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## GreatWhiteNorth (Nov 10, 2013)

They seem to be much quieter than the OEM ones and if you have a blacktop driveway, they'll prevent scratches. Can similar ones be made out of a cutting board? Yes. But it would take me 2 hours to make something similar. Two hours of my time is worth more than $35. Took me 2 minutes to buy mine...haha. If you want to make some, more power to you.


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## GreatWhiteNorth (Nov 10, 2013)

Oh, I got the Ariens ones.


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## micah68kj (Oct 8, 2011)

GreatWhiteNorth said:


> I just had them added to my order at Home Depot when I picked up the snowblower. I was spending $1000 on the snowblower. Didn't figure it was a big deal to add on $35 shoes. Glad I picked them up.


And you're correct.
. I'd have done the same thing but since I'm into this snowblower really cheap I decided to make my own since I had been complaining to the "chief cook" that the cutting board didn't look too good. I pd. $70.00 for the snowblower and a replacement cutting board was $9.00.


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## Kiss4aFrog (Nov 3, 2013)

The other thing to do is use the small wheels like on the front of most mowers 5" or 6" so it rolls. I saw someone do that and I like the idea as I have a long uneven gravel driveway with some small ruts. The wheels would allow me to set it up a bit higher and also not dig into the gravel before it gets a chance to freeze solid the way a skid sometimes does.

This was a photo someone sent me when I was asking about skids. I have two sears 10/36's and they have metal wheels for skids stock but they are only about 1/8" wide and just sink into the gravel.
.
.


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## Brucebotti (Feb 10, 2013)

I got the extended skids / shoes from snowblowerskids.com that advertises on this site. They are sturdy, well made, and powdercoated. They had really good / quick service also. They are steel which is fine for me.
Bruce


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## GreatCanadian (Feb 20, 2013)

Brucebotti said:


> I got the extended skids / shoes from snowblowerskids.com that advertises on this site. They are sturdy, well made, and powdercoated. They had really good / quick service also. They are steel which is fine for me.
> Bruce


Yep. I just shod my machine in a pair of those as well.


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## fishrman (Oct 19, 2013)

Brucebotti said:


> I got the extended skids / shoes from snowblowerskids.com that advertises on this site. They are sturdy, well made, and powdercoated. They had really good / quick service also. They are steel which is fine for me.
> Bruce


 So do these make the operation of the machine better some how?


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## micah68kj (Oct 8, 2011)

fishrman said:


> So do these make the operation of the machine better some how?


Yes. Watch his video.


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## Kiss4aFrog (Nov 3, 2013)

I think this is the video you referred to.

A bigger skid slides more smoothly over pits, cracks, ... imperfections in the surface. A bigger skid also has less pressure on it so it should wear slower due to less pressure per square inch and also because there is more material to wear. If you have gravel you want something a bit bigger so it doesn't dig in as easily and start tossing your driveway material into your lawn 






My family broken hand me down came with stock one sided wimpy skids. They look out of place but I bought replacements at HomeDepot for I think an Ariens, much thicker, a little wider and reversible. I have 375 ft of gravel so bigger skid is the only way to go.

I'm leaning on doing that lawn mower wheel mod this coming summer to both the walk behind and the rider. Just seems to make the most sense as is should roll over the top of the gravel vs digging in.


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## fishrman (Oct 19, 2013)

Kiss4aFrog said:


> I think this is the video you referred to.
> 
> A bigger skid slides more smoothly over pits, cracks, ... imperfections in the surface. A bigger skid also has less pressure on it so it should wear slower due to less pressure per square inch and also because there is more material to wear. If you have gravel you want something a bit bigger so it doesn't dig in as easily and start tossing your driveway material into your lawn
> 
> ...


Very helpful! Looks like you can get orange to match the Ariens as well. Thanks for the help.
On another note! Hope my company doesn't insure his house! That sidewalk is an accident waiting to happen!


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## docfletcher (Nov 28, 2013)

I like your wheels!!! Any drawbacks using them?


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## Kiss4aFrog (Nov 3, 2013)

The image isn't mine but it's almost the same. The steel "wheel" on the auger is just a cut out heavy piece of metal and on a firm surface it works great. No marks and just rolls along.

BUT, I haven't tried it yet on gravel but the skids dig in here and there and looking at those knife edge steel wheels I figure this thing is just going to sink in even if the gravel is frozen and will just tear up the surface. Just not enough surface area.

So someone sent me the photo of the lawnmower wheels on their machine and I'm thinking for the bigger Craftsman it might be a better idea and worth the investment in time and tinkering to set it up.

The thicker and a little wider Ariens skids I put on the Troy so far work great. They really make the OEM ones look like junk. Only thing I'll likely do this spring is file out the mounting holes so I can go one size up and use the correct size carriage bolts on them.


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## KimbaWLion (Nov 30, 2011)

I used snowblower skids also. The only ones I am really tempted by now are the roller skids. They almost seem ingenious as to how they work. I have not had a chance to use to mine much given how little snow we have gotten over the last 2 years but here in Philadelphia is rising to the occasion this if you saw the Eagles/Lion Game on Sunday, they are ALREADY calling it the "Snow Bowel"!


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