# Skid shoes - Metal vs. Synthetic



## JLawrence08648 (Jan 15, 2017)

All my snowblowers have the OEM metal skids. When they wear down, I weld a new piece on the bottom however I've never worn down a set from new as I buy used snowblowers.

Where I am in NJ we have snow 0-5 times a year, 2"-7", every few years 12"-24". My driveway is double car wide, double long plus the sidewalk; I also do a couple of neighbors drives and sidewalks.

I've never used any type of synthetic skid shoes.

If I replaced my metal skid shoes with synthetic, would I notice a difference sliding? Big difference? Will I be in heaven saying Wow? How much easier is it to turn? Will I again say Wow? To me, when there is snow on the ground, the metal skids seem to slide fine. So why should I need to replace them? Does it matter which synthetic material?


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## CTHuskyinMA (Jan 14, 2019)

There is another recent thread basically discussing this same topic. A link is provided to a guy on ebay who makes them in Upstate NY. I ordered a set for $16.50 shipped. I figured, why not give them a try at that price? Should be getting them any day now, but there is no snow on the horizon here to give them a try.


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## e.fisher26 (Nov 6, 2016)

The biggest diff is no sliding noise and less marking on pavement, they do wear quicker also.


——————————————
Noma 10/29
Cub cadet 5/26 conv to 8/26
Toro 8/24
Husqvarna st230p


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## db130 (Feb 16, 2013)

+ no rust stains


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## 1132le (Feb 23, 2017)

Roller skids are the best I have all 3 stock poly roller
Polly slides nice in the snow


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## Oneacer (Jan 3, 2011)

As mentioned, they slide better, no rust stains, and most all of them you can flip them around for longer wear.


Note: If you find them slipping on the bucket, just put a protruded star washer between the bucket and the skid.


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## vmax29 (Oct 19, 2017)

I had the black poly skids and they were great with one exception, the rounded corner, squared off profile would hit the slightest raised sidewalk seam and bring the blower to a dead stop. They were great for a section of decking I clear off. After a few times of having the bars jammed into me I tried the metal armor skids. So far I only used them a few times but they are a big improvement in that respect. They also seem to protect the auger housing better.


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## BjornToulouse (Jan 22, 2019)

oneacer said:


> Note: If you find them slipping on the bucket, just put a protruded star washer between the bucket and the skid.





That's a GREAT tip!!




Rex


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## e.fisher26 (Nov 6, 2016)

1132le said:


> Roller skids are the best I have all 3 stock poly roller
> Polly slides nice in the snow




I wish they were cheaper, $30 a pair here, anyone have a cheaper supply?


——————————————
Noma 10/29
Cub cadet 5/26 conv to 8/26
Toro 8/24
Husqvarna st230p


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## RobertSX4 (Nov 17, 2017)

I like the big oval poly skids, I just glide around with them

https://smile.amazon.com/Arnold-490-241-0010-Universal-Two-Stage-Throwers/dp/B002MRM6KQ/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1548441363&sr=8-7&keywords=poly+snow+skids


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## tabora (Mar 1, 2017)

I too am a big Arnold Roller Skids fan. I put them on my Honda HSS1332ATD and my son's Troy Bilt Tracker 2690 XP. Work great and make steering/turning easy and don't seem to wear at all, at least so far... Purchased the last set at Lowes (Craftsman branded) for under $30 in December.


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## uberT (Dec 29, 2013)

I've got the Ariens brand poly skids on both of my machines. The wear characteristics look quite good. Seems like they'll last me several seasons at least.


I fitted them to get the Auto Turn system under control, which it has.


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## RedOctobyr (Mar 2, 2014)

vmax29 said:


> I had the black poly skids and they were great with one exception, the rounded corner, squared off profile would hit the slightest raised sidewalk seam and bring the blower to a dead stop. They were great for a section of decking I clear off. After a few times of having the bars jammed into me I tried the metal armor skids. So far I only used them a few times but they are a big improvement in that respect. They also seem to protect the auger housing better.


Which skids were these? I have the Ariens ones, they seem like a fairly gradual lead-in angle to me. But my surfaces are pretty smooth. Maybe they're bad in that regard, and I just haven't realized it yet. They seem to be wearing pretty well, I think this is my 4th season on them. I'm not even close to needing to flip them; at this rate, they will last a very long time. 

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Ariens-Non-Abrasive-Skid-Shoes-72600300/100646414



tabora said:


> I too am a big Arnold Roller Skids fan. I put them on my Honda HSS1332ATD and my son's Troy Bilt Tracker 2690 XP. Work great and make steering/turning easy and don't seem to wear at all, at least so far... Purchased the last set at Lowes (Craftsman branded) for under $30 in December.


Those look pretty cool. It looks like the body is plastic, as well as the roller? I'm guessing the roller is just on a shaft, no bearing. But that seems like a nice setup, there's no metal to scrape the surface, plus you have a plastic roller. Any issues with them freezing up temporarily and getting flat spots worn on the rollers? 

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Arnold-Ski...MI56WS0suL4AIVUF8NCh3ZxAc6EAQYASABEgIzHfD_BwE

I had the long Arnold plastic skids on a previous machine, though I put them on shortly before I sold it. They seemed fine, but I couldn't help but think they looked a bit goofy  Kinda big, at least compared to the stock skids. They might be more likely to ride-up on the snow, given how long they are? 

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Arnold-Ski...MI56WS0suL4AIVUF8NCh3ZxAc6EAQYBSABEgIkm_D_BwE


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## tabora (Mar 1, 2017)

RedOctobyr said:


> Those look pretty cool. It looks like the body is plastic, as well as the roller? I'm guessing the roller is just on a shaft, no bearing. But that seems like a nice setup, there's no metal to scrape the surface, plus you have a plastic roller. Any issues with them freezing up temporarily and getting flat spots worn on the rollers?


I believe that there is no bearing. No issues with freezing up. The set on my HSS1332ATD has been going strong since March 2017 with no noticeable wear.


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## vmax29 (Oct 19, 2017)

RedOctobyr said:


> Which skids were these? I have the Ariens ones, they seem like a fairly gradual lead-in angle to me.


The ones I switched out look similar to those Ariens skids you showed me. They worked great on the driveway but seemed to catch easily on raised edges.


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## vmax29 (Oct 19, 2017)

I found some pictures of the different skids to compare them. The poly skids are not like the Ariens skids which can be reversed, look heavier and have a much better profile. The ones I used were single sided and created a gap at the front of the bucket edge that caught up on things. I think I got them from Amazon. The new skids protect the edge better and ride up and over the driveway edge.


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## Frankmor (Jan 24, 2019)

Anybody know of composite boots that could be slipped over existing metal skid on Ariel? Would seem to make sense, but haven’t found any.


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## tabora (Mar 1, 2017)

RedOctobyr said:


> Those look pretty cool. It looks like the body is plastic, as well as the roller? I'm guessing the roller is just on a shaft, no bearing. But that seems like a nice setup, there's no metal to scrape the surface, plus you have a plastic roller. Any issues with them freezing up temporarily and getting flat spots worn on the rollers?





tabora said:


> I believe that there is no bearing. No issues with freezing up. The set on my HSS1332ATD has been going strong since March 2017 with no noticeable wear.


 Update: Well, after 2 years with the roller skids, I finally screwed up and managed to grind a flat onto one of the rollers. I usually check everything before using the blower, but it was dark and I didn't notice that snow melt had run down the side of the auger housing and formed a block of ice surrounding the roller skid on one side. By the time I noticed this (about 10 passes up/down the drive), I had scraped off the bottom of one roller almost through to the recess. Fortunately, this turned out to be easy to fix: I wrapped a piece of plastic waste around the roller with a rubber band to hold it in place, then filled in the flat spot with JB Weld Plastic Bonder. An hour later, I removed the form and touched it up a bit with a die grinder. All fixed!


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## CarlB (Jan 2, 2011)

i made a set of roller skids for my cub cadet about 6 years ago and i haven't had to adjust or do anything to them since. I am also in nj


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## guybb3 (Jan 31, 2014)

I am an engineer and a tinkerer by nature. I made a set of poly skids and after using them this season I will be going to the commercial Armor Skids or the roller poly skids. I HATE doing anything that creates more work for me. I have to adjust the poly skids every 3 storms or so ( I do three very large driveways per storm).


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## CTHuskyinMA (Jan 14, 2019)

guybb3 said:


> I am an engineer and a tinkerer by nature. I made a set of poly skids and after using them this season I will be going to the commercial Armor Skids or the roller poly skids. I HATE doing anything that creates more work for me. I have to adjust the poly skids every 3 storms or so ( I do three very large driveways per storm).



Adjust them because they are wearing down or because they are slipping? What material did you make them out of?


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## tabora (Mar 1, 2017)

guybb3 said:


> I am an engineer and a tinkerer by nature. I made a set of poly skids and after using them this season I will be going to the commercial Armor Skids or the roller poly skids. I HATE doing anything that creates more work for me. I have to adjust the poly skids every 3 storms or so ( I do three very large driveways per storm).


That's why I went with the roller skids; until this minor issue (entirely MY fault), I have not had to adjust the skids at all in 20 hours of runtime. As you can see from the pictures, there's virtually no wear on the roller. They still measure 50mm in diameter. If anyone needs all the roller dimensions for some reason, they are:


 Outside Diameter: 50mm
 Axle Diameter: 9mm
 Outer Width: 19mm
 Axle width: 17mm


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## RedOctobyr (Mar 2, 2014)

tabora, nice fix with the JB Weld and grinder! They look like they're ready for a lot more use. 

guybb3, I can relate to the tinkering, etc. But I am also curious what yours looked like, and material. My Ariens poly skids have 4 seasons on them, and I just adjusted them this fall. Maybe it's the exact same wear rate as yours, just that mine see a lot less use. But that seems like they're wearing surprisingly quickly.

The roller skids do sound like a nice solution for you, as long as you can avoid them freezing. Heck, you could maybe machine/buy your own replacement rollers, just to have a spare set, in case you suddenly developed a flat spot.


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## foggysail (Feb 21, 2015)

I ran into a great deal of confusion on these poly skids that I plan to purchase. For example:

From Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Ariens-Company-726003-Snow-Throw/dp/B00864T026

where they are offered for a measly $48.97 and have mechanical dimensions of 6''x1''x4


From Home Depot https://www.homedepot.com/p/Ariens-...gvDitQjisr7sxu5c8pRoCX9EQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Home Depot's skid size is advertised as 8.5''x1.5''x6.13'' for only $34.95


So.........what experiences do others have???


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## CTHuskyinMA (Jan 14, 2019)

You're going to find that the poly skids offered by Ariens have changed part numbers (from 72600300 to 72603100,) and along with this they have changed the design. They used to be the style of both links you provided, one single poly block, but now they are actually a 2 piece design. There is a steel mounting part that bolts on and poly (presumably replaceable) ring that it interlocks with. Go to Home Depot and take one out of the box. I don't really like this new design. If I were looking, I'd try to find the old part number.


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## tabora (Mar 1, 2017)

Many times, the dimensions that HD lists are for the packaged item, not the item itself.

That said, HD lists the part number as 72603100 (the Instruction Sheet PDF says 72600300, though), while Amazon lists it as 726003.

Go with what @CTHuskyinMA says! See new part picture here: https://parts.ariens.com/v/vspfiles/photos/72603100-2.jpg


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## foggysail (Feb 21, 2015)

OK, now though it has greater confusion. There are 3 different part numbers:

726003, 72600300 & 2603100

RedOct---- what did you purchase?

Thx


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## foggysail (Feb 21, 2015)

tabora said:


> *Many times, the dimensions that HD lists are for the packaged item,* not the item itself.
> 
> That said, HD lists the part number as 72603100 (the Instruction Sheet PDF says 72600300, though), while Amazon lists it as 726003.
> 
> Go with what @CTHuskyinMA says! See new part picture here: https://parts.ariens.com/v/vspfiles/photos/72603100-2.jpg



I have not seen any of them, your above comment though makes sense. HD's skid picture/sketch does not look to be 8'' long

EDIT: Just looked at the picture....UUGGHhhhh


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## foggysail (Feb 21, 2015)

Took everyone's advice!!! Indeed, the deed is done!

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Ariens-726...076931&hash=item5b5246a8db:g:5CQAAOSwHMJYP35R

If they ship the newer design, they will get returned. I understand the logic behind the design change if one can believe Arien's claim that it was done to prevent the fasteners from loosening. They also structurally weakened the design. 

THANKS EVERYBODY FOR YOUR HELP!!

Foggy


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## RedOctobyr (Mar 2, 2014)

Interesting, I didn't know there was a new style, thanks. Mine are the older ones, 72600300, 1 big piece of plastic. 

There *is* logic to Ariens saying the new 2-piece design is better for fasteners staying secure. Plastic will creep over time, when stressed. It will try to relax itself. So it will try to compress under the bolts tension, eventually letting them loosen somewhat. Steel does not behave that way, so tightening onto a steel plate will help avoid this. 

However, I expect that's not the only reason. My 1-piece skids appear to be machined, not molded. That's a significantly more expensive manufacturing method, so I'm not surprised they'd try to make them more affordable. 

I hope Home Depot's site isn't lying. They're showing the same part number as when I bought mine, and the 1-piece pictures, at $35. 
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Ariens-Non-Abrasive-Skid-Shoes-72600300/100646414

Hmm. They show the exact same stock levels as for the newer part number, so yeah, maybe their site is considering them as equivalent, despite the different part #? They do both list the same Store SKU, so maybe that's what they're going by. 
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Ariens-Non-Abrasive-Skid-Shoe-72603100/302691282


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## foggysail (Feb 21, 2015)

I am going to order another pair now in case they are not available later. Ebay again


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## guybb3 (Jan 31, 2014)

RedOctobyr said:


> guybb3, I can relate to the tinkering, etc. But I am also curious what yours looked like, and material. My Ariens poly skids have 4 seasons on them, and I just adjusted them this fall. Maybe it's the exact same wear rate as yours, just that mine see a lot less use. But that seems like they're wearing surprisingly quickly.


I'll get the measurements (or a picture) but iirc they are 6 inches long and 1 inch thick of HDPP.


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## micah68kj (Oct 8, 2011)

Made my own...
https://www.snowblowerforum.com/forum/1654735-post630.html


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## harry398 (Jun 22, 2021)

guybb3 said:


> I am an engineer and a tinkerer by nature. I made a set of poly skids and after using them this season I will be going to the commercial Armor Skids or the roller poly skids. I HATE doing anything that creates more work for me. I have to adjust the poly skids every 3 storms or so ( I do three very large driveways per storm).


they do look robust. ASE0310-B - Snow Blower Skids
interesting.


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## CarlB (Jan 2, 2011)

JLawrence08648 said:


> All my snowblowers have the OEM metal skids. When they wear down, I weld a new piece on the bottom however I've never worn down a set from new as I buy used snowblowers.
> 
> Where I am in NJ we have snow 0-5 times a year, 2"-7", every few years 12"-24". My driveway is double car wide, double long plus the sidewalk; I also do a couple of neighbors drives and sidewalks.
> 
> ...


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## CarlB (Jan 2, 2011)

I made a set of roller bearings out of 1" thick uhmw over 10 years ago and they are still holding up great. I have never had to adjust them because of wear. I just used a Stainless Steel bolt and no bearings, They work great.


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