# Skidsteer SnowBlower for Sidewalks



## HankCityShop (Oct 12, 2015)

Our city uses a skidsteer mounted snowblower for heavy snow on the sidewalks and also around curbs. After the trucks & plows are done we use the blower to clean out to the curbs around mailboxes & corners. Typically we just make a trip around the blocks. We are a small community. By doing this we can get the streets opened up quicker & we don't need to get close to any mailboxes. We can also keep at least some of the snow off the driveways. 
My question is that we have alot of wear on the shoes, are we tipping back too far & need more forward pitch? This will obviously cause more wear on the blade & causes it to 'catch' on the cracks & uneven sidewalks & if you've ever hit one with a skidsteer you only want to do it once. 
Just wondering what we can do different? Last season we went through 2 cutting edges & 4 or 5 sets shoes. In the past they tried welding Carbide on them but that just scratches the sidewalks.


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## John_DeereGreen (Jan 2, 2011)

That seems like a lot of area to cover. How many miles each time are you doing? Even the small villages around us the wear amounts you posted seem reasonable to me.


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## plow4beer (Nov 16, 2016)

John_DeereGreen said:


> That seems like a lot of area to cover. How many miles each time are you doing? Even the small villages around us the wear amounts you posted seem reasonable to me.


Kinda what I was thinking, but I really cant say from first hand experience in regards to cutting edge wear on skid blowers. We have one, but it has VERY few hrs on it. I'm curious to see what kind of advice will be on this, as the only thing I've heard guys do is beef up the existing shoes/edges with more steel.

It does seem most skid blowers Ive looked at have less steel in the shoes/edges compared to plows & pushers of comparable weight/size...


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## seville009 (Sep 9, 2002)

Do you use the blower in float, or are you trying to scrape right down to the pavement and therefore putting pressure on it?


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## Mark Oomkes (Dec 10, 2000)

Find a local welding shop and have them make a real edge and shoes for it. 

plow4beer is right once again.


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## plow4beer (Nov 16, 2016)

if I could only "like" a post more than once


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## HankCityShop (Oct 12, 2015)

Rough estimate says we have about 12.5 miles of paved city streets. No i guess i haven't been in float, could try that. We have been having the welding shop doing the skids, about 1/3 the price from factory. Was wondering if a layer of stainless would slow the process down? Or would it wear about the same? Also the place that makes the cutting edges for the factory is only about 30 miles away so we got a few edges pretty reasonable directly from them. Cost wise i think we are ok, its just city fathers think otherwise so i thought i'd see whats out there. Keep the ideas coming!!


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## Mark Oomkes (Dec 10, 2000)

I'm willing to bet "float" won't work, just like it doesn't work for plowing despite what the manufacturers recommend. It would probably place more pressure on the blower because as you "push" into the blower, the front tyres will come oof the ground and push the blower into the pavement. 

What are they using for the shoes? How aboot a harder steel? Thicker and adjust the cutting edge?


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## John_DeereGreen (Jan 2, 2011)

AR steel would be your best friend. 

Again, covering 12.5 miles of streets, means you're doing 25 miles per event (12.5x2) I wouldn't be at all upset over the wear you're seeing. 

How many trips does it make per season?


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## HankCityShop (Oct 12, 2015)

Ya just talked to local guy & we're gonna try AR on 1 shoe & hardened steel on the other & see what the wear difference is. 
As far as the number of trips i will have to go back & see. Top of my head would be 10?? It's been pretty good last couple years & we're touching December & only had 1 snowfall thus far. Got lucky & missed the one this week, dumped 14-20" on alot of the state. Still raining here.


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## seville009 (Sep 9, 2002)

Mark Oomkes said:


> I'm willing to bet "float" won't work, just like it doesn't work for plowing despite what the manufacturers recommend. It would probably place more pressure on the blower because as you "push" into the blower, the front tyres will come oof the ground and push the blower into the pavement.
> 
> What are they using for the shoes? How aboot a harder steel? Thicker and adjust the cutting edge?


It's the arms of the skidsteer that are floating, not just the blower. Not sure how it would cause the front wheels to raise up. I use float most of the time. I don't when I want to scrape down to bare pavement.


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