cleat 5,279 #1 Posted September 21, 2015 Just a quick question. My old single stage blower that I will try out this winter has the steel wheels. My 2 stage Wheel Horse blower has the skids.My much larger 2 stage on my diesel tractor has skidsHow do the steel wheels work on a gravel drive ???Should I convert it to skids like the rest ?Thanks, Cleat 6 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wheel-N-It 2,967 #2 Posted September 21, 2015 Dang Cleat, thats a nice fleet of tractors you have there friend ! I don't know Jack about snow blowers but I just had to jump in here to tell you how much I like your shop and equipment. Everything is so neat ond well organized 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DennisThornton 4,769 #3 Posted September 21, 2015 My 74" PTO blower has skids around a foot long and I've never been tempted to add wheels, though maybe even longer skids! However, I'm guessing those wheels would be just fine on blacktop or concrete drives. I'd certainly try them on a nice smooth driveway but I wouldn't want them at all in gravel! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ed Kennell 36,601 #4 Posted September 21, 2015 (edited) I always felt the wheels were much too narrow to support the blower in the gravel. I actually made larger skids that had about 4X the area of the OEM skids.They worked better, but with the unevenness of my road, I was still throwing too many stones onto the lawn. If the snow is too deep to plow, I now use the hydro lift to float the blower about 3" off the road and use the plow to clean up what is remaining.I get more seat time in the winter and less raking time in the spring. Edited September 21, 2015 by ekennell 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
squonk 39,700 #5 Posted September 21, 2015 I put these pneumatic wheels on my blower. They work great. As an added bonus, they make the blower easier to move around! 10 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jackhammer 544 #6 Posted September 21, 2015 Cleat,I have to comment on pictures above and like Wheel-N- it I am in total agreement about your herd . Nice-very niceMike - - your white hood LQQKs !!! great also.Rick 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Racinbob 10,590 #7 Posted September 21, 2015 I think the original wheels are way too small. I was always thinking about larger wheels but never did it. I was thinking something like the mower deck wheels but Mikes are better yet. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DennisThornton 4,769 #8 Posted September 21, 2015 Ditto on the larger wheels! I think I would like those! I bought a 46" 2 stage for my Husqvarna and the gent added 10 wheels, but just for moving it around. What a pleasure that was! They weren't adjustable like the skids or I might have left them on. Might make them adjustable and put them back on! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
WNYPCRepair 1,875 #9 Posted September 21, 2015 I put these pneumatic wheels on my blower. They work great. As an added bonus, they make the blower easier to move around! I was thinking why not put some wheels on it Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JAinVA 4,619 #10 Posted September 21, 2015 Cleat, Nice assortment of tractors.Squonk,I saw the picture of your upgrade some months back on here and thought that's just what I needed to do to my blowers.I have a gravel drive over 600ft long and areas around the house that need to get cleared when the snow flies.Yes we get snow in Va,sometimes up to a foot.If the ground isn't frozen the big tires should.Just wanted to give thanks for the inspiration. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
squonk 39,700 #11 Posted September 21, 2015 Wish I still had Marvin around Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
WHX?? 47,468 #12 Posted September 21, 2015 Skids shoud be ok Cleat if your driveway is fairly flat. Just make sure they are adjusted high enough so your not spitting gravel. They will wear out eventually but that's what they are for rather than wear the bottom of the blower. I do like the idea of moving them around easier with wheels tho. The big blower is probaly too heavy to be movin around anyway.If your big tractor blower mounts on the 3 pt like it looks like it does and your driveway has hills you ain't gonna like it. Backing down/up hiills trying to blowing snow sucks. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cleat 5,279 #13 Posted September 21, 2015 (edited) I have been using the big blower for the last few years and it works OK.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLD3i50lwg8https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=58ZHCjooEwwThe skids on it are quite long but it is heavy (over 500 pounds). so as long as the ground is frozen it works good.My old Ford LGT165 with 2 stage blower was very good at gliding over the ground with it's two large springs that took all the weight off, However that did make it ride up and over packed snow.I have not used a Wheel horse blower yet so I will know better by next spring.The big blower will likely still get used most due to the heated cab. Drawback to that unit is facing backwards.I will try the factory wheels on the single stage but may look into larger wheels like Squonks.I assume if larger wheels are added then the axle will need to to be moved up. Edited September 21, 2015 by cleat added videos 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AMC RULES 36,981 #14 Posted September 21, 2015 Running them big skids over here Cleat. Video shows blowing on the side of the driveway, in the grass...once adjusted correctly, they rarely if ever dig in. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
can whlvr 991 #15 Posted September 22, 2015 definatly skids,the wheels don't work at all on gravel,heres a pic of the ones I welded up,they work great 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
