Bolt-on Bucket Ski's (Edge Tamers, $80/pair), or plastic edge for bucket ($460 for a 48" bucket, delivered)?

[Sgt Slag]

Searched for bucket ski attachments. Found nothing posted yet -- hard to believe.

Bought a pair of Edge Tamer bucket ski's, last year. They clamp onto the cutting edge of the bucket, keeping it around one inch above the paved surface/gravel/grass/lawn/whatever. They clamp on using screw bolts with knurled knobs. Made of heavy steel, with the leading edges bent up around 30 degrees, to avoid them digging into the surface.

I used them this last Autumn, to push downed tree branches into piles, in the yard. Worked reasonably well in that role. Used them all last Winter, to move the bulk of the snow on my shared, blacktop driveway. All in float mode, of course.

They leave around a one-inch layer of snow in their wake. My driveway ends at a 90-degree turn in the road, so the county plow driver leaves a curved swath, with a 2-foot-plus pile of compacted snow/ice in his wake, at the end of my driveway; this stuff is hard to move with a blower, of any size, and it impassable to wheeled vehicles without something to move it out of the way! The Edge Tamer's work superbly, not damaging my blacktop driveway. I usually let the Sun melt the remaining one-inch layer of snow, or my neighbor goes over it with his blower (shared driveway). I have a heavy-duty walk-behind blower, if needed.

A front-end blower for my tractor is $8k+. Considering a plastic edged, bolt-on bucket scraper blade: steel attachment, with a bolted in place plastic cutting edge The plastic cutting edge is around one inch thick, it is supposed to be good for 32(?) hours of scraping, so several seasons. This piece is around $460, delivered, for a 48" bucket. The replacement plastic edge pieces are around $90, delivered. Anyone used both Edge Tamers and the newer plastic bucket cutting edge adapter, and willing to comment? Cheers!

 

[Sgt Slag]

Found the Edge Tamers postings. Still did not see anyone comparing the Edge Tamers to the Ratchet Rake product. Cheers!

 

[RjCorazza]

I currently have (and like) the edge tamers.
I used the snow edge from Ratchet Rake on my previous tractor, and it did very well also. They are a little pricey, but they are built very well. Definitely a quality product.

I ended up selling it when I got a larger tractor and bucket.

 

[Sgt Slag]

Thank you for your valuable response, RjCorazza! As far as tractor accessories go for in price, the Ratchet Rake seems downright reasonable -- LOL! I have a shared, paved driveway, which connects to a neighbor's property. I use the Edge Tamers to remove all but one inch of the snow. My neighbor seems to always follow me up with his riding snow blower which scrapes that last inch off, leaving mostly blacktop exposed. I feel a bit guilty, to be honest, but not guilty enough to use my heavy-duty, walk-behind snow blower. It takes waaayyy too long with the walk-behind. Besides that, I live in tropical Southern Minnesota, and there is a near-constant wind that blasts our shared driveway, each Winter. That arctic blast is typically a Wind Chill factor of -20 F, or colder. I need to, Git 'er done, Son! I'll add the Ratchet Rake device to my wish list... Cheers!

 

[FOP]

FYI:
Those $80/pr knurled knob versions are chinese counterfeits of the "USA patented" "Edge Tamers" made in the USA by R2 Manufacturing

R2 Manufacturing - Home Of The Edge Tamer

The Edge Tamer goes on your tractor loader bucket, acting as a skid, for moving snow and mulch. It keeps the stones in the driveway and the grass on the ground.

r2manufacturing.com

What you have are most likely the "VEVOR Tractor Bucket Protector" sold on Amazon.

Before the trolls jump on this, this post is only for technical accuracy regarding the brand of product used.
I have no experience with the plastic edge blades for comparison

 

[Sgt Slag]

Thank you for the info. The true Edge Tamers are $60/device + S/H of $10, so they're around twice as much as what I paid! Didn't realize I got a knock-off, nor that they were patented. I don't remember who I bought them from. They're green, with knurled knobs, so definitely a knock-off. Can't say they've been anything below a 5-star rated item, since I bought them, last year. I expect they will last me 5-10 years, based on wear so far, but Spring will give me a much better idea, after they serve me a second season of scraping my blacktop driveway. Cheers!

 

[MaxLee]

Hello Sgt Slag
Little late to the party here... what I do for my bucket moving snow... My bucket came with 4 holes drilled across the bucket , set in a few inches from the edge, I bought some tek decking (8ft piece) and cut in 1/2. I have 4 ft bucket. bolted it thru the bucket leaving roughly 1/2" sticking past bucket edge. I counter sunk the bolt holes on the bottom decking so bolts don't scrape driveway. I have 400" driveway. 1/2 black top 1/2 gravel. One piece usually last me 2 years.
I put a lot of down force to scrape the black top, sometimes front wheels off the ground. also works good for the early/late snows when the ground isn't froze, doesn't dig into ground like a regular edge would.

 

[oosik]

I have a mile long gravel driveway. I use my Rhino 950 rear blade on my Kubota M6040 to clear snow.

Reversed if the ground is still soft - normal if it's nice and hard. At 1100# the Rhino never bothers the gravel if I follow this method.

 

[SmallChange]

I have 3 of the Edge Tamers and also a FallLine Polyurethane Bucket Edge. Both seem well made and seem to do a good job.

I bought the Edge Tamers first, when my driveway was not paved. They keep the edge from digging into the earth. I've used 3 at a time. This can be a good idea if your driveway is rutted where the wheels go with a high spot in the middle, because the middle and the corners are all problem spots.

Then I had my driveway paved. I haven't used the Edge Tamers since, and I don't think I'd want to. I'd expect them to leave permanent scrape marks. I bought the urethane bucket edge and have used it every time. I think it works pretty well. When I get "Wintry Mix", which is what they are calling this horrible combination of rain and sleet and snow that consolidates into an obnoxious thick coating that is hard to remove, I often can't get under it and get it to lift off, but with effort and a bit of salt it eventually yields. I think leaving the urethane edge off might make it easier to get under it, but I'm not sure -- and I don't want to scrape the beautiful blacktop just to try.

One thing different about using the urethane edge: the bucket is 2.5" off the pavement. There's no sense of letting the bucket settle onto the pavement, that is, letting lip and heel both land. It's possible to have the bucket curled several degrees while the urethane is in contact, and this means the urethane is an inclined surface trying to rise up over the ice. I'm always tweaking the curl/dump and watching the indicator to try to get a bit of edge for getting the snow and ice up, yet trying not to wear out the front of the urethane.

BTW the Edge Tamers and the urethane edge are absolutely mutually incompatible. The Tamers won't fit over the edge, not even close.

 

[Cycledude]

I have Edge Tamers and love them when the base isn’t well froze, but now that most everything is frozen I have removed the edge tamers, it plows much cleaner without the Tamers installed.