For you snow plow owners...

[frischtr]

Here is a cheap alternative to the rubber lip kit for the PT snow blade. I couldn't justify the expense of the PT kit when I purchased in the spring, but I needed something to protect my blacktop during the coming winter.

All you need is an old tire and some bolts/nuts/washers. I'm sure this has been done before, but I didn't search for it...

Enjoy!

 

[woodlandfarms]

How did you cut the tire? I have never had any luck.

 

[frischtr]

How did you cut the tire? I have never had any luck.

A sawzall with a demolition blade (just a heavy guage metal cutting blade), and the wife helping to hold the tire steady. The porta-band in the first picture cuts better, but the throat isn't deep enough to cut the sidewalls off, only good for cutting the tire to length.

 

[woodlandfarms]

Sorry. Does not work for me at all. Tried it and the blade was toast in minutes. Must have bought cheap blades or had the wrong kind of tires (they were truck tires)

 

[coolconnection]

I don't know if you realize how stiff and sturdy the Power Trac rubber blade edge is. It is slit and cut rubber coal belts. It has stiff rubber and Kevlar in it. Tires are lucky to have some type of string in them but you have the steel belts to deal with. When mine wears I will flip it over and use the other side and then will finally replace it with another rubber coal belt either from Power Trac or somehow get one and make it myself.

 

[ponytug]

If you want heavy duty rubber, try a gravel pit. Most of the quarries around here give away the older belting for free. YMMV

All the best,

Peter

I don't know if you realize how stiff and sturdy the Power Trac rubber blade edge is. It is slit and cut rubber coal belts. It has stiff rubber and Kevlar in it. Tires are lucky to have some type of string in them but you have the steel belts to deal with. When mine wears I will flip it over and use the other side and then will finally replace it with another rubber coal belt either from Power Trac or somehow get one and make it myself.

 

[ernemats]

Some have used stall mats from TSC. A 4 ft by 6 ft. mat for less than $40. I don't know how well they have worked..

 

[ponytug]

I've used them for other uses, and I would just observe that they tear reasonably easily. I think it might not make the best material, but the proof is in the pudding for use on a blade.

All the best,

Peter

Some have used stall mats from TSC. A 4 ft by 6 ft. mat for less than $40. I don't know how well they have worked..

 

[J_J]

If I remember correctly, wet rubber is easier to cut. Maybe a carbide blade, or shear.

 

[pajoube]

I have used the stall mats for over 5 years without any problems. I used a sawsall to cut
(not easy to get straight) and bolted on.
PJ

 

[catsco]

How did you cut the tire? I have never had any luck.

This (using a tire tread) is exactly what I've done for four winters.

I use a "Torch" demolition blade on a sawzall.

Very easy to cut around to remove sidewalls.
Pretty hard to cut across the tread as the flexing of the tread with the blade slows the cutting, but only takes about a minute.

When one side wears out, rotate to use the other edge.

One major improvement was to make a steel bar about 2" wide (1/8" or so thick) with matching holes.

That helps made the tread flat AND makes it much easier to drill holes through the tread at the right place.

I use whatever length the tread is after removing sidewalls rather than having to cut the tread twice. Looks a little odd, but helps avoid damage to anything I'm plowing close to.

Mark H.

 

[catsco]

I don't know if you realize how stiff and sturdy the Power Trac rubber blade edge is.

Not sturdy at all, a complete waste of $$$.

I use two tire treads or less per winter, usually 30 or so plowings of 800' long gravel drive.

The Power Trac rubber edge wore down to the steel in 8 or so plowings per edge.

Rubber edge was pretty expensive, used tires are free here in CO at any tire store as we pay a fee for disposal when you buy new tires whether you have old or not, and they have to pay to have them hauled away.

 

[coolconnection]

Not sturdy at all, a complete waste of $$$.

I use two tire treads or less per winter, usually 30 or so plowings of 800' long gravel drive.

The Power Trac rubber edge wore down to the steel in 8 or so plowings per edge.

Rubber edge was pretty expensive, used tires are free here in CO at any tire store as we pay a fee for disposal when you buy new tires whether you have old or not, and they have to pay to have them hauled away.

Sorry to hear about your bad luck. I have a 300 foot paved drive and I bet I used mine 3 times a week last winter. Still on same side with hardly any wear on it after 3 winters and first 2 were before it was paved on rough slag stone and same drive. It works good for me.

 

[RegL]

I was just thinking( pretty dangerous ). Why do we PT owners feel it's so important to use rubber edges on our snow plows? Around here, about 99 percent of all driveways are plowed with pickup trucks and I have never seen one with a rubber edge. almost all have steel edges. Being that the PT plow weighs about one quarter what a pickup plow does I can't imagine it would do that much damage.

 

[frischtr]

I was just thinking( pretty dangerous ). Why do we PT owners feel it's so important to use rubber edges on our snow plows? Around here, about 99 percent of all driveways are plowed with pickup trucks and I have never seen one with a rubber edge. almost all have steel edges. Being that the PT plow weighs about one quarter what a pickup plow does I can't imagine it would do that much damage.

You are probably right, but I'm not taking any chances. Blacktop ain't cheap, especially on a 8' x 500' driveway that was redone recently...