JD 49 Snowblower + Gravel = Problems

[jgbanshee]

My friend uses his 316 with 49 blower on his gravel driveway and it is constantly sucking up gravel. The gravel is at most 1/2 inch in size. The hydraulic cylinder on the lift seems like it can only pick the blower all the way up or lower it all the way down. It takes some time to get the blower to hover over the gravel. I was thinking of adding something to bottom side on the shape "cutting" edge. Has anyone done something like this before?

 

[beenthere]

It should have skid shoes that can be adjusted to keep the edge from dropping into the gravel. IMO the factory skids are too narrow, and wider ones would be more effective.
Setting the height with just the hyd lift when the blower hangs out in front would be nearly impossible unless the drive is perfectly level.
Having a lot of loose gravel on the drive is another problem that contributes to the dilema. Getting the stones worked into the fines and packed tightly when dressing the drive is important.

 

[Dutch445]

If conditions of the driveway can't be changed, and the current skid shoes don't work, it doesn't take much to weld a small steel plate on the bottom of the shoes to get a larger surface area. We do that often with larger 3ph blowers going into dirt roads and driveways. When there's water or the ground isn't frozen, stock skid shoes just don't keep the blower out of the dirt. On these big blowers, I have welded 6x8 inch plates onto the existing shoes with good success. A little bevel or bend on the front and back ends helps keep it on top.
With the 49 blower, I would think 2x4" or 3x5" would be the most you would need.
Does the old 316 have a float position?


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[jgbanshee]

Yeah, I probably will add larger skids cause I doubt the driveway is going to change any time soon. No the old 316 does not have a float position.