Pipe edge protector for rear blade (pics)

s219 · Feb 26, 2015

We had a big snow last week, and that gave me a chance to try out a piece of horse stall mat in place of the cutting edge on my rear blade. It worked well enough, but I didn't think it worked as good as when I was using a pipe over the edge last year. Problem was, back then I was using PVC pipe and it didn't last more than one storm before wearing through. So I knew eventually a metal pipe was needed.

Fast forward to this week, when it became clear we were going to get another substantial shot of snow Wednesday night into Thursday. Yesterday was warm (into the 40s) and my driveway thawed out and was soft and muddy. After seeing the mess, yesterday afternoon I decided to quickly fab up a metal pipe edge protector for my rear blade. Didn't have time to get to the metal supplier 45 miles away or get to the local welding shop to have them cut a slit in some tubing, so I just grabbed a piece of 1" galvanized pipe from the plumbing section at Lowes ($20 for a 10' length) and welded some tabs on:

I cleaned it up and hit the tabs and welds with some quick-dry primer:

Then bolted on in the dark last night after dinner (just as the sky started to spit some snow -- talk about last minute):

I had thought about pre-bending the tabs to conform to the curve of the cutting edge, but got thinking that leaving them flat then bolting down would help snug up the pipe to the bottom of the cutting edge, and that worked like a charm. Here's a better pic this morning before going out to clear snow:

And here are the results -- worked great, despite the super heavy snow (got 10" of heavy stuff, which is a lot for this area):

The snow was so dense, it would roll off the blade in large chunks about every 2-3 feet as I went down the driveway. Made for some oddball windrows....

varmint · Feb 27, 2015

Good. I wonder if the pipe will have a tendency to bend, since it's only mounted in two places? More tabs would fix it, if it does. Gravel drive, right?? Something like that might be a good idea for my front plow, since gravel is my problem.

s219 · Feb 27, 2015

varmint said:
Good. I wonder if the pipe will have a tendency to bend, since it's only mounted in two places? More tabs would fix it, if it does. Gravel drive, right?? Something like that might be a good idea for my front plow, since gravel is my problem.

Yes, gravel drive.

I was looking carefully for any signs of bending, both in forward and reverse, and saw zero play in the pipe -- it's pretty stiff. If it did bend at all, I was thinking I could weld smaller tabs onto the pipe, on each side of the cutting edge, to keep the pipe centered. Maybe a pair at each end and one in the middle. No real need to have more bolted connections.

tman1020 · Feb 27, 2015

Slick design.

nodlenor · Mar 1, 2015

Good idea! It should help save some gravel that gets wasted when plowing snow. Might try that on mine. I usually plow a path through my yard and that should keep it from digging in.

Walkin Horse · Mar 1, 2015

s219
I did the same. I tried 3" abs first. That almost finished my drive. Then I took it back to the shop and found some 2" steel pipe. I laid it on the floor and adjusted the blade about and inch off the floor. Got a tack on it then I took some old rusty all thread and layer it in the crack between the pipe and the blade and welded it. 20 minutes I was back plowing. That lasted this last storm also.

Your right that first snow was easier to move. This week I had snow packed up under the tractor.

HEC · Mar 1, 2015

I took a sawzall blade and shortened it so I could cut a slit in my pipe to fit over the cutting edge . I think the pipe was 1 1/2 or 2 inch if I remember right . I then welded some tabs similar to yours s219 and attached them to the rear of the blade, works very well . If you use a torch to do the slit do it in sections as the pipe may bend , ( don't ask me how I know this ) . I was able to straighten it out okay for the bucket of my other tractor , that works great too , I no longer dig up the lawn when pushing back snow banks .