Rear Blade Setting the Pitch on a rear blade?

[Champy]

Now that I will be moving snow, can anyone help me understand how to set the pitch on my rear blade? I know that if I go too steep it tries to dig in, too shallow and you're just dragging the cutting edge.

Is there a right way - or just trial and error?

Thanks

 

[edownr]

Champy,
I am no "expert" but I do use my back blade on the snow, having both gravel and pavement in my drive.

I recommend using the skid shoes and adjusting so that the cutting edge is slightly above the gravel or pavement. Almost all the mfg. offer skid shoes as optional equipment for their blades.

These blades are not like the front mounted snow blades in that they do not have trip springs so that the blade will just "fold over" when you hit something.

The back blade is mounted solid and if you have the blade edge completely down on pavement or even concrete and hit an imperfection in the pavement/concrete you will definitely jerk a huge chunk of pavement up or maybe break some equipment... or if on gravel you will wind up with a lot of your gravel where you don't want it (in your grass/lawn).

 

[BlackforestBill]

Champy,

My blade has no shoes and that's not been a problem for me. If the ground is not frozen solid I run the blade backwards. Pulls the snow off just fine and leaves the drive in place. If the ground is frozen I angle the blade, level it and drop it so the cutting edge is back a bit. Works great for me.

Try several different settings and see which works best for your conditions. But as edownr points out watch out for your concrete of paved drive. I don't have that worry.

 

[djradz]

Now that I will be moving snow, can anyone help me understand how to set the pitch on my rear blade? I know that if I go too steep it tries to dig in, too shallow and you're just dragging the cutting edge.

Is there a right way - or just trial and error?

Thanks

You will find that the blade angle (tilt) works about opposite of what you might imagine. You would think, if you tip it back (extend 3-pt top link), snow would pile up on it and push it down more, but that's not what happens. The blades ability to dig in (cut) is based mostly on whether the very front tip of the blade is touching the ground/pavement or not. If not, and the blade is sort of "resting on its heals" then it will tend to roll over items, and packed snow, without cutting very well. Usually, you can use this to your advantage for if your ground is unfrozen or soft, or you're afraid of scratching your pavement (surprisingly, regardless of tilt I never have) you can simply tilt the blade back. If however, you've packed the snow by driving over it, or it's a bit icy, or for whatever reason, you need to really dig in, shorten the 3-pt top link so the blade is really running on the thin sharp front edge, and it'll bite pretty good. On pavement or black-top, you'll not only see but hear the difference as it makes a kind of low-pitch squeak or howl as the blades scrapes nicely.

 

[Champy]

No skid shoes on the blade so it looks like I have the following choices:

> Run a shallow angle (extend the top link to tip the blade back = less cut)
> Run with the blade backwards (more like a drag than a cutter)
> Run with a steep angle (shorten the top link to make the blade edge cut in)

And keep trying other settings til I find what works best for my needs.... Thanks

 

[djradz]

No skid shoes on the blade so it looks like I have the following choices:

> Run a shallow angle (extend the top link to tip the blade back = less cut)
> Run with the blade backwards (more like a drag than a cutter)
> Run with a steep angle (shorten the top link to make the blade edge cut in)

And keep trying other settings til I find what works best for my needs.... Thanks

Forgot to mention one other adjustment.
If you are looking to dig in a little more, more angling of the blade to one side or the other sometimes helps too, as it starts to get a little "plowing" action going on.

 

[montanaman]

If I can get the tractor and blade to a level spot, I use the top link length to adjust the blade so it stays level at all angles. This makes it nice to be able to angle left of right without getting one edge higher than the other.

I may try some skids but just haven't done it yet.

My drive is about a quarter mile of gravel and I don't care if I leave an inch or so of snow. I'd rather leave some snow than tear up the gravel. That rock is getting expensive!

Ken

 

[RWK in WI]

If you don't mind leaving some snow on the gravel portions you could take a length of pipe - either steel or very heavy plastic - and cutting a slot in it.
Put the pipe over the cutting edge and it will slide over the gravel. Once the ground, gravel and snow have frozen into a hard surface you can take the guard off and plow with just the blade until a thaw.