Snow Blade

[farm23]

I am considering a snow blade for my 1430 and wonder if there are any options I should consider? What is the experience of those who have the snow blade, get a wheel kit or anything else. I will use the blade on gravel roads almost exclusively. Thanks.

 

[SpringHollow]

I just buy old truck snow plows and weld an adapter to them.

Ken

 

[MossRoad]

Back in 2001 the wheels were standard. I love them! We have asphalt on the main drive and crushed limestone on three side parking spaces, plus I plow the grass about 50 yards to the back of our place so I can get to our wood piles and take the ashes to the garden. The wheels keep the blade off the rocks and grass very well if I just curl the blade back a bit, and the edge scrapes the asphalt if I dump the blade forward just a bit.

Do they offer a cutting edge? The 425's blade wasn't offered with one 18 years ago, and I have bent the blade just an inch or so on the corners.

 

[jfh28]

the snow plow is what allows me to survive the winters here......mine did have the cutting bar attachment as an option and I'm glad I got it......I cut strips of horse matting and sandwich it between the plow and bar letting the matting stick down about 1 1/2".......I then lower the plow so the matting is just barely touching the gravel surface and plow away......any stones/rocks sticking up will hit the matting which bends back so I'm not regrading the drive each time I plow......I've found that after I've angled, lowered and curled the plow right based on the matting edge that I don't need to adjust it again unless I change direction of plowing....takes just a couple iof seconds to eyeball it correctly.....I tried shoes and they were a complete waste of time and money......I don't have the wheels......my drive is 1/4 mile long gravel with one good steep section......all the delivery trucks know that they can get up my drive in the winter as they say its one of the best done in the area......so I must be doing something right.....lol......when I first moved here I got some quotes to plow my drive and they started at $400 per pass.......well over the course of a winter that would be about $3500 and over the 13 years I've had the pt thats over $40k so that plow blade was a good investment....lol.......Jack

 

[jfh28]

btw....the cutting bar does not prevent the plow blade from getting bent.......as I found out when I hit a tree..... ........Jack

 

[MossRoad]

btw....the cutting bar does not prevent the plow blade from getting bent.......as I found out when I hit a tree..... ........Jack

Well, that's good to know. :laughing:

Mine without the cutting edge is pretty curly on the bottom corners.

 

[farm23]

The wheels and cutting bar are options now. Power-Trac's web site does not show how either mount. Are the wheels behind the blade and does the cutting bar clamp on?

 

[jfh28]

my cutting edge bolts on with 7 bolts......I imagine the wheel kit bolts on too as that would explain the pair of holes at each end of the plow blade......Jack

 

[MossRoad]

I can't comment on the current wheels as my 2001 model 425 snow blade has the caster wheel mounts welded onto the frame from the factory.

 

[cqaigy2]

I haven't bent my blade, but can tell you that hitting a semi buried pipe at 20 ish mph going down hill will reorient your position in the Power Trac, and quite possibly is what cracked the metal around the steering ram mount, on the bottom of the tub. Fortunately I had been out in the weather long enough so that my knees were somewhat numb when the seat tipped up and forward, and ran into the metal dash. It was a few hours afterward, in the house that i started to hobble around.

 

[jfh28]

OUCH!......I've done that knees into the dash thing before too and it's not a pleasant experience........I think its a right of passage for pt owners......Jack

 

[MossRoad]

I did it with the bucket and snow clearing..... hit a very hard ice chunk.

 

[farm23]

Ok, I called Power-Trac and the blade is pre-drilled for both the wheel kit and either the rubber lip or cutter bar. Chris at PT says he uses the rubber lip for snow, of course he works for PT and that is what is on the web site for snow. Any thoughts one way or the other?

 

[coolconnection]

Ok, I called Power-Trac and the blade is pre-drilled for both the wheel kit and either the rubber lip or cutter bar. Chris at PT says he uses the rubber lip for snow, of course he works for PT and that is what is on the web site for snow. Any thoughts one way or the other?

I have the wheel kit and the rubber lip. It is not just a rubber lip. It is extremely hard rubber and it is layered rubbr and Kevlar. I've had mine 10 years now and i still have not flipped it over to get another 10 or more years out of it, it is 1 inch thick. it is made out of coal mining conveyor belt if you want to know. My driveway is paved 350 feet long on a hill and 50 x 50 pad, plus i do my sidewalk and neighbors house occasionally.

 

[farm23]

Thanks for the reply. Power-Trac would be well served if they put such details as part of the description on the web.

 

[MossRoad]

Thanks for the reply. Power-Trac would be well served if they put such details as part of the description on the web.

It's like a treasure hunt.....

 

[ponytug]

Just as a FYI, most gravel quarries give away used belting. If it isn't thick enough, you can layer it up.

All the best,

Peter

 

[cqaigy2]

Just as a FYI, most gravel quarries give away used belting. If it isn't thick enough, you can layer it up.

All the best,

Peter

:thumbsup:

 

[MossRoad]

We had a local gravel pit years ago and we'd get conveyor belt from them and use it for bumper pads on mud trucks.

 

[ernemats]

Does anyone have the wheel kit on their snow blade that plows a gravel driveway? If so does it work good. Currently I have a 2 inch piece of metal pipe on the cutting edge and I still dig up a lot of gravel , I have also used mining belting and it also dug up some gravel and did not last too long.