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Variable scraper blade?

3K views 9 replies 7 participants last post by  chiraldude 
#1 ·
Wondering if there is a blower out there with a way to adjust the scraper blade position on the fly?
I expect this would be an engineering challenge but I find lots of times where I wish I could drop the scraper down to break up and lift packed snow. Wouldn't want it dragging all the time, just once in a while, when you really need it.
 
#2 · (Edited)
There are blowers you can tilt the auger housing.

Track blowers you can raise the auger housing, not sure if all do that.
 
#4 ·
On all my snowblowers, I adjust my side skids by placing a wood yardstick under the scraper blade.


I have been doing that for years and never had any issues on all the driveways, .... easy, peazy.


The key is not to let slush freeze, otherwise never going to remove it with a blower.
 
#5 ·
Maybe this is a problem with cheap blowers where the chute is made of fairly thin sheet metal? My previous blower was an old yellow mystery machine with the chute, auger, and gearbox being quite heavy. It did much better at staying down on the pavement instead of riding up and over. The front always pops in the air when I engage the drive. Maybe I should get some lead weight to mount on the front?
 
#7 ·
This is one of the features I like most about the Honda! It is just a slight push on the left hand thumb lever and you set it where you need it. Also works great after your done to raise the skid shoes off the floor so they don’t sit in a puddle of water and rust. No need for a floor mat.
 
#8 ·
Going to try and get some more ideas hear now that I have had time to think about it over the summer.
Not that I could ever afford a Honda with auto tilt but I don't see how that would work. Does the auger actually tilt enough to touch the pavement? That would be great except for having to replace it every couple of years.
Anyway, the issue I always have is that I can never get the scraper bar down to pavement. I have the skids adjusted even with the frame so that the blade scrapes the pavement (when there's no snow). However, when I actually push through snow, I always end up leaving a 1/4" or so. This is not a problem if it is fluffy powder because I can just do a quick cleanup with a shovel. On the other hand, if it is wet snow, the wheels and my feet end up compressing it and then there's no way I have the time or energy to scrape it.
The only solution I can think of is to get some weights and mount them out on the sides as far forward as possible. Also, I am thinking about grinding the skids to make them "sharp" so they cut down deeper. I know they will wear out and need frequent tweaking but they are an expendable item.
Maybe also get longer (wider) scraping bar?
 
#10 ·
Pretty funny but I think it's the opposite of what I need!
Another thought is that I should get a single stage blower to go along with my existing one. Use the 2 stage for deep snow and the gravel part of the driveway and the single to scrape down to the cement when I can.
 
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