# Snowblower skid shoe scratches on driveway?



## kds (Apr 28, 2017)

I would have love to used alliteration for the whole title, but I can't find a synonym for "driveway" that starts with an s...

So I finally got to use my snowblower this week for the first time since buying a house in 2016. I finally got the tires, chassis, and skid shoes all calibrated where it moves like butter for the most part and doesn't pull to one side.

But now that the sun has come out to dry things up a little bit, some scratches from the metal skid shoes were revealed on the approach to the parking pad and near the garage door. The rest of the driveway is still a little wet and/or salty so I can't really tell.

So will these go away in the spring from melting/rain and general wear? I figured this is an inherent problem with snowblowers but I've never heard anyone complaining about scratches.

I thought about getting the polymer skid shoes but growing up all I've ever seen were the metal ones so I didn't think this would be an issue as long as the snowblower can move itself across any imperfections easily.


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## Mightyquinn (Jan 31, 2017)

Looks like you need a new driveway to start with  But on a serious note, I think just pressure washing your driveway when it gets warmer will help a lot. It looks pretty dirty and you would be surprised at what just washing it with a good pressure washer and just water will do. I'm not too familiar with snowblowers so I can say for sure if those polymer pads would help but it's definitely something to consider.


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## ABC123 (Jul 14, 2017)

id believe the pads would improve the scratches but not totally eliminate them.

But honestly those cracks need to be filled, lots of water and ice get in there and make things worse.


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## kds (Apr 28, 2017)

Haha yeah, I would love to have the driveway and the parking pad re-poured but that's certainly not in the cards right now. The picture is of the parking pad approach, the moisture in the cracks makes it look worse than it is and it's a pretty big slab at a weird angle with no control joints.


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## SNOWBOB11 (Aug 31, 2017)

That will almost surely go away after a few spring rains. If there are a few scratches left just pressure wash them like mightyquinn said and you'll be fine. The only thing that might give trouble is if the skid plates had any rust on them and the rubbing etched in any rust stains. Then your going to have to use a chemical to remove them.


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## J_nick (Jan 28, 2017)

Can us southerners get some picture of what you're talking about? We might not have snowblowers but we do have ******* ingenuity


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## MasterMech (Sep 24, 2017)

Here's a couple toys that boys in the South have probably never played with. My LT180 dressed in snow clothes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KId_1XBmRkg


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## Movingshrub (Jun 12, 2017)

MasterMech said:


> Here's a couple toys that boys in the South have probably never played with. My LT180 dressed in snow clothes.


Is that in Greenville? I lived in Clemson and never saw snow like that.


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## MasterMech (Sep 24, 2017)

Movingshrub said:


> MasterMech said:
> 
> 
> > Here's a couple toys that boys in the South have probably never played with. My LT180 dressed in snow clothes.
> ...


No sir. That is Ulster County NY.


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## chrisben (Sep 11, 2017)

Hmm, I've lived in Buffalo all my life, and learned to use a snow blower around age 12.
I've never seen scratches on the driveway like that in the spring.
Make sure the skid plates are flat and not up on one edge.
I'm in the pressure wash it camp, maybe that's just the clean part. Driveways can get dirty quick.


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## kds (Apr 28, 2017)

I think for the most part the scratches have washed away, thankfully. I'm still hoping to do some power-washing as scheduled this spring. The driveway, sidewalk, garage floor, and retaining walls all could use a good wash and maybe even the house.


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