Raftery Design Snow Thrower Skid Shoe (Pair)

The innovative, new Roller-Skid snow blower skid shoe was originally developed simply to make snow blowing easier.

I found that the steel skids on my 2-stage snow thrower would constantly grab and pull my machine until I became exhausted trying to control it. I was also annoyed that the steel skids were scuffing up the concrete on both my driveway and the front walk.

After substituting a simple pair of wheels for the steel skids I found that they worked well, but that I missed the skids when I was in heavier snow and ice.

Another benefit of using the Roller-Skid was protecting stamped concrete surfaces. In recent years the popularity of these decorative surfaces has grown dramatically and the damage being caused by these steel skids is very expensive to repair.

The innovative, new Roller-Skid snow blower skid shoe was originally developed simply to make snow blowing easier.

I found that the steel skids on my 2-stage snow thrower would constantly grab and pull my machine until I became exhausted trying to control it. I was also annoyed that the steel skids were scuffing up the concrete on both my driveway and the front walk.

After substituting a simple pair of wheels for the steel skids I found that they worked well, but that I missed the... more

The innovative, new Roller-Skid snow blower skid shoe was originally developed simply to make snow blowing easier.

I found that the steel skids on my 2-stage snow thrower would constantly grab and pull my machine until I became exhausted trying to control it. I was also annoyed that the steel skids were scuffing up the concrete on both my driveway and the front walk.

After substituting a simple pair of wheels for the steel skids I found that they worked well, but that I missed the skids when I was in heavier snow and ice.

Another benefit of using the Roller-Skid was protecting stamped concrete surfaces. In recent years the popularity of these decorative surfaces has grown dramatically and the damage being caused by these steel skids is very expensive to repair.

The innovative, new Roller-Skid snow blower skid shoe was originally developed simply to make snow blowing easier.

I found that the steel skids on my 2-stage snow thrower would constantly grab and pull my machine until I became exhausted trying to control it. I was also annoyed that the steel skids were scuffing up the concrete on both my driveway and the front walk.

After substituting a simple pair of wheels for the steel skids I found that they worked well, but that I missed the... more

I don't see how these are going to last very long. They are made out of plastic and the wheels will not hold up rolling over concrete, they will go flat after one or two uses. My fault for buying these but I thought I would give them a try since I only get 2-3 uses out of the metal shoes. It sure does get expensive to keep a snow blower going. I am going to fabricate my own brackets and buy wheels at the big box store for a couple bucks each and just change them out as needed, a lot less costly.
Like I said my error for buying, but you never know until you got them in your hand .

I don't see how these are going to last very long. They are made out of plastic and the wheels will not hold up rolling over concrete, they will go flat after one or two uses. My fault for buying these but I thought I would give them a try since I only get 2-3 uses out of the metal shoes. It sure does get expensive to keep a snow blower going. I am going to fabricate my own brackets and buy wheels at the big box store for a couple bucks each and just change them out as needed, a lot less... more

The roller wheels wear very fast and end up with flat spots. The plastic skid also has a tendency to climb on top of the snow rather than keeping the auger housing close to the work surface. Going to remove them and replace with my own version of a pizza cutter wheel.

The roller skid is a great idea for replacing the skids on a snow thrower. The material that the housing and wheel is made of is a durable product and helped to keep the purchase cost down. As were many others though, I was concerned with the fact that the plastic wheels will wear quickly, but I came up with a fix that I think will solve that problem. Using a piece of 2" steel conduit, I cut two 1 5/8" wide "tires" which I then lightly hammered onto the wheels for a nice, tight fit. The up coming winter will hopefully provide me with enough test material for an evaluation and I will repost with the results.

The roller skid is a great idea for replacing the skids on a snow thrower. The material that the housing and wheel is made of is a durable product and helped to keep the purchase cost down. As were many others though, I was concerned with the fact that the plastic wheels will wear quickly, but I came up with a fix that I think will solve that problem. Using a piece of 2" steel conduit, I cut two 1 5/8" wide "tires" which I then lightly hammered onto the wheels for a nice,... more

These are fabulous! I have a very steep asphalt driveway (in the Rocky Mountains). Due to side slopes and slight undulations in the surface of the driveway, I was constantly wrestling with directional control. These rollers took all the struggle out of steering, and they significantly reduced friction which taxed the traction of my machine on the uphill pass. There is only one downside, and I say this tongue-in-cheek - I have to gear down the machine on the downhill pass, because that lack of friction allows the snow blower to overrun it's capacity to move the snow and it becomes a plow!

I've had this machine for years, and previously lived in a "flat" suburban neighborhood outside Denver. Everything is paved. As a favor, I also cleared the sidewalks for a neighboring church. I would go through about 4 sets of steel skids per year, and unless these things fail, I expect they would last several seasons in that same service.

One suggestion. Before you mount them, get some appropriately sized galvanized flat washers. The shell is a high-tech plastic, and a flat washer will enable you to tighten the attachment bolts without distorting the plastic.

GREAT PRODUCT! I plan to buy another pair and keep them on-hand when it comes time to replace these.

These are fabulous! I have a very steep asphalt driveway (in the Rocky Mountains). Due to side slopes and slight undulations in the surface of the driveway, I was constantly wrestling with directional control. These rollers took all the struggle out of steering, and they significantly reduced friction which taxed the traction of my machine on the uphill pass. There is only one downside, and I say this tongue-in-cheek - I have to gear down the machine on the downhill pass, because that lack... more

I am having a real problem with the wheels jamming up with snow and ice and then they do not turn so they do not function very well. I am almost to the point where I am going to put the old skid shoes back on. I tried graphite lubricate and that helped a little but not much. The design seems poor and the housing for the wheel needs to be more open so snow and ice cannot jam the wheels up.

I purchased the roller skid shoes to replace the worn out metal skids I have kept replacing about every other year for 18 years now. I keep checking the rollers in the skids to see how they are wearing and after three huge snow storms in Utah these shoes have done a very nice job. Pros: They roll easily on the sidewalks and pavement navigating uneven surfaces just fine. In fresh snow they work very well and are easily adjusted. So far they seem to be very reliable. The wider foot-print they cast takes some getting used to but not a big deal. Cons: I did find that when I was trying to cut through old packed snow on my neighbor's drive way that the shoes provided a large amount of drag on the side trying to cut the packed snow causing the machine to bog down and stop. This really made the snow removal task a strenuous one. If you regularly would have to cut through drifts or old packed snow this might be the deal breaker.

I purchased the roller skid shoes to replace the worn out metal skids I have kept replacing about every other year for 18 years now. I keep checking the rollers in the skids to see how they are wearing and after three huge snow storms in Utah these shoes have done a very nice job. Pros: They roll easily on the sidewalks and pavement navigating uneven surfaces just fine. In fresh snow they work very well and are easily adjusted. So far they seem to be very reliable. The wider foot-print they... more

A great design makes maneuverability easier on my new blacktop driveway and circular drive- the design is great.

I would have preferred this in a metal frame rather than high density plastic-I actually started to crush the nut into the plastic
outer frame. I think making this in would be better, but I still am happy with the purchase of these.

I think a disclosure of the material is in order.

SBD RESPONDS: If you look at the Features for this item, the last section says
"Longer Lasting; •Nylon wheels won't wear down like metal skid shoes; •30% glass-filled nylon for durability; •Works in temperatures down to 30 degrees below zero; •Hitch pins and axles are stainless steel for strength and NO rust"

A great design makes maneuverability easier on my new blacktop driveway and circular drive- the design is great.

I would have preferred this in a metal frame rather than high density plastic-I actually started to crush the nut into the plastic
outer frame. I think making this in would be better, but I still am happy with the purchase of these.

I think a disclosure of the material is in order.

SBD RESPONDS: If you look at the Features for this item, the last section says
"Longer... more

Looks like a great idea, but I was disappointed after first time use. I just had a concrete driveway installed last summer and thought these would work great on it. They did for maybe 1 hour. Both sides developed flat spots, not sure if it was from ice or anti-skid from plow truck at the end of drive. Either way should last longer than 1-2 hours. Now with the flat spots they will wear down prematurely. The wheels needs to be made out of a harder more durable material.

Loved these skid shoes when I installed them, what a great idea, I thought. We got 5 inches of snow about a week or so ago and used my brand new snowblower and skids for about two hours clearing my driveway. I just spent some time today cleaning the machine and noticed that these skid shoe wheels were worn flat on one side. Now the blower thumps up and down when I push it and the wheels are pretty much shot. So they pretty much lasted me about two hours and now have to be replaced. I will be calling SBDirect or the manufacturer, garbage for 30 bucks...

Loved these skid shoes when I installed them, what a great idea, I thought. We got 5 inches of snow about a week or so ago and used my brand new snowblower and skids for about two hours clearing my driveway. I just spent some time today cleaning the machine and noticed that these skid shoe wheels were worn flat on one side. Now the blower thumps up and down when I push it and the wheels are pretty much shot. So they pretty much lasted me about two hours and now have to be replaced. I will... more