Thanks for the comments guys.
Yeah - I knew the weight would of the blade would lever the back end off, but didn't realize by how much!
Regarding the squeegee material, I tried using a 3/4" extremely stiff interlocking floor material, but foud it to be too stiff for my driveway. Unfortuneately, my blacktop driveway isn't exactly smooth (it's old!), so I needed something softer that would comply with the topography.
I then switched to the tractor supply material. My intention when going to the store was to purchase the stall mat, then I found this other option there. The reason it's so cheap is they sell it by 1' by 4' sections (cut from a roll). It's 5/8" thick and is tough to cut. It seems comparable to the stall mats most MTF users purchase.
The plastic didn't come from Tractor Supply. I think its HDPE, but I'm not sure. Other than tinkering for 45 minutes to mount it, I had nothing to lose. It increase the approach angle of the skids so I haven't damaged the unfrozen lawn. If this plastic doesn't hold up, I have a scrap piece of Starboard. Has anyone tried using Starboard for skids?
For weights, I have some large dumbells (80# & 90# each) that I haven't used in years. My thought is to cut a groove in them with a angle grinder, insert some thin rubbrer to protect the tractor finish, then hang them off the back. It's going to be a tight fit, but should hopefully work. If I still need traction, I'll pursue the chains...
Some basic physics sure came apparent... It's always better to keep the wheel from spinning when trying to get unstuck. I was impressed how well I could control the power to the transmission.
In the end, my wife summed it up when she said, "I don't need to ask you if you had fun!"
Thankfully we received more snow for me to play with, I mean plow today!!!
Yeah - I knew the weight would of the blade would lever the back end off, but didn't realize by how much!
Regarding the squeegee material, I tried using a 3/4" extremely stiff interlocking floor material, but foud it to be too stiff for my driveway. Unfortuneately, my blacktop driveway isn't exactly smooth (it's old!), so I needed something softer that would comply with the topography.
I then switched to the tractor supply material. My intention when going to the store was to purchase the stall mat, then I found this other option there. The reason it's so cheap is they sell it by 1' by 4' sections (cut from a roll). It's 5/8" thick and is tough to cut. It seems comparable to the stall mats most MTF users purchase.
The plastic didn't come from Tractor Supply. I think its HDPE, but I'm not sure. Other than tinkering for 45 minutes to mount it, I had nothing to lose. It increase the approach angle of the skids so I haven't damaged the unfrozen lawn. If this plastic doesn't hold up, I have a scrap piece of Starboard. Has anyone tried using Starboard for skids?
For weights, I have some large dumbells (80# & 90# each) that I haven't used in years. My thought is to cut a groove in them with a angle grinder, insert some thin rubbrer to protect the tractor finish, then hang them off the back. It's going to be a tight fit, but should hopefully work. If I still need traction, I'll pursue the chains...
Some basic physics sure came apparent... It's always better to keep the wheel from spinning when trying to get unstuck. I was impressed how well I could control the power to the transmission.
In the end, my wife summed it up when she said, "I don't need to ask you if you had fun!"
Thankfully we received more snow for me to play with, I mean plow today!!!
