Customer Reviews

Arnold 490-241-0010 Universal Deluxe Poly Slide Shoes For Most 2 Stage Snow Throwers

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I recently purchased these snowblower skids for a 25+ year old Craftsman that was starting to show it's age. The original skids, when brand new, were nothing more than your typical bent chunk O metal about 3 inches long that rode along the ground getting caught on anything that wasn't completely smooth. In fact, they were getting so bad that they would catch and grab on even smooth blacktop. I had always wondered "why don't they make something better for these things?". In a nutshell, original snowblower skids kinda suck, right from the get-go.

So I recently stumbled upon these universal replacement shoes and despite the frightening price of them, decided to take a chance.

Wow.

Let me go on record by saying that if I were to buy a brand new snowblower tomorrow, I would buy these shoes for it, and take the original ones and heave them somewhere into the dark, cobwebby recesses of my garage. Via con dios, poorly designed crap.

These things are fantastic. For starters, they are LARGE and LONG, longer in fact than the entire bottom edge of my snowblower. Where the original hunks of bent metal (a marvel of engineering, indeed) were shorter than the bottom of the housing, which was starting to make the edges wear and bend, these cover the entire bottom and then some, making the sides much stronger, probably stronger than they were when the thing was brand new.

They are a hard poly plastic, so they slide beautifully over ANY surface. Installation was a dream, with an offset cam for one of the bolts for precise adjustment for virtually any make or model. While the price is much higher than most replacement skids, keep in mind that they come 2 in a pack, where most replacement shoes are individual items to purchase. They are also reversible- when the bottom gets worn down, just flip them over and tighten the bolts, and you're good for another few seasons. So, for the "steep" price, you are essentially getting FOUR shoes, rather than one.

If you are looking for something to make your snow removal easier (and who doesn't want that?), then get these replacement shoes, even if your snowblower doesn't need them yet. It's no hype and it's no joke, these things are awesome.

Winter, do your worst. I'm so ready for you.

I purchase a set of these for my (out of production) snow blower at the beginning of the season. The instructions were easy to follow and the shoes were easily adjustable to the height I needed. This was important to me as I have a gravel driveway. Although I gave them only minimal use this year, because they are reversible, I believe they will most likely outlast the machine.

When my step father needed to replace his skid shoes late in the season, I didn't give a second thought to recommending and ordering these.

I took the free shipping and they arrived in 4 days from the order date.

I have a Troy-Bilt 24" and a Craftsman 48" two stage snow thrower, both a couple years old. I have to replace the steel shoes after a couple seasons and the steel ones can leave scrape marks on the driveway & deck and rust spots on the garage floor.

Saw this product at the local big box DIY retailer (Amazon has better price btw). Purchased one set with the hopes of replacing at least one set of steel shoes, and then depending on how it goes as far as wear and fit, I would buy a second set for the big snow blower.

The holes line up on the 24" model, but the bolts are too thick for the factory holes in the snow thrower case. Of course the original bolts are too short.

This is especially disappointing & frustrating because Troy-Bilt and Arnold are from the MTD family. You would think that their own accessories would fit their own brand. Plus so many brands don't manufacture anything. They just resell the same items from the same factory with just a slightly different spec, style, cover and color.

The holes don't line up on the 48", but I haven't looked closely at the big offset hole. Needless to say I am reluctant to drill into the snow blower or the shoes for either.

Contacted the manufacturer to see if they will accommodate and ship a different set of bolts. If not, I will return the product.

It would be nice if the manufacturer would release a note for the product with the hole spacing, so customers can review that information and compare to their unit; before they order online or buy in a store.

For the retail price, in my opinion, the manufacturer should include two sets of bolts (scenario where slightly older snow blowers must have had smaller bolt sizes) so you can use the thickness that fits your blower. Instead of now having to pay retail for additional galvanized or better bolts & nylock nuts. I'm guessing .75-$1 each pc at the big box store ... so add another $6-$8?

Ultimately, for what the kit is: two pieces of plastic and a baggie of nuts & bolts ... the price should be better. But, such is the cost of retail replacement parts & accessories.

Holes would not line up on my JohnDeere snowblower. Used a rotozip to shave 1/4 in. larger. Used 1/2 in. washer to assemble. Works fine

Great product, much better then the old steel skids. These are a little expensive but worth the price in the end for smooth ride, controlled turns and no longer scratching my driveway. Fits my Troy Bilt just fine.

Well, I got to use these twice so far this year and all I can say is that they are the best invention for not scratching up my newly paved driveway. My whole machine is easier to control and turn around on or off snow. My only beef is the price, but I have gotten over that now. They appear to be holding up well so far. Will never get the steel ones again.

Much better than the stock metal shoes that came with my Toro 2620. Those metal shoes gouged the driveway. These new ones slide nicely across the concrete. Also, without the included longer bolts, I would not have been able to install them as these shoes are MUCH thicker than the metal ones that came with it. Great product.

I removed the factory steel shoes on my Yard-Man 31AH55LH701 30-Inch 357cc Gas Powered Two Stage Self Propelled Snow Thrower With Electric Start & Power Steering and replaced them with these poly shoes based on the recommendation of an experienced snowblower user. Given no snow yet this season, I've had no chance to evaluate their use. The fit was fine.

However, based on the poly shoe material alone, these seem quite over-priced to me. The hardware included likely carries a greater manufacturing cost than the shoes themselves. Given the shoes generally are replacing existing shoes, many simply won't need the hardware and use the existing hardware.

Bottom line - I think these shoes will work fine and prevent marring the surface. I just think the price should have been closer to $10 than $30.

Arnold 490-241-0010 Universal Deluxe Poly Slide Shoes For Most 2 Stage Snow Throwers. Work great. Don't scratch or dig into the driveway. Plenty of hardware included to install. Have only done the driveway 3 times so far but, seem to be holding up well.

Firstly, the cost for the PAIR of poly slide shoes was at least half what would have been paid in the mega home centers. Although I have not had the opportunity to use my snow blower with its NEW BOOTS due to lack of snow, I'm sure they will help in keeping the driveway free of the skid marks caused by the snow blower's standard steel skids.