CAT 262 Skid Steer - How can I cut through the ice?

[bleedingyellow]

I've got a CAT 262 Skid steer with a 72" snow bucket that I'm using to clear out some lots in -24 degree weather. My bucket's been clearing up the snow just fine but its skipping over the ice on the pavement. The only way I'm able to break it is if i drop the bucket and cracking it, then plowing it off, but that's not effective, and it hurts the machine. I'm wondering how everyone else does this kind of work, and what kind of bucket, blade, or cutting edge you guys use to get through that ice and get to the pavement.

 

[stumpjumper83]

Several years ago now we had a sleet storm that froze leaving 4" of almost solid ice to remove from parking lots. Moderate succes was found when tilting the bucket to almost 90 degrees, but it has to be hard on cylinders.

what was most successfull was a rezloh cutting edge, the have teeth like on the cutting edge, formed by cutting notches in a standard cutting edge. They had the point pressure to tear thru the ice. Pe warned though, skin blacktop isn't much tougher than hard ice...

http://rezloh.com/

 

[bleedingyellow]

I've heard about those kinds of serrated edges. They're really popular with motor graders up here in the north but I've never seen them for something this small.

What was the wear life on these? Right now i'm wearing through one cutting edge a day. Did these edges last grinding against the pavement and ice like that?

 

[stumpjumper83]

They are not the carbine button edge that I think your thinking of with a grader. As far as wear life, they did well when used in a dirt application. We only had one freak storm that required the ice removal, I do remember it being hard on the skid steer edges, but thats about all. We were not out going it for a month straight.

 

[Nige]

You can get a bolt-on tooth bar for an SSL that directly replaces the existing cutting edge using the same hardware. They are available in 60" (136-8734), 66" (136-8735), 72" (136-8736), & 78" (217-4878) widths. Numbers in brackets are the Part Number.

There is also a 2nd type of tooth bar that might interest you more in that it bolts over the top of the existing cutting edge and fastens to the bucket sidewall using 2 bolts on each side, so installation & removal should theoretically be a breeze if your bucket already has the necessary holes in the sidewalls. Part Numbers 60" 159-0330, 66" 159-0340, 72", 159-0350, & 78" 195-9160.

Suggest you confirm these numbers with your local dealer and get confirmation as to what is required for the specific bucket you have installed on your machine and what hardware would be required to install it. If you do go that route ask the dealer to print you a copy of Cat Special Instruction reference REHS0846 that gives complete instructions of how to install both types of tooth bar.

 

[bleedingyellow]

How effective are these bolt on types at penetrating the ice?