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The Kage Advantages

Over the last several months, we have gone over the many different unique features of the Kage system. Proving how they work and how they are beneficial to the contractor and end user. There are still a few advantages left that we have to go over but those will be in the weeks coming, every Friday. Here is what we have gone over so far…

#1 Moldboard

The Tri-Formed Box that encloses the back of the moldboard eliminates torque and strain that can otherwise fatigue the entire structure. The Kage moldboard is a 10 gauge GRADE 50, which among other things has a higher tensile strength, meaning it is harder to dent and tear, prolonging the life of the finish and plow itself. With every 3 inches there is a tough stitch weld. We eliminate all of that through a proprietary method of applying seam sealer to all un-welded joints prior to the finish getting baked on.

#2 Attack Angle & Angle of Attack

The Kage System scrapes cleanly, allowing you to finish your work more quickly, using less fuel, and leaving your customer in awe at how quickly you were in and out, leaving a perfectly groomed lot. The Kage System scrapes so well because it relies on a steel trip edge, rather than a rubber edge like many common snow pushers. Also, the cutting edge is not ‘held up’ by the box sides, or ‘shoes’ like many other common snow pushers. This allows you to put down pressure directly to the cutting edge, scraping cleanly the first pass.

#3 Oscillation

The brilliance of Kage’s oscillation plate is in this six-bolt plate. It is mounted on the blade directly over the cutting edge. This prevents bending and twisting on the blade or pivot frame. Oscillation is absolutely critical. You need oscillation in a plow and pusher because if it doesn’t oscillate the blade is not clearing snow across the full width of the cutting edge. Instead, it’s leaving a trail on one end while gouging the pavement on the other end.

#4 Trip Edge

Tripping is crucial because it protects the operator and the equipment from injury or damage. There are two common types of snow plow trip systems, one is where the entire moldboard trips, the other is where only the cutting edge trips. Kage uses the trip edge method. A trip edge is superior to a trip moldboard because when the entire moldboard trips you lose some of the load of snow you were carrying. And you waste time because you have to back up to get the blade to reset. Not so with Kage’s aggressive trip edge. On our SnowFire model Kage’s trip edge is a full 8 inches tall while the SnowStorm is 9 inches. This allows the operator to blow right through a standard concrete curb with no adverse effect. The SnowStorm trip edge is split in the middle so only one-half of the edge trips when a smaller object is encountered.

#5 Cutting Edge

The cutting edge on a snow blade is the blade’s most common wear item; so it must be tough. Kage’s cutting edge is 5/8ths inch high carbon steel. Our cutting edges are also a result of the highway department standards, and will fit up with any standard cutting edge design, available almost anywhere. For parking ramps, stamped concrete, pavers and other sensitive surfaces you will want to choose Kage’s long lasting polyurethane cutting edge option. Many contractors also like the poly option because it causes much less damage to turf.

#6 Compression Springs

The springs that create the action of the trip edge are vital to the reliability of the trip mechanism. There are two types of trip springs – stretch/extension and compression springs. The stretch springs found on many snow blades have a short life and cause aggravating down time in the middle of an event. Kage’s trip springs compress rather than stretch to do their job. Compression springs have a much greater life than stretch springs. Kage springs are also extra stiff and aggressive. Springs on other brands tend to be too weak causing them to trip prematurely while plowing packed, driven-on snow. A blade that constantly chatters across the surface because of wimpy springs wastes precious time and is very aggravating for the operator.

#7 Pivot Frame & King Pin

The Kage pivot frame is uniquely designed for strength, visibility, and operator ease of climbing in and out of the machine. Unlike the “A” frames common to other brands, this pivot frame utilizes a single 4 x 6 x 3/8 thick tube as it’s backbone. This not only gives it plenty of strength, but reduces the overall width creating better visibility, and overall height, creating a nice easy ‘step’ into the cab of the machine. A single piece of grip tape offers the operator more stability while stepping up into the machine. This small but important feature is a testament to the attention to detail (ATD) we put into our manufacturing process. The king pin is the heart of the connection between the pivot frame and the moldboard. This can be a vulnerable area especially when backdragging but Kage has it covered with a massive 1 1/4?, greaseable king pin.

#8 Crossover Relief

Without crossover relief, when an object is struck on one end of the blade there will be a surge of fluid pressure which may, at the least, burst a hose or at the worst cause internal damage to the machine hydraulics. Kage Innovation produces the highest quality snow plows and snow pushers on the market today, all of which are equipped with hydraulic crossover relief systems.

 

#9 Poly Skids

On average, poly skids last 2-3 seasons. Contrary to a standard snow pusher, the SnowKage does not rest on its skids. Instead, most of the weight of the SnowKage rests on the blade which is transferred to the cutting edge. This means that the SnowKage is constantly scraping the pavement clean. Standard pushers ride on steel skids. This means that the pusher is not scraping. Instead, it is leaving a crust that has to be scraped up with a different piece of equipment or it has to be melted with salt. The steel skids of the standard pusher are gouging into the pavement and it is very difficult for the operator to get the pusher level.

#10 Snow Catch

Since the Snow Kage has sideways play to allow easy attachment, there has to be a method of stopping the snow from dribbling between the box and the blade. We call this the snow catch. Like the poly skids, the snow catch is also adjustable and long lasting. Every detail of the Snow Kage flows right into the overall theme of low maintenance and simplicity. The polyurethane bumpers protect the finish, while the pre-punched 10 inch wide snow catches prevent spillage while pushing.

#11 Hoses & Retainers

Kage has specially designed our hydraulic hoses and made “adjustable” retainers for the hoses. This was so that no matter what machine you are putting the Kage plow on, you can have enough slack in the line so the hoses don’t become stretched and break. Kage has designed a pivot frame and mounting plate with 3 different places to mount a retainer for your hoses. Hydraulic hose fittings are included in the base cost of all Kage models. Still another of Mike’s Attention to Detail items are these exclusive hose retainers. Each brand of skid steer varies with where its hydraulic hose couplers are located. With every other brand of snow blade there is either no retainer at all, or there is only one position for the clamp. If the hoses aren’t routed properly there is the risk of tearing off the hoses when the blade is raised and curled.

#12 Brackets

With both the SnowFire and SnowStorm models, the SnowKage is attached and detached from the blade in three seconds without leaving the cab. For SnowFire this is accomplished through the cam lock brackets. Once the black bar stock is rotated into the blue cam lock the SnowKage will not come off until the rotation process is repeated. For SnowStorm, the SnowKage is secured with hydraulic clamps. The clamps are activated by the third valve function of the loader or by the auxiliary hydraulics on a tractor. For wheel loaders, Kage’s electric diverter valve with toggle mounted in the cab directs the fluid to activate the Kage clamps or to activate the power angling of the blade.

 

Stay Tuned for an upcoming Kage Advantage Friday 12/2