[Yosemite Sam]

There is no lock out pin in your picture.

I personally don't use lockout pins in my machines, because they bend the lift rods and dig gravel out of the drive and deposit it in the grass.

We don't get the snow here that many of you get, my drives are all gravel and fairly flat.

That said; In the fall when I put the blades on, I set them up so the blade is about an inch off the ground. That inch or so usually wears off or melts within a few days and has never been a problem.

I realize that weather conditions and differences in terrain vary greatly across continent, but this has worked well for me over the years.