Spring Cleaning

[plowjockey]

Since it keeps coming up...the talk of getting ready for spring. How about thoughts on what some of us do to the plows and related equipt. to prepare them for lying dormant for the summer so they will be in good serviceable condition next winter?

I know mine will be completely dismantled and cleaned / re-painted. But then I bought it used and wasn't able to go that far before I had to plow.

Any hints for us rookies?

Bruce

[John Allin]

Pro-Techs are pulled in, gone over, repaired, painted and put outside.

Plows are pulled in, gone over, repaired, painted and put "up" inside our warehouse on mezzanines we have built especially for this purpose (we store the rockhounds, tillers, eliminators, trenchers, hoe attachments, etc there in winter - same deal).

Spreaders are dismounted from truck beds, completely cleaned, chains checked, everything sprayed down with oil, put on blocks, covered with tarp (tied down tight) and stored outside for summer.

Trucks are gone over, sent out for dent repair and painting (as needed). Transmissions get fluid change and radiator flush.

Owner and wife go to Toronto for 4 day vacation.

[Edited by John Allin on 02-21-2001 at 10:08 PM]

[GeoffDiamond]

We won't be doing much cleaning to late April or early May. We always get enough snow to break the trucks out in mid April.

Our first step in spring cleaning, is bringing everything back to the shop, loaders, plows ect. Then we return the backhoe we have on lease.

We start with V-boxes and other spreaders. We have a rack built out of I beans for storage of all our v-boxes. The under the tailgate spreader are hung on the shop wall, where the can be reinstalled in seconds.

Then we bring the big plows into the shop. The mechanic goes over them, and we use the loader to move them to a place where they will be out of the way. They are stored right near the v-boxes. Next we start of truck plows, again we repair, repaint, ect. In the past we used to store the small plows with the big ones, however we plan on storing as many plows in the salt/sand building as we can this year. The 10' blades will be the first ones stored in the buildings.

In the fall we check everything over again.

Geoff

[SlimJim Z71]

Since I bought my plow new, I probably won't do much other than clean it up, grease it up, touch it up, and put it away. Same with the spreader. Although... I may change the fluid in the plow, but then again it DIDN'T GET USED THAT MUCH THIS YEAR!!!!

-Tim

[GeoffDiamond]

Wait till fall to change the fluid.

Geoff

[75]

Since my plow gets stored outside, I pull the rams, blade guides and snow deflector off. Give everything a once-over (plow and truck) and make repairs as necessary, touch up the paint and give it a rest! I find if you leave repairs until fall, they wind up either not getting done or rushed to make the first snowfall.

[plowjockey]

75
What you said at the end about not waiting till fall is the main reason I started this thread. We have a lot of new operators, I'm sure many more than post but at least read, to whom these practices and ideas are going to be a big help.
Thanks for all of the replies so far .. keep 'em coming.

Bruce

[GeoffDiamond]

You want to wait till fall to change the fluid. It is very simple. If you read the thread completly you would see that I make repairs and repaint in the spring and the summer.

However because of the temperature changes that occur during the year it is best to wait till fall to change the fluid. These temperature changes cause moisture to build up in the fluid. The build up of moaisture leads to hydro problems come plow season. So if you change in the fall less moisture builds up.

However because I run Diamond and Fisher plows, very few repairs are needed each year.

Geoff

[Mike Nelson]

John,

Your guys do all that in 4 days while your on vacation?:D

Send them my way when they are done!

Thanks

[plowjockey]

Sorry Geoff...brain fade!!

Bruce :eek:

[SLC1]

Have any of you guys tried Lubra-seal made by Rohmar Inc. it is specially made for sanders, we have been using it for the past 5 years and it works excellent, we use it in the spring after throughly cleaning our sanders we spray it over the entire inside of the v-box and conveyor and it keeps everything from rusting. It works excellent, it costs about $30 per gallon and comes in 55gallon drums or 6 gallon pails.Just My two cents

[75]

I forgot to mention this in my earlier post - I use stainless fasteners on my snow deflector and blade guides so I don't have to deal with (and curse at) rusty bolts each spring. (Okay, I admit it - they look nice too)

[MusGuy]

I leave it on my truck and drive around during the summer and ask people do they need there driveway done? So I look nuts....

[plowjockey]

Hey Musguy
Do you ever get down around Dayton, Ohio? I've seen guys in the middle of summer doing that. I wish I could say that they were taking the unit to the shop, but...

Bruce