Tailgate spreader ramblings

[Greenman2ooo]

I am having a Western 2000 spreader installed. I chose to get the variable speed control rather than the on/off type.

I got the swing away mount because we have lots of walks to do and will have a blower to load and unload. I'll be spreading only salt with it.

Any satisfied or dissatisfied owners of Western spreaders out there? Any input on the setup?

I read a lot of comments about other brands that kept me from buying them, even going against one dealer's advice. I haven't heard much one way or the other about the Western tailgate spreaders. I figure some of you must have them?

[SlimJim Z71]

I just bought a Western Pro Flo 2 a few months ago, and I FINALLY got to use it last night. It worked flawlessly. The bags of salt I dumped in had a few big chunks in them. The conveyer at the bottom kept things moving really well. I'm very happy with it...

[Greenman2ooo]

Was there a particular reason behind a two stage? I thought those were mostly for salt and sand, but I'm really new to snow removal?

Mine is going to cost $1600 mounted. I guess yours is more from the prices I've seen. Glad to hear you were happy with it, though.

[Greenman2ooo]

Also, wondered if you use more or less salt than you estimated. Do you have to fill up after doing a couple of small lots, maybe once after a larger lot? Do you have any idea how many bags you spread--how many times you filled the hopper, and approximate size of lots you used it on?

Any observations along these lines would be helpful. Also, any general observations on how long it takes to spread a McDonald's size lot.

[SlimJim Z71]

I got the two-stage for several reasons. My neighbor runs a seal-coating business, and does snow plowing during the winter. He's been using the Pro Flo 2 for a while, and he said he wouldn't use anything else. I trust his judgement.

Second of all, by having the conveyor at the bottom, it keeps the salt moving, therefore helps prevent clogs.

As far as salt usage, you're kind of going to have to wing it. Like I said, last night was my first run with it. I have the single speed controller, so I don't know how much you'll go through. It will vary with what speed you have it at.

The Pro Flo 2 has a gate after the conveyor that you can adjust to allow more or less salt to land on the spinner. I had it set in the middle last night, but I think I'm gonna open it up more before my next run. One of my accounts is the car dealership I work at. If you want to see how big it is, go to http://www.motorwerks.com and take a look at the picture that pops up. We've since added another parking lot on the back, as well as expanded the used car building (and parking lot) in downtown Barrington. To make a long story short, there is A LOT OF PAVEMENT to salt and plow. I made a light pass last night, because we only had 320-lbs of salt on hand, the rest is coming Friday. I went through those bags pretty quickly, just doing the main fairways.

-Tim

[SlimJim Z71]

Oh... the guys that had plowed that lot in previous years said it takes a full pallet (2500-lbs.) to do the whole lot. Not sure if that helps or not.

[EPP200]

GREENMAN2000,

I have a Fisher 2000 swing-away. It is exactly what you have but yellow instead of red. I used it for the first time Sunday night/Monday morning (light dusting of snow here in Chicago, nothing to plow but slick enough to lay down some salt).

My 2000 worked perfect. I have read other threads and have received advice from other on the forum to look into a vibrator kit. Unlike the Pro Flow, the 2000 is a single stage spreader, thus doesn't have a belt or anything to help break up the salt. I pretty much loaded the the spreader with salt and started spreading right away soooo I don't think there was enough time for any of it to compact or for any moisture to build.

I do think a vibrator is a good idea. ANYONE OUT THERE KNOW WHO SELLS THEM ???? I read Alan's post reference Tryn-Ex and have had no luck finding them.

Greenman2000, hope what I said helped ........ ED

[Alan]

At the absolute worst case, call Hertz First Choice in Williston, Vermont at 802-872-5300 and ask for Brian McConnell. Tell him you need the vibrator kit for a Snow-Ex single stage spreader. He's a bit of a pompous jerk, so you might be inclined to snap him up short. For waht it's worth you can tell him Alan Nadeau gave you his name. But he can get the kit and ship it to you. The thing works good, as I recall you have to supply your own switch but it comes with wiring and plug. I used a push on/push off switch, just punch it to start and punch again to stop. It makes a huge difference in how uniform a single stage unit will spread.

[jrblawncare]

Greenman 2000,I as well have a western on order and hope to have within the week,I have gone with the 1000 w/variable speed control.I wanted the receiver hitch mount,but it only works with a western receiver so I went with the swing away too...thinking it will save back anyway loading bags of product.I too am looking for some starting point as far as settings.I will not have as many events as the rest of you,so I would like to be close the first time out.I did order the adjustable deflector and the top screen kit,I hope they are worth it?The vibrator kit is also available but I passed on it because I will be usings dry bagged material.The only part I did not like to hear was the price...you are getting the 2000 for what I'm paying for the 1000 installed w/above accessories.Keep us up to date on how your making out with it,anyone else too.THANKS John I also looked at Snow EX by Trynex model SP-575...I hope I made the right choose,I know I spent a few hundred more!!

[SlimJim Z71]

The way the hopper is constructed on my spreader, I don't know if a vibrator would work well or not. I'll see, so far, I think if I keep my salt dry, I should be okay. Although, I can see how it would definately help on a single stage set-up.

[mountain]

I just got my buyers low profile spreader mounted today so didn't get to try it yet HOPE it works ok. anybody else have one? are there any tricks to using it?

[Five Star Lawn Care LLC]

in my onpinion going with a tailgate spreader is kinda silly, ive talked to several guys that say the salt gets cought up on the sides and u think u are out of salt but its just that the salt wont flow towards the neck. Why would u want to get out of your truck and rip open 50 pound bags of salt in the middle of the job. SlimJim Z71 said it takes him a full pallet (2500 Lbs) to do one of his lots, that means 50 bags of salt your going to have to load into the spreader. The lowest price i have found for bagged rock salt is 3.50 a bag, so its going to cost him $175 dollars in just materials. I can go and get a 1.5 tons (3000#) of bulk rock salt for $55 and have it dumped in my v-box and salt the whole lot with out getting out of my truck. So i put $120 extra dollars in my pocket every time i salt. If u salt 35 times per season u would save $4200 dollars and that is about the cost of a v-box salter. I dont know about u guys but i would deffinatly be crying if i didnt have a v-box salter.

[Cutter1]

My tailgate spreader is one of the best out there. Especially for bulk salt. Its the air flow mini spreader. It has a conveyer belt that pulls the salt out and on to the spinner. Never has it got clogged. I like it better than mose tailgate spreaders, because it doesn't have an auger in it.

[thelawnguy]

Originally posted by mountain
I just got my buyers low profile spreader mounted today so didn't get to try it yet HOPE it works ok. anybody else have one? are there any tricks to using it?

I bought one used, used it twice, then it sat around for two years til I found another fish who bought it.

As others said, its not very cost-effective using bagged material. Id rather spread with a shovel than worry about filling that Buyers unit, if u dont empty the whole hopper it will flow out on you before you get to the next job so beware.

[SlimJim Z71]

Originally posted by fivestr19
SlimJim Z71 said it takes him a full pallet (2500 Lbs) to do one of his lots, that means 50 bags of salt your going to have to load into the spreader. The lowest price i have found for bagged rock salt is 3.50 a bag, so its going to cost him $175 dollars in just materials.

Actually, the dealership buys the salt, which out here only costs about $3 per 50-lb. bag. As far as loading it into the hopper, it's really not so bad. Here's a quote from the Western web-site on the ProFlo 2:

PRO-FLO™ 2 SPREADER
Capable of spreading all types of material, including wet sand, the WESTERN® PRO-FLO™ 2 spreader sets a new standard for tailgate type spreaders! The two-stage design features a 16" belt conveyor to assure positive feed with all types of materials. The high strength poly hopper has up to 1200 lbs. capacity (10 cu. ft.) on properly equipped vehicles. Spreader height along with the feed gate and deflectors are all adjustable. In-cab control options include an "on-off" switch or variable speed control (shown).

Other PRO-FLO™ 2 features include 1/3 HP, 12V DC motor, large 14-1/2" spinner to increase the spread pattern and center high-mounted stop lamp (CHMSL).

In my opinion, it's a heck of a spreader.

[jrblawncare]

Fivestr19,You have made some good points,Bill too, But what about Me,I may use it 8 to 10 times this winter{maybe}and at this time do not have alot of clients and I'm just starting out here.JOHN............Hope I'm making the right move getting this speader.

[Edited by jrblawncare on 11-22-2000 at 11:15 PM]

[Chuck Smith]

Make sure you mount that Buyers up as high as you can. Flip the bracket that goes in the receiver if you haven't already. The motor hangs way too low, and you will tear it off. The higher up the better.

~Chuck

[cutntrim]

You said it brother!

[SlimJim Z71]

Oh... by the way, mine cost me $1800, installed.

[jrblawncare]

Does anyone have any thoughts about the Trynex Snow Ex model sp-575 receiver mount or should I say with the Western w/the swing away mount.Also Will I still be able to pull my 16 ft Landscape trailer with the western installed? THANKS John

[John DiMartino]

Man Slim Jim-you are a tough guy,I wouldnt load all that salt my hand.If I were you Id buy a v-box and a 3/4 ton reg cab to salt with.I have my own piles and a 32hp loader bachoe.I can load it in 30 seconds to 1 minute without huffing or getting dirty or wet.That job you salt at the dealership-I would charge at least 275 for with 60-70 in materials(with salt being 40-45 a yard).It would take 10 minutes at the most to do.How much money can you make spreading there salt?I wouldnt bother if it want good money.Did you see any of the recomends on the speed cast 2/pro flow 2,one of them is to not install it on 1500 trucks.

[SlimJim Z71]

The main reason people don't recommend putting snow equipment on half-ton trucks is because of the suspension. Half-ton trucks are set up to handle towing boats, jet-skis, and stuff like that. But once you go throwing a bunch of plowing and salting equipment on it, it gets pretty sloppy. I'm a mechanic. I've made a lot of modifications to my truck to handle the weight. I never exceed the weight ratings, and the plow I bought is strong enough for commercial use, but still around 100-lbs. lighter than the rest of them. I don't fill the spreader up to the top. That would obviously put too much strain on the truck. The truss mount for the spreader is actually a good design. It helps distribute the weight better, and actually offsets the weight of the plow away from the front axle.

As far as the cost goes, the dealership pays me an hourly wage for plowing and salting, provides the salt, covers repairs on my truck, AND supplies the gas. So it's not such a bad deal. Plus, there is one other guy helping to plow all the lots. For the record, he's had more problems with his NEW 3/4-ton than I've ever had with a 1/2-ton while plowing.

-Tim

[plowking35]

cuter I have 2 of the airflow tailagte spreaders and they are awesome. Bought them both used for 1K each. One is on a ranger and the other on a subs truck with a tool box in the bed, he doesnt want to have to take the toolbox out everytime he needs to salt, so the tailgate was a good option. we also use 3 v boxes, so we have the best of both worlds.
Dino

[Cutter1]

Plowking....They are nice to use. Never have to worry about it getting clogged. We use bulk salt so these spreaders are a must. DOn't like the v box, I like to be able to see out the back. 1,000 each is a good price too. I bought mine for 1,700. We got through a lot of salt, light snow the other day, two salt trucks went through 8 ton. We are a little nervous for a big snow, we have a lot of new places to do this year. If it there is a big snow, we are going to have 5 plows going( all chevy's!!), two of them have spreaders, so we'll see how it goes. Came off the scale the other night weighing 11,000!!! My 3/4 ton chevy was a bit over weight!! :)

[SlimJim Z71]

I'm just takin a shot in the dark here, because I've never seen an Air Flow, but it sounds a lot like the Pro Flo 2... am I right?

[John DiMartino]

Im not bshing you Slim -jim,because im the first to admit ive weighed 2K+ over on my truck,but your steel plow weighs in the area of 550lbs,add the salter 400,add you 175?,you have 1125 lbs-without salt,or any other mods,your truck is 4975-5050,I had the same exact truck as you,ITs GVWR is 6200.You have 1200 to play with-you've added a back rack,lights,other accesorys that are at least 100 total,all im saying is that 1/2 tons arent recommended because they are to light duty and are not rated to stop that much weight,you can add air lift bags all day,it still wont stop.Spend $5 and see if im right,load your 10 bags or whatever of salt and i bet you are over weight.I guarantee it.I am also a mechanic-the fact that you think beefing up the rear suspension actually will increase its carrying capacity is what scares me-those little brakes will overheat and not stop the weight in an emergency stopping situation.I do overload too-I think we all do.

[Alan]

If I remember right, the brakes on a 1500 and a 2500 LD are the same size, or very close. Yes, the 2500 HD has bigger brakes and it will bind a load down quicker, but I can't say that I've seen any practical difference in braking when loaded for plowing.

[John DiMartino]

1500 4x4 has 3750 lb axle with 10x 2.5 brakes.2500LD has 11.12x2.5 and is a 4800 lb axle.I notice a huge difference in braking,especially when a lot of weight isover the rear end.1500 locks front brakes and pushes because rears cant stop tires as well,my 2500LD's stop much better,even with a full V-box.I think my 2500LD has better brakes than my 96 Ram 2500Hd diesel had,even though the rears were much larger they didnt work very well,unless I adjusted them every month.

[SlimJim Z71]

I agree with you on the braking issue... but honestly, I don't care what you're driving, none of us can really stop all that well in the snow. Right? Honestly though, the brakes on 1500's suck royaly. I take my pads off about every 2-3 months and scuff up the pads a little. It helps a lot. As far as the air bag issue goes, I'm not saying it increases the carrying capacity of the truck, it just helps take the weight off of the front end using the spreader as leverage.

-Tim

[diggerman]

I don't care if your brakes are as big as the whole tire,if you don't have traction you won't stop.If the sander were loaded equally then stopping should comparable.When driving in snow or ice its not how good your brakes are it's how good your technique is.I have a hydro V box I bought at auction from the local university that is mounted in a 2500 2wd and I have one mounted on a 16,000 GVW C60 there is little diffrence in stopping capability,carrying yes, stopping no.

[SlimJim Z71]

I know it's a half-ton... but don't worry, I baby it. It get over maintainenced, if there is such a thing. I don't carry a whole lot of salt around with me, as most of it is kept on the dealership lot. I only have a few other accounts that require salt.

-Tim

[mountain]

Chuck
thank's for the advice , the unit I have has the motor inside the hopper so that shouldn't be a problem . I know buyers isn't the best spreader but the cost was right for the amount of salting i have to do , if all goes good we will upgrade to v-box next season .I'll just try to stuggle threw
thanks again

[jaclawn]

You had some good points for use of a Vbox, but I will still use a tailgate spreader for a number of reasons.

1. I don't have a loader, and would have to rely on supply yards to load me, and also to keep an adequate sullpy of salt on hand. What if they run out of salt?

2. The searest salt yerd that is open 24 hours is a 45 minute drive on back country roads. The 45 minutes is in good weather, it can only get longer in snowy weather.

3. With a V box, that truck is essentially dedicated all winter. I have a swing mount on my tailgate, and can use the truck for other purposes. THis is important because our seasons overlap.

4. Weight. A V box weighs considerably more than a tailgate. If you are going to be 100% legal, that Vbox eats up more GVW than a tailgate. You can carry more salt in the truck with a tailgate because of the reduced weight of the spreader.

5. Ease on installation/removal. I can pull the tailgate off by myself in a matter of minutes, where as a V box takes a little longer, and requires aid.

6. Off season storage. A tailgate takes up much less space.

I looked at the big picture, and decided that the cost savings in the price of the material was not worth it to me. For the amount of salting that I do, I only have to fill my 10.75 cubic foot hopper three times per run. I can't sit in the truck for hours and hours on end without moving, so loading the bags gets the body moving, and the blood flowing again.

For some operations, a V Box is practicle. For others, a tailgate is more practicle. Each situation is unique, and what works for one, may not work for others.

[SlimJim Z71]

Couldn't have said it better myself.

[Snow Pro]

I like Buyers for the price. I can get them (w/o installation) for under $800.00). Friend has a Western and had lots of problems with the solonoid. No doubt V-box is the way to go if you have bulk salt and a way to load it.

[jrblawncare]

JACLAWN-Thank you ,I feel better....Just wondering where are you from {no profile}How many events per year...SNOWPRO-your friends western.... a newer one or older?

[plowking35]

Actually the airflow is similar ut IMO better. Its a mini v box, with a belt that runs front to back that drops onto a spinner. Driven by an electric motor, with out variable speed, but a western/ fisher controller works fine with the airflow.
Dino

[nsmilligan]

Hey epp 200 check with your Fisher dealer it's availible as an option. I have a 110 the forerunner to the 2000. NEVER had a problem and it's spread about 36,000 kg's of salt or 40 tons. You won't need a vibrator if you load and use. Don't let the salt sit for a week. I do have to get out and give the spinner a turn if the hopper is full and I've plowed for a couple of hours, the salt will settle and kick the circuit breaker out. The most valuable thing I did was add the ajustable spread kit to it. I can set my spread down to about 3 feet for sidewalks, it's availible as an option from Fisher.

Bill