I was at my Sno-Way dealer yesterday, had a switch go bad in a control box, I was picking up a replacement. (By the way, I keep a complete spare box, just in case. This time teh switch got crushed when the box was behind the seat, pure human carelessness) I brought up the subject of urethane edges. Sno-Way offers some sort of white "plastic", supposed to be urethane,stuff. Whatever it is, it apparently is NOT the stuff Vince is selling. Reports have it that if you catch a manhole cover it will take a chunk right out of these edges. About an inch thick, prebeveled and factory drilled. Nobody is using them because they haven't held up. I have no doubt about what Vince adn Dino are telling us about their edges durability, so is there different grades of urethane, with some not suited to the abuse of plowing?
What that is, is a polyethelyne edge. (edited by me after reading vinces post, I am new and still learning all this stuff)I am sure vince can write a disortation on why people still make edges out of this material and its chemicle compound. Suffice to say that it just gives urethane edges a bad name.<br>What most people think is that all poly is the same. But a HUGE difference between polyurethane and the others.<br>Dino <p>----------<br> Professional Ice and Snow Management <br>Products:Services:Equipment www.sima.org<br>
Alan,<p>I can tell you for a fact that the plastic you saw was not urethane. First of all, I have been in the urethane business for over 43 years. none of us like to color urethane white because it has a tendency to turn yellow. <p>#1. Did your SnoWay dealer tell you that the edge was urethane or plastic or did he really know what he had?<br>#2. Did your SnoWay dealer tell you that the edges broke as you mentioned in your post?<br>#3. If the answer to #1 &2 is yes then you have a problem with that dealer because why would he carry such a blade.<p>The blade is more than likely UHMW with is Ultra High Molecular Weight either polypropprolene or Polyethylene. It is sometimes called a"Poor Man's Teflon". Several of the manufacturers use these edges because they are cheap. they come in grey, white and black that I am aware, and could be other colors also. Tey are not using PVS as Dino mentioned. PVC wouldn't get you out of the your driveway in the up position before it would snap and break.<p>Alsan did you feel the "Plastic" our edges are flexible more rubber like than harsh plastic to the touch. our edges are like trying to handle a python snake some times when we make them for 14 foot plows.<p>I really want to carry this out further if you got any more data. I'm not at my computer at this time and should be home after seven this evening EST.<p>Vince<br>
Vinnie if my python was 14 feet long, I would have a tough time handling it also.<br>Dino<p>----------<br> Professional Ice and Snow Management <br>Products:Services:Equipment www.sima.org
Vince, in response to your questions:<p>#1. Did your SnoWay dealer tell you that the edge was urethane or plastic or did he really know what he had?<p>He said "urethane" but I tend to doubt he knows what they are made of.<p>#2. Did your SnoWay dealer tell you that the edges broke as you mentioned in your post?<p>Yes, that was one of the reasons they are not being well accepted. Not real hard to understand why they might not be too popular if that is what is happening.<p>#3. If the answer to #1 &2 is yes then you have a problem with that dealer because why would he carry such a blade.<p>He is carrying them because that is what Sno-Way is selling as an alternative to steel edges. <p>It seemed to me that the material was very stiff and hard. They are prebeveled and the resulting edge is quite sharp, I wouldn't say you would cut yourself on them but I wouldn't want to run my hand on them with much force.<p>I tend to agree with that idea that they are UHMW. A local plastic wholesaler is promoting UHMW as a cutting edge as well as a blade skin. I bought generic polycarbonate from them as an alternative to trademarked "Lexan" (OEM) for skins on my Sno-Ways, half the price as the OEM skin and supposed to be chemically the same. Time will tell on that count. <p>I know that Sno-Way is using some sort of plastic for the cutting edge on the center section of their Vee blades, black, quite hard, whatever it is. No idea how it is holding up in that application. It's not very wide, under a foot, and catches hell as it acts like a chisel at the point of the vee. I'll probably find out more next winter as I hope to be running one of their vee plows by then.<p>I wonder if Sno-Way is having problems with the stuff tehy are peddling as an edge and might be open to a sales pitch for good stuff.<p><br>
Just a little more information about urethane.<p>If any of you guys out there are skiers, you know that all of the ski boots made are made from urethane. The reason being that it responds in a good way to cold weather. It also resists cracking and crazing like what happens to improperly inflated tires after a while and it also has no fillers in it like the old steering wheels used to be in the hot sun and exuded a oily substance. The urethane is 100% reactive that is all the chemicals bond together in manufacturing.<p>Having said that, there are urethane companies out there that in order to get into the business make a few short cuts and load the urethane with oils, or talc or any type of mineral dust to reduce the overall costs. When they do this, the good properties of the urethane are significanly reduced. In all my 43 years plus in this business, I have worked to develope special systems of urethanes that produce quality products and be able to sell them profitably. Since I have no control over the oil prices I had to develope these properties through manufacturing economies. Take one of spinners our machine can produce a 20" spinner weighing about 10 to 11 pounds one every 20 seconds or 3 per minute. Since our output is so great the cost is reduced for labor and overhead and we can sell better than competitive suppliers and maintain good margins afterall we are all in business to make money. the faster and cleaner you guys get into a job and out to the next is more money in your pocket as long as the job was well done. The same thing applies with my business.<p>Some of the big urethane houses are hot on our trail now, and since we service the snow and ice business primarily, these other buisnesses will lower prices with good urethane and sell as a lost leader and make up for it in other areas or products. They usually don't keep the prices down for long, just long enough to get a manufacturer or distributor to buy some and the next load is back up high. Check about and see if what this old dog says isn't true.<p>Supper time<p><br>vince
