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Spreading sand salt

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Brian-2N

03-06-2003 09:27:12

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As March usually results in melting and refreezing of snow, my driveway usually becomes a sheet of ice and is slicker than fesh dog poop on a linoleum floor.
I see some spreaders than can be pulled behind a garden tractor. I was thinking of hooking one up to the drawbar.
Anyone have experience with this? Opinions please on whether a drop spreader or broadcast spreader would be better. As the sand is not crystalized, I would say the drop spreader.
Anybody have any other ideas for spreading sand on the driveway?

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heybusdriver

03-06-2003 22:19:22

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Re: spreading sand salt in reply to Brian-2N, 03-06-2003 09:27:12

I live in the Vancouver Canada area and we rarely get snow, but do get black ice and regular ice. Where I work, Coast Mountain Bus Company, in the yard that is a parking lot for our busses someone built a broadcaster spreader that works well. The broadcaster spreader is built from an old rearend ( differnential) of a truck or car where the driveshaft would be is turned in the UP position with a broadcaster plate attached to the universal joint. Above that is a inverted shaped pyramid fastened to a trailer that can be pulled by a car or truck( they have a truck) but could also be towed behind a tractor just simply hooked to drawbar. I do not have any pictures of this and am on holidays , so can not take any pictures until I return ( if I remember), but if you picture it it would be easy to make , get a old rearend from a vehicle turn it up so that the driveshaft would point up and build a squared plate so when sand or whatever drops on it , the pulling of the trailer would throw the sand as a broadcaster spreader would do.Build a trailer to mount on top of this spreader and put a common tongue on the trailer hooked to the tractor's drawbar. If I remember when I get back to work I will take a picture or two and try and post. Stan

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Brian-2N

03-07-2003 05:05:41

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Re: Re: spreading sand salt in reply to heybusdriver, 03-06-2003 22:19:22

Thanks Stan-I'd be interested in seeing it.
BTW-where you've been. Haven't heard from you in a while.

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heybusdriver

03-07-2003 09:54:09

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Re: Re: Re: spreading sand salt in reply to Brian-2N, 03-07-2003 05:05:41

I've been spending and I mean spending too much time on Ebay, usually cruise through here though daily. Stan

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Willy-N

03-06-2003 22:01:03

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Re: spreading sand salt in reply to Brian-2N, 03-06-2003 09:27:12

Another thing I do and it lasted way longer than sand and helped melt the ice is to use gravel. Since my drive was 5/8 inch minus I just spread some fresh gravel over the ice and the sun would heat the rock up and melt it into the ice. One year I was having a real problem with ice and just used a flat shovel and would throw it and it spred for a long ways and stayed there when the sand was not working good. Added to the drive way too. I was using it on a slite hill with a curve and UPS was having problems getting up it with out chains on. Mark H.

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Dan (Myersville)

03-07-2003 06:46:49

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Re: Re: spreading sand salt in reply to Willy-N, 03-06-2003 22:01:03

Yeah, the stone is better than sand on a gravel roadway - did that until we paved ours. Also used a landscape rake after initial plowing while the surface was not solidly frozen. It mixed some of the base aggregate into the skim of unplowed snow. That was very effective.

Dan

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Dan (Myersville)

03-06-2003 11:40:28

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Re: spreading sand salt in reply to Brian-2N, 03-06-2003 09:27:12

For spreaders I recommend a three point spreader, not ground powered, based on 10+ years of experience. For short distances hand spreading can be accomplished with minimal effort and provides very good control over spread rate and location keeping material costs to a minimum. If spreading with a conventional PTO driven 3pt fertilizer type spreader it's hard to keep the spread width to a normal roadwidth. Lots of wasted material plus a 350-400 equipment investment. Plus, for really bad conditions you need the spreader ahead of the wheels so you need to operate the tractor in reverse which is a tad inconvenient. I've had my eye on those 12V plastic pickup talgate boxes but they are even more expensive than the ag spreader! Also be advised that damp sand will freeze solid, requiring some kind of pulverizer, either in the spreader or prior to loading the spreader. I have and have used one of those 3pt seeder/spreaders with the flex shaft PTO drive. It can't handle frozen sand. Won't feed and jams/breaks the agitator. KCl also eats the crap out of it. All in all I pretty much stick to hand spot spreading on my 1/4+ mile lane. Cheaper and pretty quick. Do the whole thing in 20-30 minutes with 150# KCl
and a 5G bucket.

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EDDIE8N

03-06-2003 10:55:19

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Re: spreading sand salt in reply to Brian-2N, 03-06-2003 09:27:12

Brian,
Ever consider using a broadcast seeder that goes on the 3pt. hitch and is powered by the PTO?
Just a thought.
Could also be used for seeding yard, fields,etc.(Helps justify the cost with the wife).
Can also spread in reverse, so you have traction where your wheels are .
EDDIE8N

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Brian-2N

03-06-2003 11:22:14

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Re: Re: spreading sand salt in reply to EDDIE8N, 03-06-2003 10:55:19

Ed,
Yes I did, because I was thinking the towed units would slip, and my thinking was confirmed. As these units are over $300, and I wouldn't need it to seed a field (not a farmer), it's a lot of money for something I'm not sure would work. Sand is a lot different than seed or granulated fertilizer. That's why I'm asking for ideas. Thanks for the suggestion.

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EDDIE8N

03-06-2003 11:46:46

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Re: Re: Re: spreading sand salt in reply to Brian-2N, 03-06-2003 11:22:14

Brian,
The company I work for has a crew that does snow removal at one of the local shopping centers.
They use a small walk-behind broadcast spreader (commercial lawn seeder type) to spread rock salt and/or calcium chloride pellets on sidewalks.
I've never used it myself, so I can't say how well it works.
If tire traction on spreader is the main concern, try CHAINS on the spreader.:0)(grin,grin,grin)
Seriously speeking, maybe you could solve traction on spreader by wrapping the tires with a band of lightweight diamond-stretch-metal or possibly a band of stucco wire.
I can't wait for good weather...all this thinking is taking a toll on the old grey matter...developing too many WILDA-- ideas.
hth,
EDDIE8N

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Bill 52 8n

03-06-2003 12:29:47

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Re: Re: Re: Re: spreading sand salt in reply to EDDIE8N, 03-06-2003 11:46:46

How bout self tapping hex head sheetmetal screws into the tires of the spreader as studs. You could make any tread pattern of your choice. The metal heads should grip fine, and if you want you can remove them to do your lawn in the spring.

Bill

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SteveB(wi)

03-06-2003 14:43:45

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Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: spreading sand salt in reply to Bill 52 8n, 03-06-2003 12:29:47

the motocross guys use the sheetmetal screw method here for running on the frozen lakes. Works good I never see them fall and pull wheelies a long way.

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Willy-N

03-06-2003 10:32:30

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Re: spreading sand salt in reply to Brian-2N, 03-06-2003 09:27:12

I just carry a 50 lb sack around of salt and spread it by hand. Seems to keep the weeds and grass from growing in the driveway gravel during the spring. I was lucky this year only used abot 150 lbs and now the drive is dry and free of all snow again. Mark H.

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MikeC

03-06-2003 10:25:09

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Re: spreading sand salt in reply to Brian-2N, 03-06-2003 09:27:12

Brian,
What Ron said. I tried it with my John Deere garden tractor a few years ago (before I bought my N). I already had a spreader that I used for seed and I thought that I would use it to spread some sand. Worked great where I did not need the sand (areas that were not slick). It only slid on areas that I needed it to spread the sand (ice).
Try to find or rig up one that works from a power source other than the spinning wheels and it should work fine.

Good Luck!

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Ron from IL

03-06-2003 09:38:57

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Re: spreading sand salt in reply to Brian-2N, 03-06-2003 09:27:12

Brian,

I've thought about the same thing. The problem would be the traction. If the ice is slick, even with the weight, the wheels want to slip. I used a Scott's drop spreader a few years ago to ash our hill. When it could get traction, it worked great, but it often slipped. I thought a good odea would be to take two cheap drop spreaders, rig up a framework off the back of the tractor (maybe off the rear blade to kill two birds with one stone), and spin the wheels of both with a DC motor. That way, you wouldn't be dependent on the traction. If you don't want to cobble, you can buy a broadcast spreader that works off a 12-volt circuit through Northern for around $200. I think it was originally made for a 4-wheeler, but could be easily adapted.

Good luck!

Ron

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