I know we just finished winter, but it's never too early to start thinking about winter, right? I have about 1/2 mi of steep driveway that I need to sand/salt a dozen times each winter. I have a 60hp cab tractor with a snowblower to handle the snow. I'm thinking about getting a sander for this job. Has anyone out there ever mounted a hydraulic drive sander on the FEL? Thanks for the help.
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Hello LedgeFarmer,
The issue of spreading salt and sand is not difficult with the right unit.
The hydraulic spin casters are very pricey and they require the flow of
the rear remotes as the front end loader hydraulics flow is too low.
The other issue is the need for a power beyond valve/priority vavle
for a front mounted spreader like this as a high volume remote valve
circuit for a snow blower attachment is what is required.
You will be money and aggravation ahead by purchasing the smallest
Vicon pendulum spreader with the salting/sanding spout attachments
or one of the larger units with the caster wheel attachments that
can be moved by hand easily, and can be loaded from ground level
easily as the hopper is very low when it is on the ground.
The Vicon Pendulum spreader is a non clogging spreader with a
cam arm agitator and the fiberglass hopper will not rust out on you either.
The Vicon Pendulum spreader alos has the ability to limit the spreading width
of the material that is cast out eliminating waste and overspread and allowing
you to spread more sand within a limited width aiding traction.
It will be much less money that the skid steer scoop spreaders as well.
If you mix your salt and sand together with a 1 pound salt to 10 pound
sand ratio you will have no problems.
The other option is simply to use less salt/no salt and pour windshield washer
fluid in the sand as you shovel it into the spreader and it will not freeze.
Using the windsheild washer fluid right out of the bottle does work for this very well.
I use sand and only sand and I keep the sand warm in a heated area and use only bagged sand
myself and have no issues with frozen sand but using the windshield washer fluid right
out of the bottle is something that works and works well with sand that is in a cold area as the alcohol
in the windshield washer fluid right out of the bottle keeps it free flowing.
I always use a kerosene fired salamander to heat everything up and it would work for your spinner spreader
to break up the clumps quickly.