Spreading Ice Melt

[John Joseph McVeigh]

Not specifically a Ventrac issue, but I thought that I would tap the collective wisdom of my fellow Ventracians.

The wooly bears and the Farmer's Almanacs are suggesting that we are in for a good bit of snow this coming Winter here in the Hereford Zone. I have adequate machinery for moving the snow (Model 4500Y Tractor, Model HB580 Broom, and Model KX523 Snow Blower), but there are times that I need to apply ice-melting compound to my driveway. The driveway is paved, about 1600 feet long. with two principal slopes, the steepest being about 15ｰ and S-curved. Most of the run is 12 feet wide, but the S-curve on the steepest hill flares out to 19 feet, and then on the flat at the top of the hill, near the house, the driveway flares out again to about 35 feet in width.

In anticipation of this coming Winter, I already have a store of ice-melting compound, and recently, I broke out the Agri-Fab walk-behind broadcast spreader that I have used for the past several years to apply ice-melting compound to the two principal slopes. The spreader holds about 100 pounds of material. I have tried to hose down the spreader thoroughly after each usage, because I know how corrosive salts can be. But on occasion, I have not been able to do that because the hose was iced up. At those times, I used buckets of water to try to rinse the spreader.

The spreader is of the typical design with a gear-driven vertical shaft that rotates a plastic impeller. A lever mounted to one of the frame arms controls the amount of material dispensed. I bought this spreader at a local store that sells animal feeds, fertilizers, mulches, and in the winter, ice-melting compounds. I have generally tried to use calcium chloride, or magnesium chloride, or blends of the two, but, on occasion, I have had to make do plain old rock salt because the higher-priced spreads were sold out.

Well, despite my efforts, the spreader has gotten a bit rusty, and as a result, cranky. If I start pushing it, it behaves normally for a few seconds, and then it starts to squeal. The squealing gets worse as I continue to push the spreader, and eventually the impeller locks up. I've removed the vertical shaft, wire-brushed and filed it to remove the surface rust, cleaned and relubricated all of the bushings and moving parts, but the darn thing still starts squeaking and eventually locks up. Not sure what is binding. I have heavily lubricated every suspect that I could identify.

I have had this unit perhaps eight years now, and have gotten a fair amount of use out of it, but I must confess some disappointment in its accelerating decrepitude. Rather than investing more time and effort into the unit, I am starting to think of a replacement.

I am aware that Ventrac offers the Model SS575 Broadcast Spreader and the Model SA250 Sidewalk Drop Spreader. They look very impressive, but I have some reservations about using the 4500Y to apply the ice-melting compound, given its corrosive nature.

I spent some time last night investing options. I see that an company in Indiana named Earthway makes walk-behind and tow-behind spreaders that use stainless steel frames and shafts. I have reservations about the tow-behind models because flow control seems dicey (a mechanical lever) and again because of proximity to the rear of the tractor. So, although tow-behnd spreaders (as well as the above-mentioned Ventrac accessories) offers some advantages, I'm not sure that that is the way to go. I also see third-party receiver-mounted broadcast spreaders, some with electrically actuated flow controllers, but again, the issue of proximity to the tractor rears its head.

I am curious how others have dealt with these issues.

Thanks in advance for any guidance.

With best regards,

John

 

[Raw Dodge]

Personally if it were my ventrac,I'd never put a salter on it,I'd continue to buy a cheap 75-300.00 wall behind broadcaster .i run full size pickups with salt spreaders and the trucks get destroyed from the salt,there are very high rates of problems from the salt,rusty frame,brake,fuel ,trans lines,rotted power steering pump housings power steering pump hoses,basically everything under the truck...there is no way to clean them after every storm,no matter how good your intentions,life gets in the way or back to back snow.

 

[John Joseph McVeigh]

Personally if it were my ventrac,I'd never put a salter on it,I'd continue to buy a cheap 75-300.00 wall behind broadcaster .i run full size pickups with salt spreaders and the trucks get destroyed from the salt,there are very high rates of problems from the salt,rusty frame,brake,fuel ,trans lines,rotted power steering pump housings power steering pump hoses,basically everything under the truck...there is no way to clean them after every storm,no matter how good your intentions,life gets in the way or back to back snow.

Thank you for your suggestion and observations, Raw Dodge. Yes, I am leery of using a salter with my Ventrac, for the reason that you describe.

 

[prs]

Actually, I would not put salts on my driveway that is remarkably similar to yours. The freeze and thaw is bad enough without that crap. 4wd automobiles with limited slip and top notch winter tires. Black sand and fine gravel, maybe.

prs

 

[John Joseph McVeigh]

Unfortunately in this context, two of our cars are rear-wheel-drive. Bayerische Motoren Werke 3-er, with slip-on temporary Rud chains stored in the boot. The third is a Honda with front-wheel-drive and snow tires.

When I bought the 3-er, we lived in a house whose driveway was approx. 50 feet long and was practically level. Although 4WD was an option on the 3-er, I thought that we would never need it. Little did I know....

The steep S-curve faces to the NorthEast and sees little of the Sun during the Winter months.

 

[TNMark1]

So how does the KX523 snowblower work.....?? Just picked one up, need snow to test it... Any tips on using it?

 

[murphy1244]

So how does the KX523 snowblower work.....?? Just picked one up, need snow to test it... Any tips on using it?

Make yourself a cab by using a golf cart rain cover.

 

[John Joseph McVeigh]

So how does the KX523 snowblower work.....?? Just picked one up, need snow to test it... Any tips on using it?

It works great. Depending upon how much snow you get, you might consider ordering the auxiliary auger. I did not get it at the time that I purchased the snowblower, but it would have come in handy during the very heavy snowfall (30 inches) that we got here last January 22-23. The auxiliary auger is good for those really deep snows. I'm going to order one. I'd have to check the paperwork as I do not recall offhand if the linear actuator for the chute is stock or an option. If it is an option, get both it and the electrical hookup necessary to control it.

My operational tips are as follows. They are based on several years' experience using a treaded Honda walk-behind snow blower, and since December 2014, the KX523 coupled to a Ventrac 4500Y.

1. Adjust the skid shoes as necessary. If you are clearing a gravel road, you will want the scraper bar to be elevated compared to where it would be if you are clearing a paved road.

2. Before any snow comes, walk the areas on which you will be using the snowblower and remove any obstructions. You don't have to worry about keeping a supply of shear pins handy, but you will be much happier if you do not have to deal, in snow, with a dog chain wrapped around the auger or the remains of a newspaper in the chute.

3. When blowing snow, don't try to fight the wind, if there is a wind. You'll lose the fight. Rather, use the wind to your advantage, even if this means altering your plan of attack.

4. Use a moderate forward speed. Monitor how the discharge rate compares with the intake rate. The KX523 can move a large volume of snow, but still a finite volume per unit time. Don't overfeed the blower, especially if dealing with the tailings left by a snowplough. If dealing with snowplough tailings, make sure that you are carrying the Snow Stick in its carrier clips. You may well need it, depending on the temperature.

5. If you expect 8 inches or more, consider engaging in two blowing sessions... the first halfway through the storm, and the second one at the end of the storm. The KX523 can easily handle 12 inches, even more, but the deeper the snow gets, the slower your forward speed will have to be to avoid overfeeding the KX523. One might think that this will require double the seat time, but I think that you will find that, if you wait to do it all in one run, you will end up spending more time blowing the snow because you will need to reduce the forward speed. Also, the job will be, or will seem to be, more tedious. After two winters with the KX523, which have included several decent-size storms in addition to the Blizzard of January 2016, I have found that it is more enjoyable to go out half-way through the storm and move along at a good clip than it is to wait to the end and plod along at a turtle's pace. And I say this after having tried it both ways.

6. Treat the collection box, the impeller, and the discharge chute with a silicone spray lubricant before blowing any snow.

7. Give the exterior a good coat of wax while you still have time.

8. Blow off as much snow and moisture as you can after doing the job. Use a broom or stiff brush if necessary to aid in the removal process. If the sun comes out, place the blower in the sun and position it so that the collection box is bathed in sunlight. You want the blower to dry out after use. If the blower has been exposed to salt, consider using hot (or cold) water to flush the salt away. If you use a garden hose, make sure the hose is dry before you need it so that you do not have to deal with ice plugs.

9. If you do not have ROPS-mounted work lights, consider getting them. You will find that the blower body blocks the light path from the headlights and that the reflected light will degrade visibility. When I am blowing snow at night, I do not use the headlights at all, only ROPS-mounted work lights (halogen-based Ventrac lights). In my experience-ROPS-mounted work lights provide much better illumination. I understand that Ventrac has gone to LEDs for the headlights, but I am not sure about the work lights. I have no experience, but I wonder if LED work lights run so cool that snow buildup or icing might be a problem. Definitely not a problem with the halogen-based work lights.

10. If you have a diesel Ventrac, be sure to add anti-gelling agent to the fuel. And whether your Ventrac has a diesel engine like mine does, or uses gasoline as a fuel, make sure that there is no water in the fuel. (I have had no problems starting my Ventrac 4500Y even though the garage is unheated and I have not retrofitted a block heater. The lowest temperatures we get around here are approx. -10ｰ F. The garage is attached to the house, so there is some heat leakage from the house. The coldest temperature that I have noted in the garage has been approx. +25ｰ F.)

So that is what occurs to me off the cuff.

Let us know how the KX523 works out for you.

Best,

John

 

[JackIL]

You will need a sunshade to support the golf cart cover. I use the Tuff Top XLR - 52. Made of the same material as traffic cones and is very durable. Easy to remove and install while on the tractor seat once the metal mounting bracket is attached to the ROPS. Cost of Tuff Top is about $350 and cost of the golf cart cover from a place like Northern Tool is less than $100. Far less than a Ventrac Cab. Of course it does not have a heater, but it does keep the wind and blowing snow off.

 

[JackIL]

All of John's recommendations are on target. I would add two: 1. Use the rear circular skid shoes to gauge height when operating on gravel, and use the front skid shoes on each side of the cutting edge when operating on paved surfaces, and 2. always run the engine at full throttle to keep the snow moving briskly through the chute to mininimize the possibility of plugging. Control forward speed only with the hydro lever.