About to buy a Boss Snow Plow for my truck

[Peter 315]

You can get one of these and just throw bags of ice melt in the back of your truck, Ice Buster Walk-Behind Salt Spreader — 100-Lb. Capacity, Model# IB101G $200.00 northern tool

 

[Old Red]

My spreader was in the 6k area... and it manages to somehow or another eat another 1k a year in maintence

Wow...what brand is it?

 

[Tomtint]

Wow...what brand is it?

Downeaster. .. salt is a brutal environment.. it corrodes virtually everything. It starts when the guy driving a loader with a 5 yard bucket, drops 2 yards in the hopper and another yard on the motor housing..which inevitably gets in and around the motor, wires,chains, clutch etc. ..no matter how much or how often you clean and oil it.. it still corrodes. .. last weekend I just replaced the clutch and a few bearings on mine, parts were about 275.00... and it took me about 8 hours with a torch, puller hammer and air chisle to get it off the shaft.

 

[4570Man]

Have big are the parking lots? Could you just use a walk behind fertilize spreader? Around here very few county roads, driveways or parking lots get plowed. Couldn’t you use the same solution?

 

[Old Red]

Downeaster. .. salt is a brutal environment.. it corrodes virtually everything. It starts when the guy driving a loader with a 5 yard bucket, drops 2 yards in the hopper and another yard on the motor housing..which inevitably gets in and around the motor, wires,chains, clutch etc. ..no matter how much or how often you clean and oil it.. it still corrodes. .. last weekend I just replaced the clutch and a few bearings on mine, parts were about 275.00... and it took me about 8 hours with a torch, puller hammer and air chisle to get it off the shaft.

What is suggested application rate on salt for blacktop?

Seems like you are running bulk. I've been on plow site now for the last hour or so reading up on salt spreaders and salt spreading in general. I'm just not gonna be running through the amount like you guys do. Shoot, you can't even buy bulk salt around these parts anyway.

 

[2ndhalf]

Gotcha...It will be my clinic who is purchasing and owns the plow. I will be doing it on the clock instead of sitting at home. My paycheck will remain the same if I sit at home watching Netflix or jump in the truck and get the clinic ready for my/we/our patients. Everything that happens there I am responsible for....the buck stops here... My name is on all of the insurance policies, my name is on EVERTYHING....and yes we have more insurance than you can possibly imagine plus an umbrella for me personally just because of my liability of walking in the door everyday and an umbrella for the corporation. We have someone on staff who does nothing but risk management....we are fully aware and understand liability more than most because of the nature of what we do.....This has nothing to do with me earning a buck and everything to do with helping my patients.

Now, back to plowing...anyone have any better suggestions or setups in this situation?

I'm going to say that someone who owns healtcare clinics actually does have a significant knowledge of liability.

I have owned a boss plow and man they are the B's and E's. My luck had me buying it during the one year in morrow county that we got almost no snow at all. I was on Plowsite for a while and the guys on that site who had the Vs really loved them; much more capabilities with them.

 

[Old Red]

I'm going to say that someone who owns healtcare clinics actually does have a significant knowledge of liability.

I have owned a boss plow and man they are the B's and E's. My luck had me buying it during the one year in morrow county that we got almost no snow at all. I was on Plowsite for a while and the guys on that site who had the Vs really loved them; much more capabilities with them.

Cool, thanks....Looking forward to getting it on there this week. Still a little unsure on the spreader part. I am leaning towards going on ahead and getting the 600, 800 or 1100 spreader once I learn what the application rates are and see what I compare our parking lot sizes.

Oh, yeah....for the record....the health care organization here is a private non profit corporation. I am the Chief Executive Officer of it since June 1st, 1998....no one owns the clinics....we have a volunteer board of directors of which the majority have to be patients of our centers and reflect the population we serve.....no "fat cat" "masters of universe" overseeing....actual real patients from the community...who have the dominant voice....there is just nothing like it when you get that as the lead for your organization!

I'm about to hit 20 years this year. When I started when we had 8 employees and it had just opened a couple years before I arrived. I was born and raised in the town where we are headquartered. I have been blessed to be able to leave home get my BS and MHA and return to my hometown and provide a vital service to my community...my people.....I have roughly 80 employees now with 5 locations serving 3 counties. We are in rural areas where access to healthcare can be difficult and major health disparities exist....and unfortunately we have to be very conscious of liability....and you know what... a lot of it is frivolous and drives up costs, but in a lot of ways in can be a patient's assurance of quality.

Thanks for the responses! I don't think this will be a big deal one way or another....just didn't want to make that kind of investment without getting some feedback from folks who understand snow.....I guess the major difference here is the circumstances in which we live and work and the climates of our geographic locations.....wish me luck!

 

[Rustyiron]

Red, would moving your UTV around on a trailer do the job? They make UTV size spreaders also. I'm just thinking from an economic standpoint.
Maintenance is big, just like your tractor, a good knowledgeable (and handy) dealer is important. I have used all the brands and keep going back to Fisher, but for your KY weather and not pushing hard for 10+ hours 18-20 times a year like a "contractor" (up here) might, I'd push for the dealer being more important for your situation rather than the equipment. FWIW "V" blade are a little more complicated and parts you don't have wont ever break. A good 8' straight blade on a single wheel truck should serve you just fine, and I'd vote for trying a good commercial walk/push spreader first.:thumbsup:

 

[2ndhalf]

Red, would moving your UTV around on a trailer do the job? They make UTV size spreaders also. I'm just thinking from an economic standpoint.
Maintenance is big, just like your tractor, a good knowledgeable (and handy) dealer is important. I have used all the brands and keep going back to Fisher, but for your KY weather and not pushing hard for 10+ hours 18-20 times a year like a "contractor" might, I'd push for the dealer being more important for your situation rather than the equipment. FWIW "V" blade are a little more complicated and parts you don't have wont ever break. A good 8' straight blade on a single wheel truck should serve you just fine, and I'd vote for trying a good commercial walk/push spreader first.:thumbsup:

I'm thinking a UTV won't get it done especially in a snow with any depth. simply due to the size of a parking lot. Unless the clinic parking lot is pretty small.

Time is kind of critical when plowing things commercially and if your out their piddling around in somthing too small it is a bigger deal than if it just takes a little longer to plow out your own drive.

Just my opinion though; Red can answer for himself.

 

[Morning Wood]

If you have a 3/4 ton truck with plow prep just get the 9’-2” boss V not the 8’-2”. It will clear lots much faster. I would also get the DXT which is both trip edge and full trip. You could do an 8’-2” and then purchase additional wings for it if the 9’-2” seems like too much. As for the spreader can’t help there. I’d get the smart lock cylinders too so you can back drag.

I’ve got a 9’-6” fisher extreme V. I’d never go back to a straight blade unless I was doing city streets, and then I’d have 2 plows. The ability to carry snow is invaluable.