Salt/sand box for the driveway

[NIXON]

Have any of you built such a thing ? If so any pics ?
Hints and tips most welcomed ! I'm thinking about 2x6 PT Tongue in groove wood with some sort of covered bin at the bottom . Thanks , John

 

[Wal]

Cerberus,
I have not actually built one, but I know what I have seen down at Lake of the Ozarks. A lot of the condo units are built on some very hilly roads down there, and they need all the help they can get in a bad winter storm. Anyway, what is commonly seen down there are very large (55gal?) heavy plastic barrels that are laid on their sides with the front propped up on a 2x12 board with a semicircle cut into it to fit the shape of the barrel. A lid is fashioned out of plywood (I think) with a handle in the middle of it. I think they are designed so you can easily stick a shovel in there and throw the sand (or whatever) on the road at that point. They just put them at "strategic" points.

 

[NIXON]

Thanks for the idea ! Cheap and effective ! John

 

[JimMorrissey]

Cerberus,

This is exactly why I am on TBN this evening. We have a steep driveway and I need to figure out an easy tractor-based sanding method for the road. I've tried the barrel method. It's not fun.

If you come up with something acceptable that is pulled or mounted on the tractor, let me know. Please send a personal message.

Thanks,

Jim

 

[Mark_in_NH]

One of these should work OK /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[loesshillsruss]

Guys,
Got the same problem here in Ioway....quite steep. I have seen lots of sanders in pickups, but too big too expensive.
Any ideas for something you could load sand into to drop on the wheel tracks on the first down trip. Either on the loader or in the front/back of pickup? Maybe a trip lever to open the sand drops??

 

[surfran]

Couldn't you use some sort of spreader? If your looking to spread I would think one for 3-point would be ideal in that instance, and would provide counter weight, at least until it was empty /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Heck you could probably keep the sand in there and stop off the shoot until needed and still use as some rear weight all the time.

Well just a thought, no need for it on my drive, but was thinking it would probably work.

Good luck,

 

[LBrown59]

Why not mix sand and salt ;put it in the loader bucket and spread it lightly with the FEL?.

 

[BigAl]

What worked for me was to place a easily removable steel bar across the front of my loader bucket. Sort of like a dumptruck tail gate but not as high.It only needs to be 4" high or so . You just don't want all your material to fall out at one time I adjusted it "up" off the cutting edge to the desired opening width for whatever I was spreading . Sand/salt would not need much of a opening . You just drive forward tilt the bucket a little and jiggle the "bucket curl" back and forth .I know it sure worked well for chip sealing my driveway .
Big Al

 

[cj7]

Are you going to use your loader to spread? Or shovel by hand?

I liked Big Al's thought.

How about one that has swing doors so you can unload it with the loader and a hinged roof/lid so you can fill it. I know thats quite a bit to engineer but a thought!