# Clearlane VS Magic salt



## fireside (Mar 1, 2008)

The last storm due to temps being in the single digits I decided to try something. I had magic treated salt left from a early storm this year. I used it with mixed results. So do to the temp I went and got a load of Clearlane treated salt. These are the pictures of what we learned.

The two products were spread at the same time on the same property(2 trucks). Traffic and parking lot conditions (pack down and ice) were also the same.Bottom right you will notice what the lot looked like before salt went down. We had the time to watch as we also do the lots next door and across the street. How long to take the lot down to what you see in the pictures?

TEMP 4 deg Clearlane









temp 4 degs Magic salt


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## ANA Proscapes (Jul 14, 2011)

fireside;1721508 said:


> The last storm due to temps being in the single digits I decided to try something. I had magic treated salt left from a early storm this year. I used it with mixed results. So do to the temp I went and got a load of Clearlane treated salt. These are the pictures of what we learned.
> 
> The two products were spread at the same time on the same property(2 trucks). Traffic and parking lot conditions (pack down and ice) were also the same.Bottom right you will notice what the lot looked like before salt went down. We had the time to watch as we also do the lots next door and across the street. How long to take the lot down to what you see in the pictures?
> 
> ...


What did you learn? Both pics look basically the same.


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## Mark Oomkes (Dec 10, 2000)

Applied at the same rate? 

ANA, the second pic with Magic has marginally more snow in it.


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## ANA Proscapes (Jul 14, 2011)

Mark Oomkes;1721663 said:


> Applied at the same rate?
> 
> ANA, the second pic with Magic has marginally more snow in it.


It also looks like the truck did the parking spots and not the road. I've used magic quite abit over the years and have always had good luck with it. I've always been interested in trying Clearlane but don't have any suppliers that are close bye.


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## Digger63 (Dec 16, 2010)

Both products are better than using salt alone. There are differences between them though. Clearlane I believe is produced and sold by Cargil. Magic on the other hand is usually sold as a liquid and mixed privately. Did the magic in time melt the ice? In pure speed of melting ice any product that uses Mag or Calicium (which generates heat therefore raising temperature for salt to work better) will melt faster. Newer products that have more organics in them tend to go for the residue factor (towards the next storm)than speed


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## SaratogaSnowPro (Jan 15, 2011)

Hard to compare.. Are you using IBG Magic(original Magic) or Magic Salt of 2012 +. Big difference.. Magic Salt is different now..

Clearlane has no acting residual since there is minimal sugars in there Mag..

Let us know..


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## Digger63 (Dec 16, 2010)

There's more than one type of Magic? I know International Salt sells their treated salt with a different name to the product( Ice be Gone ?)


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## SaratogaSnowPro (Jan 15, 2011)

Digger63;1721738 said:


> There's more than one type of Magic? I know International Salt sells their treated salt with a different name to the product( Ice be Gone ?)


Yes they sell ibg2. Which is the molasses based product which is now found in magic salt. IBG magic is the original magic with distillers and mag.


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## ANA Proscapes (Jul 14, 2011)

I have noticed a big difference in the product since the switch to IBG. Originally I thought it was the supplier not adding enough liquid to the salt but I was wrong. It's definetly not the same magic.


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## SaratogaSnowPro (Jan 15, 2011)

ANA Proscapes;1721786 said:


> I have noticed a big difference in the product since the switch to IBG. Originally I thought it was the supplier not adding enough liquid to the salt but I was wrong. It's definetly not the same magic.


Ibgmagic is the original magic..


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## fireside (Mar 1, 2008)

Yes the application rate was the same for both products. If you look at the magic picture you will see the tire tracks from the truck in driveway. That was heavy packdown still in the pavement. The area in the clearlane picture had the same packdown as the other. This location is very high traffic at all hours of the day. (highest dollar volume store they own). The magic I used came from GT so yes it's the international salt ice b gone mix. 

The main question I asked was how long did each product take to melt down to match the pictures. I was shocked when it was all said and done.


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## fireside (Mar 1, 2008)

ANA Proscapes;1721650 said:


> What did you learn? Both pics look basically the same.


Yes they look the same but how long did it take to both look that way. The magic side did need another hit to get rid of the pack down in the front and the clearlane was once and done.


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## fireside (Mar 1, 2008)

This is what I found out from the pictures it will be difficult to judge.

The clearlane took 14 minutes to turn it to slush and 30 minutes it was gone as seen in picture.
the Magic took a hour and 15 minutes to slush and 2.5 hours as seen in pictures. I was able to match the results on 4 other lots. It also took second applications of magic to get complete burn off. Clearlane was once a done no go back and reapplications that mean money saved.


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## White Gardens (Oct 29, 2008)

fireside;1721879 said:


> This is what I found out from the pictures it will be difficult to judge.
> 
> The clearlane took 14 minutes to turn it to slush and 30 minutes it was gone as seen in picture.
> the Magic took a hour and 15 minutes to slush and 2.5 hours as seen in pictures. I was able to match the results on 4 other lots. It also took second applications of magic to get complete burn off. Clearlane was once a done no go back and reapplications that mean money saved.


Too many variables.

Even the thickness of the hardpack, even 1/4", is going to skew the results.

A controlled test is the only way to figure out the difference.

..........


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## Westhardt Corp. (Dec 13, 2009)

FWIW, Clearlane is nothing more than liquid mag treatment. It works OK, but is very dated by today's standards. There is much better technology now.


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## fireside (Mar 1, 2008)

Yes there are better products on the market, but in my market they are very limited. Magic and clearlane are the two leaders. Liquids are not found at all. The only person i know using them dumped the whole program 3 years ago. I went to NY to look at a heavy liquid user system and the hard facts about them. They found there still using almost the same amount of salt it just worked a little faster In my area 90 percent of the time straight salt is all you need and it's pavement due to temps. As for liquids they don't seem to work on the wet snow we get.

I have also been watching a snow contractor this year they have switched to clearlane from magic for the same reasons I have found. At this point they have used over 200 tons. I don't see them going back after talking to one of the partners.


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## Westhardt Corp. (Dec 13, 2009)

I don't know of any private companies that use straight liquids, only government has that kind of money to burn. Even then, not many do straight liquid pre treating. 

The treated salt products are very good now. Magic is very effective, Thundermelt was OK (mostly beet juice), Slicer (Central) is very good (similar to Magic, uses Mag/Cal and DCS (sugars)) I know a few contractors that have dumped straight salt altogether in the last few years--treated only. When stored right, it keeps very well until next season, which is a bonus.


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## Mark Oomkes (Dec 10, 2000)

fireside;1721879 said:


> This is what I found out from the pictures it will be difficult to judge.
> 
> The clearlane took 14 minutes to turn it to slush and 30 minutes it was gone as seen in picture.
> the Magic took a hour and 15 minutes to slush and 2.5 hours as seen in pictures. I was able to match the results on 4 other lots. It also took second applications of magic to get complete burn off. Clearlane was once a done no go back and reapplications that mean money saved.


Interesting.

I wasn't aware Magic had changed its formulation. Starting to sound like.........crap, brain fart.............the other foo, foo dust that has always been in a pissing match with Magic............Ice Ban. That's it.

Anybody care to get me up to speed on the reasoning? I almost hate to ask, but I am curious. Wouldn't the beet juice be violating whoever's patent on Geomelt? Or is that who they are buying it from?

What a mess.

I really liked the original Clearlane. Back when it was beet juice. The new Clearlane works great--fast and at lower temps--but I did not see a reduction in amount applied.

The mixture I am using now, I am able to see a reduction in salt applied as well as effective at much lower temps and works much faster. And I like the residual effects.

On edit: Anyone using just liquids is ignorant. Except for out west where conditions are far different. I think liquids are great, used in the right manner. Just like you have a plow truck\loader for parking lots and shovels for sidewalks, they both have their uses. And there are times our spray rig is parked. It's all in knowing how and when to use them.


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## Digger63 (Dec 16, 2010)

Don't know the whole story about magic but with the beet juice I know Univar has agreements with most of the processors of sugar beets. They had rented (?) the name of geomelt at one time but not now since they use a name they had rights to of Icebite. there isn't a lot of advertising done by them but they sell through suppliers to places like Los Alomos New Mexico, Washington DC, and other accounts such as New York state thruway and new jersey dot. As with any situation it comes down to cost for the situation thats happening outside


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## BillyRgn (Jan 28, 2004)

Fireside, just curious what was gt getting for clearlane and magic, this year I have been having a buddy get a tri axle of regular salt from gt every couple storms, but with these temps I haven't been getting the result I usually get and have had some trouble with spreaders freezing up if there loaded to early, I heard that they were out of clearlane. Not sure if there getting more in ?? I was curious about clearlane and wanted to give it a try. I had contacted them by email through there web site a couple times but they never responded. The town I live in (Hamden) started using clearlane last year and used it all last year and the beginning of this year, however I noticed the last couple events the trucks have been running magic, not sure why I will have to ask one of the guys I know when I see them, I was kinda suprised because they made a big deal in the news about the change over to clearlane that it was envirmentally friendly etc. maybe the supplier dried up, not sure where it's coming in from but it usually comes via tractor trailer.


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## CGM Inc. (Dec 15, 2008)

BillyRgn;1744443 said:


> Fireside, just curious what was gt getting for clearlane and magic, this year I have been having a buddy get a tri axle of regular salt from gt every couple storms, but with these temps I haven't been getting the result I usually get and have had some trouble with spreaders freezing up if there loaded to early, I heard that they were out of clearlane. Not sure if there getting more in ?? I was curious about clearlane and wanted to give it a try. I had contacted them by email through there web site a couple times but they never responded. The town I live in (Hamden) started using clearlane last year and used it all last year and the beginning of this year, however I noticed the last couple events the trucks have been running magic, not sure why I will have to ask one of the guys I know when I see them, I was kinda suprised because they made a big deal in the news about the change over to clearlane that it was envirmentally friendly etc. maybe the supplier dried up, not sure where it's coming in from but it usually comes via tractor trailer.


Cargill up here is pretty much out of salt. I'm sure it is the same your way. Everyone is using the salt they can get. We used Clearlane here and there but for the premium price we only use it if client pays for it. Works well for sure.


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## fireside (Mar 1, 2008)

You are correct no clearlane. You can see a small pile in the very back of the yard but it was pre bought(towns) I was told. Magic is still in the yard no problems but after this week i'm not to sure. Sorry they still have not even untapped the rear salt piles so you should be good My town has 500 ton coming this week. As for pricing both are $115 pickup under 15 tons and 91 over that. My town is paying 74 deliverd for magic. 
Salt is no problem at this point. Ct DOT has not used there reserve pile across the river in two years plus. I'm told over 500k ton over in that pile alone


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## BillyRgn (Jan 28, 2004)

Thanks, I can't believe how much salt they have gone through this year that pile is tiny compared to what they usually have .


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## fireside (Mar 1, 2008)

As for your sander freezing. If you notice the salt that been going out over the last couple of weeks has lots of fines in it. I have had the same problem with the last load. When it has lots of fine you can't leave it in the sander at all. The fines seem to draw the moisture and turn it hard not freeze.


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## BillyRgn (Jan 28, 2004)

Exactly the salt recently has not been as dry and darker in color compared to the beginning of the year when it was very white


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## MSS Mow (Mar 19, 2006)

Westhardt Corp.;1722325 said:


> I don't know of any private companies that use straight liquids, only government has that kind of money to burn. Even then, not many do straight liquid pre treating.
> 
> The treated salt products are very good now. Magic is very effective, Thundermelt was OK (mostly beet juice), Slicer (Central) is very good (similar to Magic, uses Mag/Cal and DCS (sugars)) I know a few contractors that have dumped straight salt altogether in the last few years--treated only. *When stored right, it keeps very well until next season*, which is a bonus.


What would you consider storing Magic salt "stored right"?? Under cover? Something more? I am curious as I'm thinking of building my own salt (and sand) storage shed for next winter. Thanks!


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