# 2-stage sanders



## snow (Jan 5, 2001)

What 2-stage sander brands do you like? Which ones do you think are better ? also, is it hard or worth it to add lights to the back of them?

Bryan
http://www.snowplow.web.com


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## GeoffD (Dec 21, 1999)

Do you mean two stage tailgate models? Or V box spreaders? I have 4 v-box spreaders in total, all have the pre-wet system. If you didn't know this Meyer owns diamons and swenson, which means a meyer spreader is really a swenson and a diamond spreder is a swenson. Anyways i have two diamond spreaders ( 2.0 yards)on my f 350 dump bodies, 1 swenson 4.5 yard on my f 550, and one 6 yard or my f 650. Swenson also makes spreaders that go under the tailgates of one ton dumpbodies, and replace the taigates on one ton dump bodies. I might buy a replacement tailgate model this winter if we ever get any snow. As for the lights on the back of the spreader it depends on the truck the spreader is in, if its in a pickup ya can get away with out lights. If its in a dump body, I would want to have lights. Only i know guys that have no lights and do fine. All my back up lights are wired so they come on automaticly, and when the spreader is spreading sand, the lights come on, no switches.

Geoff


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## bill (Jan 1, 2000)

Bryan: I think the western pro flow 2 is 
a nice unit. It either has a hitch or truss
bed mount. Go to western snowplows, spreaders
internet page and look at it.
I think trynx international has a nice
one two?
bill
[email protected]


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## GeoffD (Dec 21, 1999)

I can't tell you what spreader is better, because i only own one brand, that just happens to be avaible in two different colors under 3 different manufactures names. Anyways i have had good luck with my diamond/swenson/meyer brand spreaders. I have heard the downeaster spreaders are good. I would stay away from airflow and hiway, although i only know a few guys with them. I don't belive that it is worth the extra money for the stainless steal models.

Geoff


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## GeoffD (Dec 21, 1999)

Bryan when you buy a spreader, tell me which one and i will tell you the best way to add lights too it. Adding lights isn't hard, it is adding them in away that the connections are good, and will not fail. It helps when by brother is an electical engineer. He can wire almost anything, and every time he does it looks like factory wiring. It may cost a little more to do it his way, only his connections have never failed.

Geoff


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## plowking35 (Dec 21, 1999)

Byran I wouldnt worry about any of this until you get your drivers licence.
Geoff, I have an airflow sander that I bought used this year, I think it is a 91 or 92 and it works fine, so I dont know what you heard, but dont believe it. Like I posted before, all smaller units are essentially the same, and they all cost about the same. As far as extra lights go, I dont know what he is referring to.
If it is work lights, this is what I do.
On my dump I have 2 lights that come on with my B/U lights. The tap is inside the light ubit itself on the truck so it is a weather tight connection, and I have a two pole quick connect on the sander and the truck.
I also have a work light that comes on when the clutch is engaged on the spreader.
As far as extra stop and turn lights are conncerned I would only add them if my vehicle lights were blocked.
As a side note, I add a piece of angle iron to the bottom of the spreader perpindicular to the apron chain channel and hang two mud flaps to keep sand from being slung under the truck.
We also were going to add prewet systems this year, but went to a coated sand/salt and found that it is much more cost effective and less equip to operate. And at the rate of about 1$ per gallon for materail, coated at the rate of 8 gallons per ton, it is very cost effective.
Dino

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Professional Ice and Snow Management 
Products:Services:Equipment www.sima.org


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## GeoffD (Dec 21, 1999)

Glad to hear good things about your air-flow. Like i said i hadn't heard much about them, but the little i did, wasn't good.

Geoff


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## GeoffD (Dec 21, 1999)

I think mainer's are a little behind in the sand/ salt technology. I have never heard of sand/salt that is coated, so i have used the pre-wet system.

I think bryan is refering two work lights, and back up lights. Dino your setup sounds a lot like mine, only by brother did the connections a lot different. I also have two work lights with orange lens, that have a alternating flash.

Geoff


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## plowking35 (Dec 21, 1999)

i have a 3 head strobe system on my truck. Two ovals in the rear and a single strobe on top. It has two settings, high for day and low for night. Adds alot of visibility to the truck.
Geoff with an outfit like yours you should look into becoming a distributer for this product. You can coat other peoples piles and sell to other contractors, and make evn more $$$. 
E-mail me for info. I have no personal gain from this, only the wish to help fellow contractors.(that was put in for the moderator so I dont get in trouble)
Dino

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Professional Ice and Snow Management 
Products:Services:Equipment www.sima.org


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## GeoffD (Dec 21, 1999)

Right now i am buying all my sand and salt from an near by contractor. The reason is, i don't have any indoor storage space for the sand or salt, and i don't have anything on site enough to load it. I bought the pre-wet systems on my truck because the dealer sold them at a good price. He bought a ton of them, and hasn't been able to sell many. I don't use my pre-wet system that much because most customers are just want sand. I will pre-wet on some accounts to do a better job, only i don't get paid extra for the service. Only when i do my bid, i bid higher on the sand/salt cost to cover the pre-wet. I use the pre-wet on crossroads, busy parking lots, hills, and curves.

Geoff


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## Bob Church (Dec 22, 2001)

*Salt/ Sand Spreader Vibrators*

These day we are selling alot of Sure-Flow Z-200 vibrators to guys that own metal or plastiv v-box spreaders. Vibration is a little tricky on these units. You have to be careful not to oversize the vibrator(s) or you'll be welding your equipment back together all the time. The Z-200 Twin vibrator kit is moving alot of salt and sand for contractors and DOT these days without huring their equipment.

Remember, it's not generally the equipment that causes the bridging and caking. It's the material and moisture. Early in the season material flow issues don't occure as often as they do later in the season, when all the really nice material is used up. Let's face it, sooner or later everyone has material in their spreader that just won't come out without help. The Sure-Flow Z-200 Twin makes sure material flows so you don't have go over the site twice because of spotty coverage. Just hit the button, spread and move on to the next job. Simple!

Happy spreading,

Bob Church
President,
Karrier Company


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