# Bulk Salt in Tailgate spreaders?



## gqnine44 (Feb 1, 2005)

Does anyone put bulk salt in their tailgate spreaders? I have been using bags but am considering getting bulk salt dumped in the bed and then shovel it into the spreader. Obviously I would need a bed liner to prevent rust. What do you think?

Also, how do keep the salt from getting hard? Is a heavy tarp covering good enough?


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## ctplower (Dec 5, 2003)

I use Magic Salt in bulk in my Fischer tailgate spreader.

Magic Salt will not clump!!

You will also use about 1/3 to 1/2 of regular salt and get better results!

Make sure it is covered well. Any salt that you use will have to be covered well. I have a bed liner, but I use a tarp to totally encase the salt. I also use 5 gal. buckets w/lids. You can make an initial investment in the buckets, but you will save in the long run. About 50 buckets will hold about a yard.

Bill Ramhold

Middlesex Ice Control, LLC

Magic Salt Distributor

Middletown, CT


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## Rogerplows (Aug 24, 2005)

Any ideas where I can find "magic salt" in Massachusetts, specifically the Boston area and how much does it cost?

Roger


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## ctplower (Dec 5, 2003)

Hey Roger,

There are a few distributors in MA.

I am not sure of the exact pricing in MA. It will depend on the price of salt for this year.

It will cost more, but you will use 1/3 to 1/2 of the amount you were previously using, plus the benefit to you will be less trips to refill!

Bill

Middlesex Ice Control, LLC



Middlesex County, CT


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## Rogerplows (Aug 24, 2005)

Thanks Bill. I found a local guy I've inquired to. He hasn't returned my calls yet. I imagine he's getting swamped. Anybody catch the Farmers Almanac? This year they are predicting lots of snow up in the northeast......Yipeeeeee!!!

Roger :bluebounc


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## NJ Plowman (Dec 10, 2003)

We use a few Meyers 36000, 600lb Tailgate Spreaders with bulk salt. We had a few problems with the salt feeding, it used to hollow out an area around the auger and stop spreading. We added vibrators to every spreader and now they work fine. We drilled a 4" hole in the side of each spreader and added a piece of stainless steel on a hinge as a "trap door" and we empty the hopper after every use by flipping open the "trap door" and running the vibrator for a few minutes. The salt empties right into a 5 gallon bucket. You also have to have strong motors when using bulk salt or it will blow the fuses on the spreaders. Bulk works great once you set the spreader up for it!


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## DodgeBlizzard (Nov 7, 2003)

*Motors?*



NJ Plowman said:


> We use a few Meyers 36000, 600lb Tailgate Spreaders with bulk salt. We had a few problems with the salt feeding, it used to hollow out an area around the auger and stop spreading. We added vibrators to every spreader and now they work fine. We drilled a 4" hole in the side of each spreader and added a piece of stainless steel on a hinge as a "trap door" and we empty the hopper after every use by flipping open the "trap door" and running the vibrator for a few minutes. The salt empties right into a 5 gallon bucket. You also have to have strong motors when using bulk salt or it will blow the fuses on the spreaders. Bulk works great once you set the spreader up for it!


What kind of vibrator motors are you using?


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## NJ Plowman (Dec 10, 2003)

We use Karrier Sure Flows...

http://www.karrierco.com/cgi-bin/sh...start=0&template=Templates\SearchResult1.html


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## Bob Church (Dec 22, 2001)

*Sure-Flow Vibrators*

Thanks NJ,

Thanks for the plug. The standard Sure-Flow kit with the durable Z-80 vibrator is helping thousands of guys move bulk salt in plastic spreaders all over the country. Now Karrier Company is offering the longest warranty available in the Snow and Ice Control Industry on the standard duty Sure-Flow kit, a full 30 months. To make it easy on your wallet we are offering a two payment plan and until October 15, 2005 all Sure-Flow vibrators and Omega spinner motor controllers are on sale. If you really want to juice up your spreader and save money get our combo pack, including a standard Sure-Flow vibrator and the Omega controller.

We want spreading to be easy in all spreader brands with all material and weather conditions.

Nothing makes your spreader run faster or jump higher than Karrier's Sure-Flow and Omega products.

Happy Spreading,

Bob Church
Karrier Company
Ph: 800-709-4434


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## pbeering (Jan 13, 2003)

I think that you will find dumping a pile into the bed to be more hassle than it's worth. Bagged or buckets is a more workable solution. I favor bags, since it allows easy calculation for billing and they are a lot easier to handle. A number of folks that buy Magic from us stack the bags on a cut down pallet along the garage wall. Easy to store, inventory, load.

The vibrator is also a good idea.


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## NJ Plowman (Dec 10, 2003)

Bob,

You guys make great products and I can't say enough good things about them.

Plus you sponsor the site and that means something too. After all, if we don't help each other, who's going to help us?

I run a dozen late 80's GMC's pick-ups with Western Pro Plows and Meyers 36000 Spreaders on them. Your vibrators are now on most of them. We switched to bulk salt a few years ago and had all sorts of feeding problems with moisture, etc. I almost went back to bagged salt. After trying one of your vibrators, I liked it so much I put them on 7 more trucks and have been using bulk salt ever since. It saved us big bucks over buying bagged salt. 

Thanks for making a great product, and for supporting this site!  

Steve ;-)


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## Rogerplows (Aug 24, 2005)

Pbeering,
I've gotten two deliveries of Magic in bulk here in MA. Both were very wet and i initially had alot of problems getting it through our spreaders (Fisher 2000, swingate). Do you find the bagged product any better? I have since bought a vibrator from Karrier and it helped alot, but didn't solve all the flow issues. We may have jumped the gun, but we bought a pallet of plain rock and a pallet of calcium chloride "hot" driveway stuff. We're gonna run them through and see what works best. We'll use the remaining Magic for the sidewalks and steps. The stuff does work great, just hard to get through the spreader. To be continued..............


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## ctplower (Dec 5, 2003)

The reason that the Magic was wet was probably because the salt was wet when they treated it. That has been an issue lately, since most of the salt distributors have not been covering their piles. I have a Fisher Speedcaster 2 that has the conveyor. With the conveyor, I can spread anything without a problem.

Magic is a great product, but it is generally a little wet.

I use a bucket and hand spread for walkways.

Maybe someday, someone will come out with a walk behind spreader that can spread material that is a little wet.


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## little pat (Feb 14, 2004)

Rogerplows said:


> Pbeering,
> I've gotten two deliveries of Magic in bulk here in MA. Both were very wet and i initially had alot of problems getting it through our spreaders (Fisher 2000, swingate). Do you find the bagged product any better? I have since bought a vibrator from Karrier and it helped alot, but didn't solve all the flow issues. We may have jumped the gun, but we bought a pallet of plain rock and a pallet of calcium chloride "hot" driveway stuff. We're gonna run them through and see what works best. We'll use the remaining Magic for the sidewalks and steps. The stuff does work great, just hard to get through the spreader. To be continued..............


We used magic last year and it was horrible. It came to us extremely wet and actually froze when it got cold out. Our v boxes and tailgate spreaders were blocks of frozen salt. I would never recommend magic to anyone who wants to stay in business. As far as the Karrier Vibrators, best money you will ever spend. Great product and Bob takes the time to answer any and all questions.


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## ctplower (Dec 5, 2003)

Anyone that has used Magic Salt has raved about it!!!!!!!!

I have never heard about Magic Salt freezing if it is treated properly!!

Don't let one instance discourage you!

I have been using it for 2 years with no problems and all of my customers are ecstatic! purplebou


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## wildwillyscapes (Nov 3, 2005)

*magic salt*

Hey anyone know where i can get this magic salt in the cincinnati, Hamilton area of ohio! and how much it usually is?:salute:


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## pbeering (Jan 13, 2003)

Bulk salt typically has more moisture in it than does bagged. Unless it is stored inside, it is hard to keep it dry. During transit it is not unusual for salt to sit in a big pile outside. That is the case at a number of the major ports. It is also more humid where the stuff comes from and given the chemical properties of salt, it absorbs moisture. Hence the need for big machines, screens, and augers to break up clumps.

If you are buying bagged Magic, they spray and mix it before it is bagged so it is thoroughly coated in the process. Our experience has been that it will run through smaller gravity spreaders OK, but for the larger units a vibrator is a good idea.

To my knowledge there is not a distributor in the Cincinnati area, but there is one north and west of you up I74. Call me at 888-343-1701 and I'll try to help you out.


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## cincy snowdog (Dec 19, 2005)

We Run Alot Of Bulk Salt I Use All Types Spreaders And I Bought The Best One I Found For Bulk Yet It Was From Lesco It Is Called The Sand Load,it Is Made By Snowex And Lesco Puts Their Name On It .i Use Mainly Bulk And Thought I Would Try It I Was Sceptical But This One Kicks Tail.look At Snowex Web For The Sand Pro 1875 Look Real Close To The Bottom There Is An Extra Motor And An Auger Across The Bottom .also Has A Vibrator On It .we Have Ran Thirty Five Tons And Only One Time Did We Have A Problem The Screen On Top Needs To Have A Little Smaller Holes To Stop Chunks Smaller Than 2x2" We Use Bobcat To Fill It,iwish It Was Taller Though.check It Out You Will Be Sold 

Ps I Bought It From Lesco ,they Are Discountinuing This Product It Is A Snowex At Lesco It Goes For 1499 At Snowex It Is 2200 Better Call Em Before There Gone I Was Told They Are In The Stores In The South


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## little pat (Feb 14, 2004)

ctplower said:


> Anyone that has used Magic Salt has raved about it!!!!!!!!
> 
> I have never heard about Magic Salt freezing if it is treated properly!!
> 
> ...


Sorry but my experience and others in the area would show that magic isn't what it's cracked up to be. I've talked to other local snow contractors and they had similar problems. The distributor wouldn't help with the problem and neither would the main office in New York. If I want to be out of business ASAP I would use it again but since I like being in business and properly servicing my customers, I'll never use their crap again. About the one instance, if it costs you customers because you can't spread it, you can't risk it.


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## pbeering (Jan 13, 2003)

There is a substantial difference between treating a pile - done by some distributors and a few contractors - and the bagged material that comes directly from Innovative. If mixed correctly, and if the stuff isn't drowned during transit and storage, it does a terrific job. Better than several competitive products.

This is not however a perfect world, and there are a lot of things that can cause troubles. Sorry your experience wasn't good.


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## cincy snowdog (Dec 19, 2005)

What Are U Talking About With This Magic Stuff We Have Been Using Bulk For Over Ten Years Never Seen Nor Heard Maybe A Region Thing But Here We Have Three Main Salt Co.s One Morton Which Is Blue ,north American Which Is White ,and Cargill .all Have What They Call Anti Caking Sprayed On It And Morton Dyes Theres Blue .it Dont Matter Which One You Use When It Gets Cold Enough They All Cake Up,when It Warms Its Fine So Wheres The Magic Come In .bags Even Freeze


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## pbeering (Jan 13, 2003)

Magic Salt is rock salt treated with a liquid blend of distillation byproducts and Magnesium Chloride. It is similar to Clearlane Plus sold by Cargill. Magic is distributed by a number of independent dealers and through a network of resell ers affiliated with several large maintneance firms out east.

There are a lot of variables that come into play with deicing. The weather in Cincy can be very different than it is elsewhere even in the midwest. There are also a lot of variables in the handling and storage of the chemicals. What woirks well in one place may not work at all in another.


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## Rogerplows (Aug 24, 2005)

Well,
We're going to use the remaining Magic we have for sidewalks and steps, spreading it by hand. I did go out and buy a vibrator kit from Karrier and actually became the exclusive distributor in the northeast of the products, through Bob Church. He is one guy who definately stands behind his product and that is very refreshing these days. We decided to go to bagged product for now and will see how we do with it. The weather doesn't look like we'll get to test it this week. I'll keep the forum posted as I go along. Merry Christmas to all in the forum and beyond!!!!

For info on the Karrier Vibrator kits in the northeast, please contact us @

"[email protected]"


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## Rogerplows (Aug 24, 2005)

We made an adjustment to our spreader, dropping the auger on the shaft slightly (may not be the proper name, don't shoot me). We threw Magic through it twice this past week and had no problems whatsoever, when the vibrator was turned on. We shoveled the product (keep in a large container in bed of truck, also have other bagged product on board) into the spreader bin after plowing. We had no problems and got great coverage. We came back several days later after more dustings to lay down more Magic and our lots were basically clear, while others were covered in white. As long as it flows, Magic is definately our first choice and works best for us. We're going to buy 3 more tons soon. I'll keep posting and following this subject closely. By the way, my company has become the exclusive distributor of Karrier vibrator kits in the northeast area, thanks Bob Church. If anyone would like information, please email me and I will return all inquiries promptly.payup


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## snowguy21 (Dec 31, 2005)

Rogerplows said:


> Any ideas where I can find "magic salt" in Massachusetts, specifically the Boston area and how much does it cost?
> 
> Roger


hey roger in lancaster at powell's gravel they have it and it's 125.00 a ton and it's dry.


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## Rogerplows (Aug 24, 2005)

THanks Snowguy, but I found a place a few months ago in Peabody, about 15 minutes from me. I pay $120 a ton. I'm gonna get another 3 tons delivered next week sometime and will see how dry it is. I think I solved my problem anyway for at least now. I'll keep posting as I go.


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## elmo1537 (Aug 31, 2005)

*Where can i find it*

I live in the finger lakes in upstate new york where can I find my nearest magic salt distributor.

Thanks 
Tony


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