# My salt loading set-up



## mpriester (Oct 2, 2011)

When i started 4yrs. ago i used bags in a tailgate salter, then got salt from a local distributor loading in the bed of the truck. Last year i purchased a v box and loaded it using 5gal. buckets (which i don't want to do again), this past spring i picked up a grain elevator for $125.00, put wheels on it and replaced the motor, which put me at $325.00 total in the elevator. Harbor freight had their 10' x 17' tarp sheds on sale for $158.00 so i bought it to store my salt in and figured if it only lasts a couple years i'm still ahead. I know it's not fancy but i wanted to share. 
Thanks for looking and if you have any constructive comments or ideas feel free to share.
Mike


----------



## bel-nor (Dec 10, 2009)

Thank you for posting this I woke this morning thinking how i would load a vboxx. this made my day


----------



## jhall22guitar (Dec 11, 2011)

So you shovel into the elevator which dumps into the vbox?


----------



## mpriester (Oct 2, 2011)

yes, it takes about 20 minutes.


----------



## jhall22guitar (Dec 11, 2011)

Guessing by the size of the pile you only have to do it once per storm?


----------



## mpriester (Oct 2, 2011)

jhall22guitar;2050638 said:


> Guessing by the size of the pile you only have to do it once per storm?


usually yes. If i had to do it several times per storm i would have a bucket loader of some sort and a much bigger salt pile. I go through about 60 ton per winter. As the business grows so will the equipment.


----------



## 86 CJ (Jan 11, 2010)

Mike, awesome setup man. We were looking at the exact same thing until we found a great deal on a older, well taken care of Case skid steer that we grabbed of CL a month ago.


----------



## JustJeff (Sep 9, 2009)

Nice way to solve your growing pains. Keep it up.


----------



## framer1901 (Dec 18, 2005)

Cheap way to solve the growing pains, thought of doing same thing years ago but took to big of a step from tailgate spreading to bulk spreading.

Look for a tractor of some sort, the little 40hp generally will hold 1000# in the bucket - would beat the heck out of shoveling - you'll get old fast.


----------



## leolkfrm (Mar 11, 2010)

what about using an auger to load?


----------



## jonniesmooth (Dec 5, 2008)

That's good thinking. I have a customer (a very large turkey and grain operation) that just redid all their conveyors in their elevator and the old conveyor belts are just laying on a pallet. IDK if they have any plans for them. But that's something to think about.


----------



## mpriester (Oct 2, 2011)

leolkfrm;2052534 said:


> what about using an auger to load?


I can't see why an auger wouldn't work.


----------



## mpriester (Oct 2, 2011)

framer1901;2052454 said:


> Cheap way to solve the growing pains, thought of doing same thing years ago but took to big of a step from tailgate spreading to bulk spreading.
> 
> Look for a tractor of some sort, the little 40hp generally will hold 1000# in the bucket - would beat the heck out of shoveling - you'll get old fast.


If i could find a front loader cheap i would jump on it but that doesn't happen here very often.


----------



## Broncslefty7 (Jul 14, 2014)

i had that issue with the town not wanting me to put a shed up because we are on a major road. so i bought these.

http://www.bagcorp.com/media/video/bottom-lift-low-pro™-super-sack®-container

i have 60 of them filled and stacked, forklift picks them up, trucks backs under the bags, pull the draw string and the bag empties.

to fill them we dump the salt pile onto the driveway, then load the sander with a skid steer and spin the salt into the bag. works pretty well if you cant put a shed up.


----------



## jhall22guitar (Dec 11, 2011)

Broncslefty7;2052772 said:


> i had that issue with the town not wanting me to put a shed up because we are on a major road. so i bought these.
> 
> http://www.bagcorp.com/media/video/bottom-lift-low-pro™-super-sack®-container
> 
> ...


That sounds like a pain in the a$$ though. Especially since you have to load the sander twice basically to get the job done once.


----------



## cet (Oct 2, 2004)

mpriester;2050635 said:


> yes, it takes about 20 minutes.


You must be in shape. My back hurts just thinking about it. Only once ever did 3 of us shovel a V box full and it almost killed me.


----------



## Superior L & L (Oct 6, 2006)

Broncslefty7;2052772 said:


> i had that issue with the town not wanting me to put a shed up because we are on a major road. so i bought these.
> 
> http://www.bagcorp.com/media/video/bottom-lift-low-pro™-super-sack®-container
> 
> ...


I guess you have to do what you have to do. Hopefully you don't use much salt


----------



## mpriester (Oct 2, 2011)

Broncslefty7;2052772 said:


> i had that issue with the town not wanting me to put a shed up because we are on a major road. so i bought these.
> 
> http://www.bagcorp.com/media/video/bottom-lift-low-pro™-super-sack®-container
> 
> ...


What about pouring a cement pad, laying some mafia blocks and covering it with a tarp. Then just un-cover the pile and load the spreader, this way you only handle it once instead of three times. 
Eventually i will pour a pad, lay some block and put the tarp shed on the block to cover it.


----------



## mpriester (Oct 2, 2011)

cet;2053337 said:


> You must be in shape. My back hurts just thinking about it. Only once ever did 3 of us shovel a V box full and it almost killed me.


Not in shape just determined.


----------



## Snow Commandor (Jan 30, 2011)

cet;2053337 said:


> You must be in shape. My back hurts just thinking about it. Only once ever did 3 of us shovel a V box full and it almost killed me.


I used to have to load my friend's v salter with the bagged cma product for a 3m coated cement parking lot he did. Don't miss those days @ all!


----------



## Broncslefty7 (Jul 14, 2014)

*its not bad*



jhall22guitar;2053320 said:


> That sounds like a pain in the a$$ though. Especially since you have to load the sander twice basically to get the job done once.


its not too bad, we load 60 of them in the beginning of the season and it takes 2 guys about 3 hours to do.


----------



## Broncslefty7 (Jul 14, 2014)

*valid point*



mpriester;2053492 said:


> What about pouring a cement pad, laying some mafia blocks and covering it with a tarp. Then just un-cover the pile and load the spreader, this way you only handle it once instead of three times.
> Eventually i will pour a pad, lay some block and put the tarp shed on the block to cover it.


nothing beats just loading from a pile, but my parking lot is mainly for retail customers, i have very little yard space. these bags hold 2200 lbs, so 2 of them fill a sander. we are using about 120 yards a season rite now which isnt a lot either. i think i would rather do the bags than pull a snow covered tarp off in the middle of the night idk. for me the bags work my garage is big enough to fit them all and my forklift lifts the bags no problem. plus all of my machines are out on lots, and 400 bucks in bags that you can continue to reuse at this moment in time was more feasible than buying an older loader.


----------



## Dan R 4000 (Nov 15, 2014)

mpriester;2052617 said:


> I can't see why an auger wouldn't work.


Trust me an auger will not work it works for grains because they have some oil in them, salt is gritty and dry does not work


----------



## SnoFarmer (Oct 15, 2004)

use a Conveyor.

http://spokane.craigslist.org/for/5311721799.html


----------



## jonniesmooth (Dec 5, 2008)

grain elevators use conveyors with plastic or metal scoops. IDK how you can adjust the length of them, to make them shorter. but it's a place to start


----------

