# Need Ideas for Salt Bag Disposal



## Slash (Feb 23, 2007)

I run a welding shop and one of my customers is in the landscape/snow removal business. He has a hitch-mounted spreader on his truck and carries two pallets of melter on the flatbed deck. The problem is how to retain the empty salt bags until he gets back to the shop where he can dispose of them. 

He wants me to fabricate a 'spear' of sorts that would stick up 2-3 feet above the deck surface. The bags would be impaled onto the spear, thus keeping them from blowing about. I think this is a big safety concern, especially on an icy aluminum deck. So far, I'm not coming up with anything else that would be feasible & SAFE.

Any ideas from you guys with more experience would be greatly appreciated.


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## streetsurfin' (Jan 22, 2004)

Why not stuff them all in one bag until it is full and start another? That keeps mulch bags from blowing around. I'd try that and then place a bungee along the deck to hold the full bags in place, rather than the spear. I too see that as a danger that should be avoided. Now if you made the rod face forward, not sharp, and kept it close to and parallel with the deck it may work but I still think a lot of loose bags will take up more room than when stuffed into another bag. How about a grease keg placed upright or even bolted down horizontally with a few bungees across the opening? Shove them between the bungees and down into the keg. Is there room for that on board?

And Welcome to Plowsite!


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## Grn Mtn (Sep 21, 2004)

if the truck can legally handle 4,000lbs of bagged salt, what the heck is he using a tailgate salter for? BTW, a company makes a salter using live-bed technology that pushes a pallet of bags onto knives and spreads them, thus containing the bags and then its not a worry.

I just stuff bags into one another and dispose of in customers dumpster.

the idea with the bungees and barrel is a good one, forget the spear.


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## JD Dave (Mar 20, 2007)

Grn Mtn;430243 said:


> if the truck can legally handle 4,000lbs of bagged salt, what the heck is he using a tailgate salter for? BTW, a company makes a salter using live-bed technology that pushes a pallet of bags onto knives and spreads them, thus containing the bags and then its not a worry.
> 
> I just stuff bags into one another and dispose of in customers dumpster.
> 
> the idea with the bungees and barrel is a good one, forget the spear.


I agree. A spear on a slippery truck, not a good idea.


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## hickslawns (Dec 18, 2004)

The barrel is the best idea. Otherwise, stuff the bags into one bag and put them in the salt hopper between jobs and dispose of where possible.


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## CUCV (Apr 9, 2007)

I use the tool box on my PU to put the empty bags in. For a flat bed use an under bed tool box to put the empty bags in.


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## nsmilligan (Dec 21, 1999)

I use plow shoes, I don't run them on the plow and they make a great empty bag holder, and come with a handle.  

Bill


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## Stud Bro (Oct 24, 2007)

if you have a flat bed build a box to contain the salt and then just load if with a shovel that way you can load it at the shop and dispose of the bags right away. plus you could build the box on a pallet so you can lift it off when your not using it.


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## forestfireguy (Oct 7, 2006)

What about something horizontal to the bed, the spike idea but with a spring loaded cover, you slide it open the let go of the cover and the spring pushes the bag into the spike and keeps the sharp portion covered. Seems like too much thought and work in my mind but it would cover the safety part of the problem, I like the stuffing bags in bags idea it's what we do with our calcium for walks.......lots get bulk salt.


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## JD Dave (Mar 20, 2007)

We're missing the point. The guy asking the question owns a welding shop and he wants to build something for his customer. I say build him a V box.


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## DAFFMOBILEWASH (Dec 9, 2006)

How about a thin stainless wire with a spear on the end of it. Something like the old fishing guys would use to hold thier fish in the water. Can't for the life of me remember the name of that thing. Fishing _______????? Is it a string.

Attach one end to the truck and string the bags like a fish.

DAFF


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## Slash (Feb 23, 2007)

I've suggested buying bulk salt and/or getting a V-box, and those are both a no-go for my customer.  

The under-body tool box is a good idea, but I'm afraid that the bags would start blowing while filling the spreader and before he comes down off the deck. I'm going to talk to him about attaching a 30 gallon drum to the deck. 

Another thought was to mount a vertical post at the front of the bed, about 3" back from the headache rack. The bags could be shoved down between the two, and I think that they would stay in place.


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## Snowpower (Sep 2, 2007)

I go through my share of fertilizer bags and I'll lay them flat as I am using them, then you can roll them up, and place them inside an empty bag. If you roll them tight youd be surprised how many rolls you can fit. Buit youll still have that bag and however many others. You can fit 25 or 30 or so in an empty bag.

I get rid of mine at the commercials that utilize the product in their dumpsters.

That wont help your application but thats how I do it.


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## streetsurfin' (Jan 22, 2004)

I thought the horizontal positioning would avoid snow/ice buildup and be easier to clean out the salt, since it would likely be bolted down. Maybe you can come up with something that is open to avoid that. A container out of expanded steel or perforated aluminum like accelerator catchers are made of.


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## fernalddude (Feb 15, 2004)

Ok from a guy that runs bags only I know the prob with empties If he has a flatbed then he has room for the holder not disposal. The problem with bags is you don't have the time to roll up the bag of stuff it into another one then they just fly away when you move to the next location. The spear would work great in a perfect dry day with not lifting a 100 bags or reloading the truck so you have to hold the bags so they don't fly away with the wind of the storm or driving. Run 2 vert rods with a distance of 15 inches or more and a weighted holder that slides down on the rods to hold the bags under the weight and have some tips on the underside to grip the bags as you stack them up. And for safety place a shield or cap on top of the rods so you cant fall on them and impale yourself. Its like a vise to hold the bags in one spot till you find a dumpster with the weight of the slide piece holding down the bag. My drawing is crude but Iam to tired to give a good pic but if you can fab you can figure it out. Hope this helps


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## cincy snowdog (Dec 19, 2005)

how about a piece of spring steel made some thing like a mouse trap or a clothespin mounted down and you lift it up and put the bag in let go and keep your fingers out .


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## cjasonbr (Nov 18, 2005)

How bout you do a spear like the guy wants but hook it around on the top. Like an upside down "J", or a candy cane i guess. By hooking it around like that it not only makes it safe - bet would be a huge help in keeping bags on the spear. Obviously dont make the end of it sharp, but you can round off the tip and make it sorta pointy so it easily punctures plastic bags.

Do i get a commission or what? 

Edit: I agree a V-box is better. But how can you tell a customer that wants a pole welded on his truck that he should really spend $4k+ for a new spreader......


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## Slash (Feb 23, 2007)

fernalddude;430753 said:


> Ok from a guy that runs bags only I know the prob with empties If he has a flatbed then he has room for the holder not disposal. The problem with bags is you don't have the time to roll up the bag of stuff it into another one then they just fly away when you move to the next location. The spear would work great in a perfect dry day with not lifting a 100 bags or reloading the truck so you have to hold the bags so they don't fly away with the wind of the storm or driving. Run 2 vert rods with a distance of 15 inches or more and a weighted holder that slides down on the rods to hold the bags under the weight and have some tips on the underside to grip the bags as you stack them up. And for safety place a shield or cap on top of the rods so you cant fall on them and impale yourself. Its like a vise to hold the bags in one spot till you find a dumpster with the weight of the slide piece holding down the bag. My drawing is crude but Iam to tired to give a good pic but if you can fab you can figure it out. Hope this helps


I like this idea. I'm think that I may use some coil springs on the 'guillotine' part. That way it doesn't have to be heavy steel, but it will still hold the bags down.

As you said, the spear would be OK on a sunny day. I actually helped this customer out during one big storm last winter, none of his 'helpers' could make it through the drifts. I can't imagine trying to roll up empty bags with heavy gloves on and numb fingers @ 5 degrees + 35 MPH wind.


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## NJ Plowman (Dec 10, 2003)

Tell him to give the bags to the kids in the neighborhood to use as sleds! 

Or give them to the crackheads in the neighborhoods ahd tell them to put the bag over their heads when they smoke the crack and maybe they will choke themselves into the "big sleep"!


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## mcwlandscaping (Sep 8, 2005)

cjasonbr;431824 said:


> How bout you do a spear like the guy wants but hook it around on the top. Like an upside down "J", or a candy cane i guess. By hooking it around like that it not only makes it safe - bet would be a huge help in keeping bags on the spear. Obviously dont make the end of it sharp, but you can round off the tip and make it sorta pointy so it easily punctures plastic bags.
> 
> Do i get a commission or what?
> 
> Edit: I agree a V-box is better. But how can you tell a customer that wants a pole welded on his truck that he should really spend $4k+ for a new spreader......


i vote for that idea!!!


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## Lynch & Sons Landscapin (Sep 5, 2006)

*Garbage Bag*

Either the guillotine or what I used to do last year when I ran bags was to get a pack of the biggest garbage bags they sell @ home depot and just stuff them in there. By the time I got a half pallet to pallet in the bag I could leave it in the bed and drive down the highway without losing it....


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## KINNCO (Jan 19, 2007)

*The sled idea is good. I always try to fill up around a dumpster, but I do stuff all the bags that will fit into one bag.*


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## Lbilawncare (Nov 30, 2002)

Lay them flat and put a full bag of icemelt on them, pretty simple really. For safety sake, a box is much better than a spike.


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## KINNCO (Jan 19, 2007)

*empty salt bags*

*I ran into this buy sheer luck today 
I happened to have a small doggy kennel in the bed that my in laws borrowed.
Shazam! opened the door today and put all the empty bags in it as I went.

Worked great!*


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## royallawn (Dec 1, 2005)

i always pull over by a dumpster and then no more empty bag problem.


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## streetfrog (Dec 9, 2007)

I have a tonneau cover and I just shove them back under it if I am not near a dumpster. I keep the full bags in there as well . For the bagged sand I also put ea one in a plastic kitchen garbage bag to keep them dri. I just put them all together then throw out when I get the chance. But I have a real bed not a flat bed. I would go with the guillotine idea personally. Or the barrel.


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## Dissociative (Feb 28, 2007)

i like the candy cane idea....no pokey...but holds em all...36" to the top and it's a handle as well

or....what if you made the spike....but made it like 5' high....cant trip that high...


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## Lasher66 (Sep 28, 2002)

Like the other guy said, just stack them in the corner and throw a full bag on top of them until you get back, then throw them away. 

Jason


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## snowman55 (Nov 20, 2007)

simple and easy. an 8' peice of 8" corragated drain tile. just jam the bags in and they wont blow out. shove a shovel handle thru to empty it.l


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## mulcahy mowing (Jan 16, 2006)

tell him to buy a job box and just throw the bags in there...he can also use it for storage..great for the summer and the winter

being a electrician by trade I would chose this...
http://indoors.pricegrabber.com/workbenches-tool-storage/jobox/p/1404/


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## yamaguy (Aug 26, 2007)

I just let them blow out of the truck as I drive! :waving: No I wedge them in between the toolbox and the bedside. If they are there when I get home good, if not that's ok too.


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