# Spreader for a F550?



## bumgarner78 (Jan 28, 2010)

Good Afternoon- I have an F550 Diesel that I will be putting a dump bed on this spring and would like to find a salt spreader for it with the highest capacity. I am in Richmond VA and have 2 plow trucks and a skid steer. The spreader business in relatively new to me. This is a project I plan to tackle this summer in preperation for the winter of 2011/2012. Thanks!

I am willing to consider used and/or new.

Aaron


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## SnoPro Inc (Sep 24, 2010)

Do you like Stainless Steel Or Poly?


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## LawnProLandscapes (Nov 15, 2007)

there are a few different brands out there to choose from including snow ex, salt dogg, fisher/western/blizzard all have smaller vee box models, swenson, and many others. youll probably want to max out at around a 4 cubic yard capacity. theres a lot of info on this site if you research some youll find about people debating on spreader brands, steel vs. poly, gas vs. hydraulic etc. . . i personally like the poly box's becasuse there lighter and dont rust, but most of it comes down to what you want.

heres a snow ex model that would work with your f-550

http://www.snowexproducts.com/?page_id=142


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## LawnProLandscapes (Nov 15, 2007)

heres a tailgate spreader for dumps that might interest you as well, only downside is the salt will beat up your dump bed pretty quick

http://www.downeastermfg.com/tailgate.html


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## RLM (Jan 12, 2006)

There are a couple different styles available:
1. V box with conveor chain, (what I run) downside is some salt builds up under spreader
2. Poly V box, generaly use a screw type conveor system, which should alevaite the build up underneatf box
3. undergate, (I have one) probably least expensive, uses bed tiping up to feed, probably most difficult to find guys to run, will have greatest capacity
There are more these are the most common though. Just like anything everyone has their prefered brands & types.


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## bumgarner78 (Jan 28, 2010)

Thanks for all the help so far. I'm going to take this info. and do my research. Any more suggestions send them my way!


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## LawnProLandscapes (Nov 15, 2007)

bumgarner78;1219055 said:


> Thanks for all the help so far. I'm going to take this info. and do my research. Any more suggestions send them my way!


not a problem, plenty of knowledge on this site in every area! good luck and dont be afraid to ask any questions.


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## sven1277 (Jan 15, 2008)

Look at the undertailgate. I am planning on replacing an electric vbox with one next winter. It will double my capacity from 1.5 to 3yds in my 1 ton dump.


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## PTSolutions (Dec 8, 2007)

if you want a v box then look at the 3 or 4 yard salt doggs. very simple operation, best value for the money hands down. they use a auger vs. conveyor which i personally prefer.


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## cet (Oct 2, 2004)

If you are looking for a tailgate salter I would look at tailgate replacement over undertailgate.


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## forestfireguy (Oct 7, 2006)

cet;1220113 said:


> If you are looking for a tailgate salter I would look at tailgate replacement over undertailgate.


Any reason as to why? We have an undergate Swenson Electric that's the cats meow once you get used to it......We considered both, but couldn't really identify a reason to go replacement over under gate.......


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## cet (Oct 2, 2004)

forestfireguy;1220455 said:


> Any reason as to why? We have an undergate Swenson Electric that's the cats meow once you get used to it......We considered both, but couldn't really identify a reason to go replacement over under gate.......


Not all dump boxes have the pivot point at the very back of the truck. Sometimes the spinner will hit the ground before the box is at the top. For guys that don't have power down you might have so much salt slide to the back and into the salter that it is now outside the box and the box won't come back down. We had an under mount and for us it didn't work. There are lots of people that love them. If I tried one again it would be a replacement model.


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## Wayne Volz (Mar 1, 2002)

*I like snowex*

There are many different options and we have used many over the past thirty years. I personally like the poly, electric spreaders and have settled on the SnowEx brand. They offer a 4 yard model that will work well on that truck. You can also add an accu-spray system to that as well to pre-treat your material making the product go even further.

Feel free to give me a call if you have any questions.


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## Wicked500R (Sep 6, 2007)

forestfireguy;1220455 said:


> Any reason as to why? We have an undergate Swenson Electric that's the cats meow once you get used to it......We considered both, but couldn't really identify a reason to go replacement over under gate.......


I have the Swenson UTG on my 450 and IT IS the cats meow... I mean holy crap... For capacity, it is king, I usually run between 3-4 ton on the truck but the other day I had about 6..lol it was an emergency... it was heavy and the tires were bulging out but it held fine..Had to take the turns a little slow...lol However, I cannot raise my body to the max, the spinner motor will touch the ground so I have to watch for that. I can go about 3/4 up which is plenty.
Power down hoist is a must, that was the installers 1st question. I recommend it.


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## Turf Guy (Feb 5, 2011)

We've got two Snow Ex Units, 9500 (4 yd) and a 8500 (2yd) and they have been trouble free. We used the run the gas powered steel units and have substantially cut our maintenance costs with these units, plus no gas motors to fight with at 1am!


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## Freedom Dave (Sep 6, 2009)

Hey Guys, I have (had) a swenson under tailgate electric spreader on my F550 and have had nothing but problems and haven't had it for 2 saltings at a time. First they installed it to low so I couldn't dump the box more than 1/3rd and then they raised the salter tray and since then the motors keep stopping so they replaced the motors and then the auger motor wouldn't work unless you hit the motor everytime to get it going which was a pain cause you would have to get out and then run back into truck to drive. Finally they couldn't figure out the problem so they said they are replacing it with a tailgate replacement one next week. I have a downeaster tailgate replacement on my 1 tonne and its amazing. The other company is Swenson which people said were "cats meow". I am so frusterated I don't even care anymore.


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## Plow man Foster (Dec 10, 2010)

Get a liquid rig! You will sell more customers on it than rock!
How much are you willing to spend on a rig?

Say its like 2K
Build a Nice liquid deicer rig for about 1k

Then get a backup Used tailgate/ v box salter!

You can save over $100 using liquid over rock!

http://saltbrinenj.com/

This is the rig i copied to make my rig for my truck.
This one cost $5000
I made it my self for $1000+ labor 
Its NOT hard to build one just buy the tank, pump, hoses and fittings, then some nice nozzles
Not hard at ALL!


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## [email protected] (May 29, 2009)

We are pretty close to you up in Manassas Va, come talk to us this summer, we carry SnoEx,Swenson,Meyer,Buyers,Western and DownEaster spreaders. I am sure we can help you find something that meets your needs.


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## Westhardt Corp. (Dec 13, 2009)

Aaron, just my 2¢ on this...

Why spend the additional money on a whole 'nother piece of equipment? V-boxes are great, and have their place, but IMHO putting one in a dump body is just plain silly, and something of a waste of both money and payload. You will generally have greater capacity using the dump body with a tailgate spreader (either kind, under or replacement, have their advantages), and there are some bonuses:
--you _still_ have a functioning dump truck, whereas you don't if you have a v-box in it. (comes in handy for doing minor relocation, transporting pallets, or other work altogether)
--you can easily dump off unused or bad salt (VERY handy if your load freezes--shoveling out a v-box s-u-c-k-s)
--if you line the box with UHMW (the bottom, really) you will find that you won't need a whole ton of angle to keep the material flowing.

If I were equipping a truck, I would opt for a drop-side dump, and just affix a liner (UHMW I spoke of) to the floor. Hang a decent under gate spreader on it, and go to work.


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## Brad3403 (Sep 8, 2008)

Westhardt Corp.;1250243 said:


> Aaron, just my 2¢ on this...
> 
> --if you line the box with UHMW (the bottom, really) you will find that you won't need a whole ton of angle to keep the material flowing.
> 
> If I were equipping a truck, I would opt for a drop-side dump, and just affix a liner (UHMW I spoke of) to the floor. Hang a decent under gate spreader on it, and go to work.


what is a "UHMW"?


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## Westhardt Corp. (Dec 13, 2009)

*U*ltra
*H*igh
*M*olecular
*W*eight

(Polyethylene)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultra-high-molecular-weight_polyethylene

This is what we use to line our dump boxes to eliminate sticking and reduce the angle required to release the load. It's very commonly used in hoppers, as well. Great stuff, and largely unknown about in the light truck world--it would make a world of difference in a 4 yard dump.

HTH!


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## KMBertog (Sep 9, 2010)

bumgarner78;1219055 said:


> Thanks for all the help so far. I'm going to take this info. and do my research. Any more suggestions send them my way!


are you looking for a VBOX or an under tailgate spreader? If you go under tailgate, go with Flink.


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## Brad3403 (Sep 8, 2008)

Westhardt Corp.;1259186 said:


> *U*ltra
> *H*igh
> *M*olecular
> *W*eight
> ...


How is it applied? Do you have photos?


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## dfd9 (Aug 18, 2010)

Westhardt Corp.;1250243 said:



> Aaron, just my 2¢ on this...
> 
> Why spend the additional money on a whole \'nother piece of equipment? V-boxes are great, and have their place, but IMHO putting one in a dump body is just plain silly, and something of a waste of both money and payload. You will generally have greater capacity using the dump body with a tailgate spreader (either kind, under or replacement, have their advantages), and there are some bonuses:
> --you _still_ have a functioning dump truck, whereas you don\'t if you have a v-box in it. (comes in handy for doing minor relocation, transporting pallets, or other work altogether)
> ...


This guy makes some good points.


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## Westhardt Corp. (Dec 13, 2009)

Thanks!....


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## Westhardt Corp. (Dec 13, 2009)

Brad3403;1259474 said:


> How is it applied? Do you have photos?


It's not _applied_, per sé, but more _installed_. UHMW is made as a sheet or panel, and it is laid down and affixed over the surface you wish to protect. The liner in my trailer is 3/8" thick, and 10' wide. It is held in with several bolts up front, and then aluminum rails or "cover strips" are welded on to capture the liner along the sides, but still allow for temperature-related changes in size. It will grow/shrink considerably with the temps, so you can't affix it rigidly--give it room to move. I also have the bulkhead (front) lined, which is visible as well--that is all bolted. See examples below...



















The liner prolongs the life of the floor and walls by keeping the material physically off of it. The UHMW has a very low coefficient of friction, so the load releases much easier. You don't need to raise the box as high to get the material out, the material exits cleaner and faster, and it adds significant resistance to upset (read: less likely to roll over while dumping) by preventing the load from sticking to the floor, which can create a very high center of gravity if it sticks in the nose (front). In short, liners make dump work much faster and cleaner...easier really. But they have their limitations--no really rough or sharp stuff, as it can cut the liner. And if it gets cold enough, sticking will still occur. But in my case, that doesn't happen until it's solidly into the single digits for several days before working. Not of much concern, because dry salt doesn't stick to it in pretty much _any _temperature.

HTH!! 

(Oh, for example--if you attempt to walk on UHMW with wet shoes, you will likely end up flat on your back.)


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## White Gardens (Oct 29, 2008)

KMBertog;1259213 said:


> are you looking for a VBOX or an under tailgate spreader? If you go under tailgate, go with Flink.


  Thumbs Up

Flink now makes a sweet stainless replacement tailgate spreader too. I've thought about getting one, but I like the option of being able to leave the auger/trough on when I need to haul other materials in the winter.


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## LON (Aug 20, 2006)

Henderson RTS - http://www.henderson-mfg.com/spreaders.html
304SS 9-light light bar is something we added.


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## Westhardt Corp. (Dec 13, 2009)

And there is a reason why most munis are running setups much like this on their light trucks...


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## ohiogreenworks (May 31, 2009)

We run a Truck Craft Deicer Plus....Its a Tailgate replacement.....and it's SWEET! We have had NO problem with it at all. Even when we dont have snow, we can still use the bed of the truck. We also have a gravity down bed and if I raise the bed all the way up to move salt to the rear, the bed will still come down even though there may be 2 or 3 tons at the very back of the truck. The spreader is made of aluminium and stainless so it wont rust at all. I would highly recommend this spreader to anyone!


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## Plow man Foster (Dec 10, 2010)

ohiogreenworks;1265849 said:


> We run a Truck Craft Deicer Plus....Its a Tailgate replacement.....and it's SWEET! We have had NO problem with it at all. Even when we dont have snow, we can still use the bed of the truck. We also have a gravity down bed and if I raise the bed all the way up to move salt to the rear, the bed will still come down even though there may be 2 or 3 tons at the very back of the truck. The spreader is made of aluminium and stainless so it wont rust at all. I would highly recommend this spreader to anyone!


I have that same spreader you're talkin' about. We love it too!
Only problem after 9 years is that the spinner motor went out..Cost 800 bucks NEW AND the manufacturer only makes them for TruckCraft!(1/3hp leeson 12v motor) So really you cant get it anywhere except for your truckcraft distributer for top dollar....I was lucky because i found out the *ONLY* other people who had them was Northerntool(.com) For $200

I know its off topic a little but im just trying to give you a heads up! And spread the word about the spinner motor.

But its nice how you can use the cap. of the bed of the truck.. Never felt right putting a vbox in a dump truck! Just me.....
But electric is the way to go! 
No Hydo. problems (already have the plow to worry about!) 
Less confusion!


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## Westhardt Corp. (Dec 13, 2009)

Plow man Foster;1265958 said:


> I have that same spreader you're talkin' about. We love it too!
> Only problem after 9 years is that the spinner motor went out..Cost 800 bucks NEW AND the manufacturer only makes them for TruckCraft!(1/3hp leeson 12v motor) So really you cant get it anywhere except for your truckcraft distributer for top dollar....I was lucky because i found out the *ONLY* other people who had them was Northerntool(.com) For $200
> 
> I know its off topic a little but im just trying to give you a heads up! And spread the word about the spinner motor.
> ...


^^^ This guy gets it.

Thumbs Up


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