# First Spreader advice



## dirtymartini (Jan 29, 2012)

I'm looking for my first spreader and looking for advice on what to stay away from. Right now all I do is driveways so a tailgate/receiver mount is what I am looking at. Bagged salt and calcium is what I plan on using. Any recommendations?


----------



## xjoedirt55x (Dec 11, 2009)

I don't know that you can really go wrong with any of them out there in good working order. Only real suggestion is get one with enough capacity for your jobs.


----------



## dirtymartini (Jan 29, 2012)

I noticed the SaltDogg TGS06 comes with a vibrator installed already. 750 lbs would be enough capacity I think.


----------



## dirtymartini (Jan 29, 2012)

*Snow ex mini pro 575*

Just found a SnowEx Mini Pro 575 on my local Craigslist for $500, I sent the guy an e-mail.


----------



## John_DeereGreen (Jan 2, 2011)

The Boss TGS600, unless you want room to grow then the TGS1100. Nothing comes close to their ease of attachment and quality.


----------



## BUFF (Dec 24, 2009)

dirtymartini;1762362 said:


> I noticed the SaltDogg TGS06 comes with a vibrator installed already. 750 lbs would be enough capacity I think.


You do realize you don't drive around with the spreader loaded, you only load what is needed at the job site and then spread.
For doing driveways and small lots you can get away with a 350lbs capacity spreader. Most spreaders do have a Vibrator as an option, you do want one regardless.

Lurk around on C-List you'll find good spreaders this spring and save a bunch of money.


----------



## dirtymartini (Jan 29, 2012)

BUFF;1762505 said:


> You do realize you don't drive around with the spreader loaded, you only load what is needed at the job site and then spread.
> For doing driveways and small lots you can get away with a 350lbs capacity spreader. Most spreaders do have a Vibrator as an option, you do want one regardless.
> 
> Lurk around on C-List you'll find good spreaders this spring and save a bunch of money.


Thanks, that is exactly the advice I I am looking for...


----------



## Mr. Jon (Feb 24, 2010)

I'm very happy with my SnowEx junior 325. It holds 4 50lb. bags which is plenty for most jobs I do. No need for a bigger spreader if i'm only putting 4 bags in it at a time. Plus it's small & light, easy to remove to use the tailgate and re-load bags of salt.


----------



## xjoedirt55x (Dec 11, 2009)

John_DeereGreen;1762452 said:


> The Boss TGS600, unless you want room to grow then the TGS1100. Nothing comes close to their ease of attachment and quality.


What is so much easier about the TGS1100 than any standard receiver hitch mount salt spreader?..... it is just slide it in, pop a pin through, and hook a wire harness together on my Western.


----------



## Brian Young (Aug 13, 2005)

My vote goes for a Fisher 1000. We've run a couple for a long time years ago and ran everything from bulk (with a vib) to calcium and regular bagged rock salt. The motors are indestructible. The control boxes are built well, variable speed is nice to have.


----------



## derekbroerse (Mar 6, 2004)

Personally, I would be looking to the future.... will I be doing larger jobs one day? If the answer is yes, think of a two stage tailgate spreader like the Western/Fisher ProFlo2. Handles bulk salt, sand, whatever you want. Lots of capacity. Easy to load. Drawback--need two people to hang it on the truck. Not overly heavy but a little awkward by yourself.


----------



## Brian Young (Aug 13, 2005)

derekbroerse;1763017 said:


> Personally, I would be looking to the future.... will I be doing larger jobs one day? If the answer is yes, think of a two stage tailgate spreader like the Western/Fisher ProFlo2. Handles bulk salt, sand, whatever you want. Lots of capacity. Easy to load. Drawback--need two people to hang it on the truck. Not overly heavy but a little awkward by yourself.


Good point, that whole do I get bigger into salting thing opens up so many cans of worms. One thing though, aren't those 2 stage spreaders pretty much the same price as a v box. I thought the Fisher one was like 3k.


----------



## Antlerart06 (Feb 28, 2011)

I bought a 2500 Western low profile used only was 1 year old It hold 650lbs 
It was a gravity flow model I didn't like it So I bought a auger for it 10 times better even spread now 
When truck leaves shop its loaded It will do 3 small lots before has to be refilled 
I already have a Vbox the tail gate spreader is nice for 1 acre or smaller lots
Its easy to hook up One man can lift it up.
One night my chain broke that ran my spinner on the V box and the tail gate saved my butt


----------



## Antlerart06 (Feb 28, 2011)

Brian Young;1763046 said:


> Good point, that whole do I get bigger into salting thing opens up so many cans of worms. One thing though, aren't those 2 stage spreaders pretty much the same price as a v box. I thought the Fisher one was like 3k.


I seen one 2 stage SnowEx and it was like 2900


----------



## derekbroerse (Mar 6, 2004)

Brian Young;1763046 said:


> Good point, that whole do I get bigger into salting thing opens up so many cans of worms. One thing though, aren't those 2 stage spreaders pretty much the same price as a v box. I thought the Fisher one was like 3k.


If you are buying a new one, yes, but since he is looking at craigslist they often sell in working condition from $600-1500.


----------



## dirtymartini (Jan 29, 2012)

derekbroerse;1763017 said:


> Personally, I would be looking to the future.... will I be doing larger jobs one day? If the answer is yes, think of a two stage tailgate spreader like the Western/Fisher ProFlo2. Handles bulk salt, sand, whatever you want. Lots of capacity. Easy to load. Drawback--need two people to hang it on the truck. Not overly heavy but a little awkward by yourself.


Good question...right now I am a one man operation, driveways only. I have been thinking about going after a few small commercial lots, but don't want to get in over my head time wise.

BTW, the Snow Ex I was looking at on Craigslist has been sold already.


----------



## P.L. (Dec 15, 2007)

Air flo mss spreader, bullet proof and simple. Growth is one thing to consider. I stuck with a tailgate spreader because even tough I have machines to move around a larger spreader the tailgate spreader is much easier to take in and out and store. The bed stays open which is better between storms if the truck is a daily driver. I do about three small lots and two driveways per storm. 15- 20 bags of salt a couple of pails of sand, my iron weight and a snow blower goes in the back and I still have a clear view out the back which always make backing up easier. Plus I like it at the end of the storm because the spreader is empty, any left over material can be removed and stored easy because it's still bagged and I'm able to wash the entire bed and truck.


----------



## John_DeereGreen (Jan 2, 2011)

xjoedirt55x;1762923 said:


> What is so much easier about the TGS1100 than any standard receiver hitch mount salt spreader?..... it is just slide it in, pop a pin through, and hook a wire harness together on my Western.


What is so much easier is that it can be put on the truck one handed, even with several bags of salt left in it and you never have to pick it up, just pivot on the mount.

Like this:


----------



## derekbroerse (Mar 6, 2004)

John_DeereGreen;1763578 said:


> What is so much easier is that it can be put on the truck one handed, even with several bags of salt left in it and you never have to pick it up, just pivot on the mount.
> 
> Like this:


That does look pretty slick for a tailgate spreader. What if the truck is a higher 4x4? Does it have adjustment?


----------



## BUFF (Dec 24, 2009)

I picked up a Meyer 350S for $500.00 on C-List in'09, it was fully operational and all I did was sandblast / paint it. 
To handle the handling issue I built a rack/cart that the spreader sits on, all I do is roll it to the receiver on the truck and slip it in. 
The Boss system is cool, I've seen it in person and it would be pretty easy to build your own spin off of it.

Looking at the future is always a good thing in business and life in general, however if your current business model work wise will continue to be the same you don't need a high capacity spreader. If you do find yourself doing larger property's down the road you can recoup the money you have in a smaller spreader.


----------



## Antlerart06 (Feb 28, 2011)

derekbroerse;1763156 said:


> If you are buying a new one, yes, but since he is looking at craigslist they often sell in working condition from $600-1500.


I bought mine at a Auction I paid $125.00 I was lucky no body was there that plowed snow


----------



## BUFF (Dec 24, 2009)

Antlerart06;1763649 said:


> I bought mine at a Auction I paid $125.00 I was lucky no body was there that plowed snow


Does the steering get a little on the light side when the hopper is loaded......:laughing::laughing:


----------



## Antlerart06 (Feb 28, 2011)

BUFF;1763658 said:


> Does the steering get a little on the light side when the hopper is loaded......:laughing::laughing:


I don't want to know

Look huge on it vs on the back of my 02 truck


----------



## derekbroerse (Mar 6, 2004)

Yeah, it does make the Kia look kinda tiny.... lol

BUT it is a legitimate point with a larger spreader. My ProFlo2's home is the back of the Sonoma pickup. Steering IS awful light if there is no plow on board LOL but when it is, the weight is no problem. Always drive in 4wd if the roads are slick because GM in their infinite wisdom gave the truck rear wheel ABS, meaning stopping = forget it in 2wd with a heavy load. Idiotic thing. The good news is when it ever had to leave that heavy, the first stop was just up a slow country road, so the bulk of the weight was gone right away... Then the truck handles normal regardless. The good news is I haven't had to use it in years now. Loading a vbox with a machine is a lot more convenient than shovelling by hand lolololol


----------



## Antlerart06 (Feb 28, 2011)

derekbroerse;1763845 said:


> Yeah, it does make the Kia look kinda tiny.... lol It is tiny and lite sometimes that a good thing until it fall in on a 4ft drift. I don't plow or salt with my Kia is my Hunting rig 26-28mpg
> 
> BUT it is a legitimate point with a larger spreader. My ProFlo2's home is the back of the Sonoma pickup. Steering IS awful light if there is no plow on board LOL but when it is, the weight is no problem. Always drive in 4wd if the roads are slick because GM in their infinite wisdom gave the truck rear wheel ABS, meaning stopping = forget it in 2wd with a heavy load. Idiotic thing. The good news is when it ever had to leave that heavy, the first stop was just up a slow country road, so the bulk of the weight was gone right away... Then the truck handles normal regardless. The good news is I haven't had to use it in years now. Loading a vbox with a machine is a lot more convenient than shovelling by hand lolololol


Shoveling bulk would be a pain tried it Reason I run bags in my tailgate 
My Vbox I run bulk load it with a skidloader


----------



## dirtymartini (Jan 29, 2012)

SaltDogg TGS06 just popped up on craigslist. Guy says it has never been used. Wants $1200


----------



## derekbroerse (Mar 6, 2004)

Antlerart06;1763924 said:


> Shoveling bulk would be a pain tried it Reason I run bags in my tailgate
> My Vbox I run bulk load it with a skidloader


I used to cheat a bit. Would fill up my 2wd dump truck with bulk and drive it nose first onto my 14k capacity drive-on hoist... raise it a little. Back up the tailgate spreader tail to tail with it so it was just under the lip of the dump truck's tailgate. Climb a ladder into the back of the dump and shovel. One thing is for certain, filling that spreader 5x a night with a shovel was EXCELLENT exercise, the biceps loved it... lol The work boots, standing in the bulk salt, not so much... xysport


----------



## Antlerart06 (Feb 28, 2011)

derekbroerse;1763934 said:


> I used to cheat a bit. Would fill up my 2wd dump truck with bulk and drive it nose first onto my 14k capacity drive-on hoist... raise it a little. Back up the tailgate spreader tail to tail with it so it was just under the lip of the dump truck's tailgate. Climb a ladder into the back of the dump and shovel. One thing is for certain, filling that spreader 5x a night with a shovel was EXCELLENT exercise, the biceps loved it... lol The work boots, standing in the bulk salt, not so much... xysport


I know a guy loads his with feed bin It sounded like good idea until it harden up on him
Funny part is, it is a new bin He couldn't break it up to un plug it So he push it over now its unplug but looks like a egg now.


----------



## BUFF (Dec 24, 2009)

dirtymartini;1763931 said:


> SaltDogg TGS06 just popped up on craigslist. Guy says it has never been used. Wants $1200


You can buy new for $999.00 from Angelo's Supply http://www.angelos-supplies.com/sno...oductID/145083/Default.aspx?SortField=EAN,EAN or $980.00 from CPW http://www.centralparts.com/Equipme...aders/tgs06-10-cu-ft-tailgate-spreader/20307/

For another$600.00 you can get into a TGS07 which has a horizontal auger (like some V-Boxes) that feeds the spinner and it comes with a vibrator.
I looked at both the 06 and 07 spreaders and the 07 appears to be the better of the two.

Sure you'll have freight but you'll have a warranty and certain it's truly is new.


----------



## John_DeereGreen (Jan 2, 2011)

derekbroerse;1763585 said:


> That does look pretty slick for a tailgate spreader. What if the truck is a higher 4x4? Does it have adjustment?


No adjustments that I know of, but I know on my truck, the hitch height is almost 32 inches with no load in the bed, and I'm short, 5'3'' and I have no trouble getting it to latch and work.

I'd never fight to slide one into a reciever again after using this. Plus the box it's self is much nicer than anything else I've seen.


----------



## dirtymartini (Jan 29, 2012)

*SnowEx SP-1875*

I just found a SnowEx SP-1875 for $1800 It's more of a spreader than I need (and more $ than I want to spend) right now but as was mentioned before I would have room to grow. Any opinions on this spreader?


----------



## John_DeereGreen (Jan 2, 2011)

dirtymartini;1768009 said:


> I just found a SnowEx SP-1875 for $1800 It's more of a spreader than I need (and more $ than I want to spend) right now but as was mentioned before I would have room to grow. Any opinions on this spreader?


We had a couple 1075's, the motors were an absolute nightmare. At least 1 per season for 2 years.

Man...unless my dealer is giving stuff to me, you can buy a brand new Boss TGS1100 for less than that...


----------



## dirtymartini (Jan 29, 2012)

dirtymartini;1763931 said:


> SaltDogg TGS06 just popped up on craigslist. Guy says it has never been used. Wants $1200


I just got an e-mail from this guy...he says he will sell for $700 now. After reading some of the threads on here about this spreader maybe I should wait for something better.


----------



## yardatwork (Jan 21, 2009)

I use the base model Buyers Salt Dogg TGSUV1B. I do commercial and residential clients. I don't buy into all the hype about bigger motor, auger, vibrator, etc. A motor will last you about two years. Salt is so corrosive that it destroys anything metal and seizes motors up. So I don't believe in investing THOUSANDS of dollars when I can purchase a product for $400-$450 that'll do the same job. One recommendation is this...if it hold 300, 400, 750 pounds of salt...DO NOT fill the thing up and store salt in the spreader. During travel, road moisture will collect in the mouth of the spreader and clump up/free the salt. Then you're clogged. Yes, an auger may help this problem, but a $2.00 screw driver will also break up any clog vs. a few hundred dollar auger set up. A replacement motor for my TGSUV1B is only $80 on eBay. This is my personal experience and I'm in no way a cheapskate. I just can't see dumping a lot of money into things when the winter conditions destroy everyone's equipment equally.


----------



## dirtymartini (Jan 29, 2012)

yardatwork;1770358 said:


> I use the base model Buyers Salt Dogg TGSUV1B. I do commercial and residential clients. I don't buy into all the hype about bigger motor, auger, vibrator, etc. A motor will last you about two years. Salt is so corrosive that it destroys anything metal and seizes motors up. So I don't believe in investing THOUSANDS of dollars when I can purchase a product for $400-$450 that'll do the same job. One recommendation is this...if it hold 300, 400, 750 pounds of salt...DO NOT fill the thing up and store salt in the spreader. During travel, road moisture will collect in the mouth of the spreader and clump up/free the salt. Then you're clogged. Yes, an auger may help this problem, but a $2.00 screw driver will also break up any clog vs. a few hundred dollar auger set up. A replacement motor for my TGSUV1B is only $80 on eBay. This is my personal experience and I'm in no way a cheapskate. I just can't see dumping a lot of money into things when the winter conditions destroy everyone's equipment equally.


Thanks for the input. This will be my first spreader so I may be over thinking this but I would like to avoid buying a turd. The guy with the TGS06 dropped to $700 fairly quick, maybe I'll give it some more time, it's getting towards the end of the season here.


----------



## magnatrac (Dec 22, 2006)

We have had a western 1000, snow ex 1075 ,snow ex 325? (Real tiny with no auger) and dollar for dollar the buyers that have been on my truck are the best. As stated above salt destroys these things so you might as well get one with parts that are cheap and easy to fix. I currently run a tgs07 and love it. Spreading bulk is a huge savings not to mention spreading sand on my icy gravel road. It is a huge spreader for a tailgate model though. Before that I ran a tgsuv PRO for 9 years and I still have it as a back up. It's been patched up ,several motors,controllers ,etc. long story short that little spreader throws salt as good as the bigger western and snowex spreaders we have had. If your not planning on stepping up into a larger spreader real soon dollar for dollar you cannot beat the small buyers. Parts are cheap and easy to come by. Now just so there is no confusion I am talking about the pro version of their SUV spreader. Same motor and controller as the bigger ones just a small hopper it only holds 350lbs. I wouldn't waste my time with the one that has a cigarette plug and tiny motor. You will be disappointed like I was when I bought that tiny snowex. A good broadcast spreader would be a better investment than the small single speed hitch spreaders that only throw 10' .


----------



## RSE (Nov 27, 2012)

Fisher speedcaster 2 with frame mount and cover. If you lose the truck tailgate and replace with a 2x6, it easy to climb in and out and your visibility increases like 75%. Throw half a yard of sand/salt mix in back and use a grain shovel to load quickly. You don't have to fill the unit all the way. Depending on how well you know the driveway, you can use just the perfect amount. The offset spinner sands one wheel lane at a time, drive in, drive out.
I built a small table I can easily back up to and hook up the unit all by myself in less than 3 min, sub frame and all! Disconnect is even faster! This thing DOES NOT CLOG!! no vibrator or auger. Only once did it give me a hard time when I used it for the very first time I filled it completly and drove around, packing it down and nothing spread but, just like any other tailgate unit. Stores easily indoors and simple to maintain, can't say enough good about it going on year 5.


----------



## derekbroerse (Mar 6, 2004)

RSE;1778891 said:


> Fisher speedcaster 2 with frame mount and cover. If you lose the truck tailgate and replace with a 2x6, it easy to climb in and out and your visibility increases like 75%. Throw half a yard of sand/salt mix in back and use a grain shovel to load quickly. You don't have to fill the unit all the way. Depending on how well you know the driveway, you can use just the perfect amount. The offset spinner sands one wheel lane at a time, drive in, drive out.
> I built a small table I can easily back up to and hook up the unit all by myself in less than 3 min, sub frame and all! Disconnect is even faster! This thing DOES NOT CLOG!! no vibrator or auger. Only once did it give me a hard time when I used it for the very first time I filled it completly and drove around, packing it down and nothing spread but, just like any other tailgate unit. Stores easily indoors and simple to maintain, can't say enough good about it going on year 5.


Same machine as my ProFlo2, just yellow. lol

I've had it bridge up inside on straight salt, not impossible... but that was rarrrrrrrrrre!


----------

