# how much is a yard of salt weigh? b&b help.



## juspayme (Jan 4, 2006)

first of all i dont know why salt spreader manufacutures wont just list the weight it going to hold. some guys say i yard is equal to a ton some say 3/4 of a ton some say 2400 pounds. iwould appreciate if you know and only if you know the correct answer someone could tell me.

thanks rich.


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## cretebaby (Aug 23, 2008)

Thee is no correct answer.


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## basher (Nov 13, 2004)

http://www.reade.com/Particle_Briefings/spec_gra2.html


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## 2COR517 (Oct 23, 2008)

Depends on how coarse/fine the salt is. The finer (is that a word) the salt, the more dense it is.


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## SuperdutyShane (Mar 6, 2009)

More than 100 pounds and less than 7000.


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## grandview (Oct 9, 2005)

From Snow Magazine.

http://www.snowbusiness.net/snowbus...ndard//snowbusiness/362009/623423/article.pdf


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## terrapro (Oct 21, 2006)

grandview;805095 said:


> From Snow Magazine.
> 
> http://www.snowbusiness.net/snowbus...ndard//snowbusiness/362009/623423/article.pdf


Yeah but they also said in that article that the weight per sqft of salt is 72lbs. I find that very hard to believe you can cram an 80lb bag of salt into a 1ftsq box and take a scoop off the top to make it level.


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## mullis56 (Jul 12, 2005)

If it isn't bagged and has finer salt and has drawn in moisture (ie - which is what salt does) it could easily weight that. Some of the solar crap we got last year (it actually works well) is like table salt and picture table salt sitting in a salt bin...drawing in moisture.


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## leon (Nov 18, 2008)

*deicing salrt weights*



Salt for deicing whether it is halite or solar salt weighs 92 pounds per cubic footscreened to 30 mesh which is the typical screen cut to remove fines.

wet packed sand weighs up to 130 pounds per cubic foot.

dry sand is 90 pounds per cubic foot.

:waving::waving:


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## mullis56 (Jul 12, 2005)

leon;805290 said:


> Salt for deicing whether it is halite or solar salt weighs 92 pounds per cubic footscreened to 30 mesh which is the typical screen cut to remove fines.
> 
> wet packed sand weighs up to 130 pounds per cubic foot.
> 
> ...


Not always true. If it is WET and has ABSORBED (i.e.-therefore has moisture in it) a lot of water, snow, ice, etc. it will weigh more!


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## leon (Nov 18, 2008)

*salt etc.*



mullis56;805303 said:


> Not always true. If it is WET and has ABSORBED (i.e.-therefore has moisture in it) a lot of water, snow, ice, etc. it will weigh more!


I was referring to dry salt out of the mine or in dry barn storage bins, I can not, would not like to be, held responsible for wet salt.


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## juspayme (Jan 4, 2006)

wheres b&b when you need him.lol


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## T-MAN (Jan 9, 2001)

mullis56;805303 said:


> Not always true. If it is WET and has ABSORBED (i.e.-therefore has moisture in it) a lot of water, snow, ice, etc. it will weigh more!


Salt is hydroscopic, it absorbs nothing.


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## rnblase (Jan 13, 2002)

*1 Yard Of Salt*

It depends on how much moister is in it, but as a rule of thumb 1 yard of salt weighs approximately 1 Ton. Give or take.

I hope this helps you.


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## [email protected] (Jun 30, 2009)

terrapro;805109 said:


> Yeah but they also said in that article that the weight per sqft of salt is 72lbs. I find that very hard to believe you can cram an 80lb bag of salt into a 1ftsq box and take a scoop off the top to make it level.


using the above article:

course salt = 1350lb per cubic yard
fine salt = 2025 per cubic yard
dry sand = 2700 per cubic yard
wet sand = 3240 per cubic yard

it can add up quickly


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## juspayme (Jan 4, 2006)

thanks guys


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## tuney443 (Jun 25, 2006)

It's all relative,but generally speaking untreaded road salt weighs in at 2,000 lbs. per yard.


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## tuney443 (Jun 25, 2006)

It's all relative,but generally speaking untreated road salt weighs in at 2,000 lbs. per yard.


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## terrapro (Oct 21, 2006)

[email protected];805526 said:


> using the above article:
> 
> course salt = 1350lb per cubic yard
> fine salt = 2025 per cubic yard
> ...


That is exactly it, "using the article above". What if that article is wrong? I have a 1' ruler sitting in front of me and it is pretty small. I have handled way more 80lb bags than I would like to admit and I know they are way bigger than a 1ft box.

Maybe I will have to make a quick 1ft' box just to prove me wrong.


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## 2COR517 (Oct 23, 2008)

The stuff in bags is usually very coarse. Almost all the bulk I get has a bunch of fines in it.


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## basher (Nov 13, 2004)

T-MAN;805457 said:


> Salt is hydroscopic, it absorbs nothing.


don't you mean hygroscopic, and that means it absorbs moisture. Why your mom put rice in the salt shaker.

http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/hygroscopic


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## Snow Picasso (Dec 15, 2004)

juspayme;805010 said:


> first of all i dont know why salt spreader manufacutures wont just list the weight it going to hold. some guys say i yard is equal to a ton some say 3/4 of a ton some say 2400 pounds. iwould appreciate if you know and only if you know the correct answer someone could tell me.
> 
> thanks rich.


weighed it myself! treated salt = 1,980 lbs per yard


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## studebaker48 (Sep 4, 2009)

juspayme;805010 said:


> first of all i dont know why salt spreader manufacutures wont just list the weight it going to hold. some guys say i yard is equal to a ton some say 3/4 of a ton some say 2400 pounds. iwould appreciate if you know and only if you know the correct answer someone could tell me.
> 
> thanks rich.


222 yards in 300 tons ussmileyflag


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## RacerBren (Nov 6, 2005)

I measured a yd of Magic last year and it was just about 1900lbs. These things are so variable depending on moisture as has been pointed out.


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## Mark Oomkes (Dec 10, 2000)

First of all I don't know why some people don't use the search feature. 

What is this, the 9,863 time this has been asked?


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## toby4492 (Dec 28, 2005)

Mark Oomkes;806833 said:


> First of all I don't know why some people don't use the search feature.
> 
> What is this, the 9,863 time this has been asked?


........................................

Agreed...............................lots of variables to consider, but Mark, shouldn't the OP really have asked how *mulch *it weighs


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## toby4492 (Dec 28, 2005)

cretebaby;805011 said:


> Thee is no correct answer.


Who answered Thee


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## 2COR517 (Oct 23, 2008)

Well, I know a yard of salt weighs *mulch *more that a yard of *mulch. *Usually, most of the time.


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## Luther (Oct 31, 2007)

juspayme;805010 said:


> first of all i dont know why salt spreader manufacutures wont just list the weight it going to hold. some guys say i yard is equal to a ton some say 3/4 of a ton some say 2400 pounds. iwould appreciate if you know and only if you know the correct answer someone could tell me.
> 
> thanks rich.


WHY do you need to know this???


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## 2COR517 (Oct 23, 2008)

TCLA;806918 said:


> WHY do you need to know this???


What does that have to do with anything? You're just trying to confuse us with the facts.


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## basher (Nov 13, 2004)

The problem is there is no correct answer to the weight verse volume outside of the test lab there are too many variables. the moisture level of the salt, the size of the granule, the accuracy of the measuring equipment. We are never sure how many yards of material we are getting only the weight.


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## 2COR517 (Oct 23, 2008)

basher;806989 said:


> .... We are never sure how many yards of material we are getting only the weight.


Unless you buy / load / pay by the yard

Of course, then we are unsure about the weight.


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## terrapro (Oct 21, 2006)

2COR517;807031 said:


> Unless you buy / load / pay by the yard
> 
> Of course, then we are unsure about the weight.


My supplier goes by weight and has a scale to measure, but they also have it in a structure to protect it from weather so it works out right. No matter what I get a good deal on my summer supplies such as mulch, sand, and gravel so I can't complain.

Such is the job we do and it is not easy. It is a hard, that is why it will weed the men from the boys when it comes done to it.


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## 2COR517 (Oct 23, 2008)

I know weight is more common, but there is one yard here that goes by volume. Sometimes you make out like a bandit, other times not so much. 

Plus I just had to give basher a hard time


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## SGC08 (Aug 24, 2008)

2COR517;807085 said:


> I know weight is more common, but there is one yard here that goes by volume.
> 
> Plus I just had to give basher a hard time


Would that yard happen to be a cubic yard?

Who's on first?


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## 2COR517 (Oct 23, 2008)

No, the yard goes by volume. The cubic yard almost fills my spreader.

Wait a minute. What did you ask?

I pay at the yard to be loaded by the yard by the yard crew.


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## SGC08 (Aug 24, 2008)

I used to get loaded at the yard by the yard crew and pay the yard for each yard. This year I'm going to buy it by weight and maybe sell it to the yard if I get I cheaper than they do. I'm just not sure if I should sell it by weight or by the yard. Maybe tomorrow I'll go by the yard and run this whole thing by them and see what they think. They'll probably need to know how much a yard weighs and I'll just post it up on here and see if anyone knows.


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## juspayme (Jan 4, 2006)

Mark Oomkes;806833 said:


> First of all I don't know why some people don't use the search feature.
> 
> What is this, the 9,863 time this has been asked?


well now its 9864. plus maybe there are new members who would like to see it as well.

if your tired of seeing these questions asked so much maybe you shouldn't sign on?


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## snocrete (Feb 28, 2009)

Is it to *mulch* to ask to use the search feature?


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## 2COR517 (Oct 23, 2008)

juspayme;808250 said:


> well now its 9864. plus maybe there are new members who would like to see it as well.
> 
> if your tired of seeing these questions asked so much maybe you shouldn't sign on?


*Another* new guy with an attitude. Great class we have this year, eh?

This is going to be so *mulch *fun.


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## terrapro (Oct 21, 2006)

juspayme;808250 said:


> well now its 9864. plus maybe there are new members who would like to see it as well.
> 
> if your tired of seeing these questions asked so much maybe you shouldn't sign on?


If you run off all of us that can answer questions who will answer your questions then? Oh wait, atleast you will still have the search function. :salute:


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## 2COR517 (Oct 23, 2008)

terrapro;808310 said:


> If you run off all of us that can answer questions who will answer your questions then? Oh wait, atleast you will still have the search function. :salute:


But then there's still no one here to post pics of where it is.


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## Mark Oomkes (Dec 10, 2000)

2COR517;808290 said:


> *Another* new guy with an attitude. Great class we have this year, eh?
> 
> This is going to be so *mulch *fun.


Mulch, mulch more fun than the last few years.


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## Mark Oomkes (Dec 10, 2000)

juspayme;808250 said:


> well now its 9864. plus maybe there are new members who would like to see it as well.
> 
> if your tired of seeing these questions asked so much maybe you shouldn't sign on?


So the new members can't use the search function either?

Heaven forbid that someone tries to enlighten someone else in using this vast database of knowledge.

Hugs and kisses to you too!


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## basher (Nov 13, 2004)

juspayme;808250 said:


> well now its 9864. plus maybe there are new members who would like to see it as well.
> 
> if your tired of seeing these questions asked so much maybe you shouldn't sign on?


The best way for new members to see the most information would be a search link listed in a post. Like this

http://www.plowsite.com/showthread.php?t=59625&highlight=salt+weigh

or

http://www.plowsite.com/showthread.php?t=74439&highlight=salt+weigh

And if guys with the kind of info Mark Oomonkeys has didn't sign on the site would be worthless. This is arguably the largest search engine/data base on snow removal available to anybody corporate or private and it's free. It's up to the user to take advantage of it. None of the guys that contribute regular get paid. So don't look free help in the mouth, the man gave you good advice regardless of if you approved of his manner, it's up to you to use it


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## Mark Oomkes (Dec 10, 2000)

basher;809501 said:


> The best way for new members to see the most information would be a search link listed in a post. Like this
> 
> http://www.plowsite.com/showthread.php?t=59625&highlight=salt+weigh
> 
> ...


What in the world are you talking about?

I am a 15 YO girl from Florida, I have no idea what I am talking about. I bribe Sean, MJD and Charles to keep me on.

Sooooo, since I registered in 2000, that means I started posting when I was 6.


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## juspayme (Jan 4, 2006)

Mark Oomkes;809517 said:


> What in the world are you talking about?
> 
> I am a 15 YO girl from Florida, I have no idea what I am talking about. I bribe Sean, MJD and Charles to keep me on.
> 
> Sooooo, since I registered in 2000, that means I started posting when I was 6.


oh that was so funny jay leno!


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## cretebaby (Aug 23, 2008)

2COR517;808318 said:


> But then there's still no one here to post pics of where it is.


 .......

Maybe we could have that picture made into a sticky. LOL


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## 2COR517 (Oct 23, 2008)

cretebaby;809555 said:


> .......
> 
> Maybe we could have that picture made into a sticky. LOL


Yeah, but would they even open a sticky?


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## terrapro (Oct 21, 2006)

2COR517;809567 said:


> Yeah, but would they even open a sticky?


Probably not since it is already a permenant feature on EVERY single page you can open here! xysport


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## Mark Oomkes (Dec 10, 2000)

juspayme;809543 said:


> oh that was so funny jay leno!


You want funny, tell me, what's heavier, a ton of feathers or a ton of lead?


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## terrapro (Oct 21, 2006)

Mark Oomkes;809651 said:


> You want funny, tell me, what's heavier, a ton of feathers or a ton of lead?


Oh come on, everyone knows its a ton of feathers! They take up more space duh! 

For the record I am joking.


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## Mike_TT&L (Feb 21, 2009)

Volume vs weight: Your salt spreader is an empty box to be filled. That equals volume.

Fill it by by weight or volume?

Weight: Salt is wetter than usual or has more fines than usual...you lose.
Weight: Salt is dryer than usual or has less fines than usual...you win!

We buy our salt by the weight from distributor at full end dumps being on the average of 26 tons per load. Stored under roof and enclosed.

Only scale we have is a pallet scale, therefore we can not weigh our salting trucks before or after loading.

We load our salting trucks with skid loaders. All buckets have been measured and marked with paint with the volume per struck bucket.

We check every load brought into our storage by sample weights with 5 gallon buckets for average weight or struck buckets weights on the pallet scale.

Our weight check has been consistent from 1975# to 2140# .

A lot of the above comes down to the day I skipped school about basic math. (thanks to the internet I found the cheat sheets from that class that day) 

1 cubic yard = 27 cubic feet.
1 cubic foot = 7.48 gallons.

27 cubic feet = 201.96 gallons.

Understanding the math? Fill a 5 gallon pail (subtract pail weight) (use a bathroom scale if needed) and multiply by 40 and you will be real close to cubic yard weight.

Bottom line: Use 1 ton per cubic yard for road salt unless you have precise measurement tools to do otherwise., Or you are buying clean with no fines and dry.

The manuals for salt spreaders we have purchased are not correct when they list coarse salt at 1450#/cubic yard. Just not real world for road salt.


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## juspayme (Jan 4, 2006)

Mike_TT&L;826058 said:


> Volume vs weight: Your salt spreader is an empty box to be filled. That equals volume.
> 
> Fill it by by weight or volume?
> 
> ...


thanks for the intelligent answer sir.


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## vamootsman (Oct 5, 2008)

SnowGodFather;80219 said:


> Weighed in at 10,820 full load of salt heapped about 2.5 yrds.
> 
> Truck weight 7160#
> 
> ...


Found this earlier today.


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## Runner (Jul 21, 2000)

snocrete;808287 said:


> Is it to *mulch* to ask to use the search feature?


 I like that! That was pretty clover!


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## deicepro (Mar 24, 2009)

Just scaled my truck today and 2.32 cubic yards of rock salt weighed in at 4640 pounds


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## cretebaby (Aug 23, 2008)

deicepro;920286 said:


> Just scaled my truck today and 2.32 cubic yards of rock salt weighed in at 4640 pounds


How convenient.


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## leon (Nov 18, 2008)

*salt etc.*

As you all have found that any salt used for deicing will vary in weight per yard and volume.
hence only standard volume measurements and certified scales are used.

The solar salts that are sold for deicing are harder in strength due to the crystalising action created by the suns heat which also aids in clarifying it as well.

The rock salts sold for deicing are sedimentary in nature and as result more brittle in nature as they were laid down in many layers over hundreds of thousands of years in geologic time with oceans advancing and then retreating during the sillurian period 400-700 years million years ago.

The various salt seams of the Salina Salt Formations were covered with mud and decaying sea life many many times which in turned to limestone, mudstone, shale, 
anhydrite- the the case of the texas and louisiana and other salt domes in the south, then becoming rock salt etc

Many of the domed salt deposits have oil and as a result sulphur on top of them as well as was the case at the Avery Island Mine and the Spindle Top Salt Dome among others.

The salt that is mined and brined in Texas and Louisiana within the 330 confirmed domal salt deposits is almost a billion years old as it is rising to the surface from 30,000 feet below the surface of the ground.

You need to be more worried about the saline content of the salt and the purchase of a saline refractometer (although expensive) will be an asset for your use as it will give you the correct saline content for the salt you are using to avoid over use and waste.

leon


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## 2COR517 (Oct 23, 2008)

deicepro;920286 said:


> Just scaled my truck today and 2.32 cubic yards of rock salt weighed in at 4640 pounds


How did you measure the volume so precisely?


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## 2COR517 (Oct 23, 2008)

leon;920437 said:


> ....as they were laid down in many layers over hundreds of thousands of years in geologic time with oceans advancing and then retreating during the sillurian period *400-700 years million years *ago.
> 
> .......salt deposits is almost* a billion years old *as it is rising to the surface from 30,000 feet below the surface of the ground.
> 
> ......


Guess you read a different book then I......


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## terrapro (Oct 21, 2006)

2COR517;920453 said:


> How did you measure the volume so precisely?


pffft newbie He used a flat edged metal spatula to level off the top..


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## 2COR517 (Oct 23, 2008)

terrapro;920457 said:


> pffft newbie He used a flat edged metal spatula to level off the top..


Duh. Probably one of those BBQ kits with the long handle, eh?


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

deicepro;920286 said:


> Just scaled my truck today and 2.32 cubic yards of rock salt weighed in at 4640 pounds


Thats total BS. There is no way you know you got 2.32 cubic yards!!!

Ha guys i just scaled my truck today also! One big old pile in the dump truck weighed 3.21654 tons. So a "Big olde pile" weighs 3.21654 tons :laughing::laughing::laughing:


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## leon (Nov 18, 2008)

*salt etc.*

I ment offence to anyone regarding my previous thread to the original posting

leon

:waving:


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## cretebaby (Aug 23, 2008)

Superior L & L;920485 said:


> Thats total BS. There is no way you know you got 2.32 cubic yards!!!
> 
> Ha guys i just scaled my truck today also! One big old pile in the dump truck weighed 3.21654 tons. So a "Big olde pile" weighs 3.21654 tons :laughing::laughing::laughing:


Takes a big dog to make a big Ole pile that weights 3.21654 tons (or tonnes for our Canadian freinds LOL) :laughing:


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## 2COR517 (Oct 23, 2008)

cretebaby;920536 said:


> Takes a big dog to make a big Ole pile that weights 3.21654 tons (or tonnes for our Canadian freinds LOL) :laughing:


Actually, it's 2.9180259 METRIC tonnes for our Canadian friends........

I am relishing this moment, basking in my own glow, as I correct cretebaby on his math

And, I before E in friends.....

Oh, this is awesome. I can hardly control my emotions. I gotta tell somebody...Where's Mark?????

I wish we could use unlimited smilies here like the other place:laughing:


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## deicepro (Mar 24, 2009)

2COR517;920453 said:


> How did you measure the volume so precisely?


Thats what the scale ticket said.



Superior L & L;920485 said:


> Thats total BS. There is no way you know you got 2.32 cubic yards!!!
> 
> Ha guys i just scaled my truck today also! One big old pile in the dump truck weighed 3.21654 tons. So a "Big olde pile" weighs 3.21654 tons :laughing::laughing::laughing:


You must not be intelligent or at least in math.
Bend over and I will shove the ticket up your azz so you can read it.


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## 2COR517 (Oct 23, 2008)

Pretty sure your scale ticket said 2.32 tons, not yards. Or at least it should have.


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## deicepro (Mar 24, 2009)

2COR517;920637 said:


> Pretty sure your scale ticket said 2.32 tons, not yards. Or at least it should have.


It actually says "cu yds(tons)"
They measure by the cu yd, why I dont know
I rode on the loader as he loaded my truck, he has a scale in the loader too and they have theirs set for cu yds. The loader operator said cu yds or tons is so close to the same


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## TommyMac (Nov 20, 2009)

2COR517;920637 said:


> Pretty sure your scale ticket said 2.32 tons, not yards. Or at least it should have.


Why cant we all be friends....:laughing:.....Now I've hauled salt from a major supplier in the northeast "Salt-City" in Charlestown,Massachusetts & salt was charged per ton only not yards....A tri-axle load would be about 25 ton's & the 17' body would be heaped


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## cretebaby (Aug 23, 2008)

deicepro;920668 said:


> It actually says "cu yds(tons)"
> They measure by the cu yd, why I dont know
> I rode on the loader as he loaded my truck, he has a scale in the loader too and they have theirs set for cu yds. The loader operator said cu yds or tons is so close to the same


Do you know the difference between volume and weight?


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## cretebaby (Aug 23, 2008)

2COR517;920621 said:


> Actually, it's 2.9180259 METRIC tonnes for our Canadian friends........
> 
> I am relishing this moment, basking in my own glow, as I correct cretebaby on his math
> 
> ...


I knew someone would pick that apart. 

Hey, it has been a big day of plowing.


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## 2COR517 (Oct 23, 2008)

I just tried to go outside, my head barely fit through the door....


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## Mark Oomkes (Dec 10, 2000)

Let me preface this by saying I too, wish we could use more smilies.



2COR517;920621 said:


> Actually, it's 2.9180259 METRIC tonnes for our Canadian friends........
> 
> I am relishing this moment, basking in my own glow, as I correct cretebaby on his math
> 
> ...


I was reading, just didn't reply. Big surprise that I kept my mouth shut, huh?



deicepro;920628 said:


> Thats what the scale ticket said.
> 
> You must not be intelligent or at least in math.
> Bend over and I will shove the ticket up your azz so you can read it.


Promises, promises.



cretebaby;920689 said:


> Do you know the difference between volume and weight?


Apparently he doesn't.



2COR517;920703 said:


> I just tried to go outside, my head barely fit through the door....


Good thing you live in a barn. :laughing:


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