# Spreader choice



## harddock (Mar 1, 2008)

I have used a Western 500 tailgate spreader on my Ranger 800 for a few years, but now I want to upgrade. Fisher and Western SS in bed box spreaders (,35 yd) are identical with conveyor style material movement. SnowEx has a helix corkscrew mechanism. Which is better or more preferable?


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## m_ice (Aug 12, 2012)

Are you talking the small utv v boxes?


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## Western1 (Dec 4, 2008)

What material are you putting through it?


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## harddock (Mar 1, 2008)

Western1 said:


> What material are you putting through it?


bagged ice melt


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## Western1 (Dec 4, 2008)

I’d go with the small western striker.


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## harddock (Mar 1, 2008)

Why not Fisher or SnowEx?


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## Western1 (Dec 4, 2008)

Not as familiar.


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## Mark Oomkes (Dec 10, 2000)

Western1 said:


> Not as familiar.


Aren't they the same thing with different badges?


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## cwren2472 (Aug 15, 2014)

Mark Oomkes said:


> Aren't they the same thing with different badges?


The Fisher and Western are. The SnowEx is different. I'm not sure if SnowEx has an equivalent one to the Fisher/Western (I assume they do) but the helix one definitely is different.


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## Mark Oomkes (Dec 10, 2000)

But the helix can spread 1,000 tonnes a night?


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## cwren2472 (Aug 15, 2014)

Mark Oomkes said:


> But the helix can spread 1,000 tonnes a night?


So I'm told


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## cwren2472 (Aug 15, 2014)

cwren2472 said:


> The Fisher and Western are. The SnowEx is different. I'm not sure if SnowEx has an equivalent one to the Fisher/Western (I assume they do) but the helix one definitely is different.


Correction - I checked the SnowEx website and it doesn't look like they do - it looks like the Helix *HELIXX™* is the only option. Weird.


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## grnleafgrnscape (Nov 30, 2013)

So it's the Helixx that spreads 1,000s of tonnes a night.
Must be the extra x that does it


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## Kinport (Jan 9, 2020)

Having never ran a helix/auger style salter, I’m out of my lane a bit here, but I think the conveyor style drag chains will move more material faster, be less likely to bind in nasty material, and throw a wider variety/size of materials. The trade off is the chain has more moving parts to go bad and will require more maintenance than the auger.

if it was me, and I was just throwing clean bagged material like you said, I’d get the helix so I had less maintenance.


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## Mark Oomkes (Dec 10, 2000)

Kinport said:


> Having never ran a helix/auger style salter, I’m out of my lane a bit here, but I think the conveyor style drag chains will move more material faster, be less likely to bind in nasty material, and throw a wider variety/size of materials. The trade off is the chain has more moving parts to go bad and will require more maintenance than the auger.


You are correct with all points. 

I'd still go with the conveyor chain. I know my one and only experience with an auger feed was worse than a Furd 6.0, but I ran it enough to realize even cranked all the way up...you just can't get more product out. Most or all conveyor feed have an adjustable gate if you really want to pour it out.


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