# Bad salt spreaders or operator, suggestions please!!



## CUTNGRAS (Jan 9, 2010)

Mainly a landscape company, began snow removal last 4 years to float business through winter. Snow removal has grown, had a small curtis fast cast spreader that held about 300 pounds, spread like a charm. Two weeks ago purchased a Buyers TGS06 spreader and installed. Little known to me it is a gravity spreader, had to jump in and out of truck about 75 times a nite to open chute. SOLD IT. Last week tried the Buyers TGS05B, w auger, the material flow is horrid, I could throw salt better. Has anyone experienced this with the TGS05B, want to know if this is the design of this thing. Handle about ten accounts on a storm, any suggestions would be greatly appreciated, looking for a hitch spreader w auger that spreads like it should. Next year, in the bed spreader for me. Thanks


----------



## Snowpusher78 (Dec 20, 2009)

I have the same spreader the material will flow good but my experience with it is you need good salt. You cant have any rock salt that has powder mixed with it for it will auger out the middle and the material will not flow out at all. If you can find rock salt that is small rocks not big rocks i think you would like this spreader. I am happy with it just want a bigger one since i have been offering salt since i bought the spreader get tired of filling it all night long. Hope this helps you.


----------



## CUTNGRAS (Jan 9, 2010)

Thanks for the reply! The only problem is, if what yor saying is true, is that i have on hand almost 15,000 lbs of what im using now. It is bagged, maybe to Large? I dont know, the way it spreads now, im thinking something isnt right!


----------



## coldcoffee (Jul 17, 2008)

I had a Buyers tailgate spreader that I used for about 10 years. I don't remember the model, but I do remember the pain that it was to drop anything...I could have thrown it by hand faster. Anyway, I ended up removing the stainless steel collar that was inside at the base, and did some careful grinding on the auger to gain some space for flow. I also wrapped an adjustable cable under the entire assembly, to compensate for the collar that I removed... it kept the auger shaft from dropping out of the motor, as it likes to slide down sometimes from being less rigid. 

This mod worked great, and I was able to drop a lot of material very fast. Caution to anyone who may try this though, as to how much grinding you do...it may flow more than you want, so try just a little grinding at first and see how it works for you.

The biggest problem exists, when you want to throw some calcium or a finer product...drive fast! When filling, I would sometimes just stuff a half of a fast food napkin in the bottom, this would also work well so I didn't have a small pile of wasted material leaking out before I got started. When your ready to go, the auger just spits out the napkin (don't use too much paper though, just enough to hold).

Hope this helps.


----------



## lohr (Apr 20, 2002)

Check The pollarity on your wires,if the wires are not hooked up right the auger and spinner will be rotaing the wrong way,if that is the case the auger will actually be pushing the salt up rather than down.Looking down at the spinner from the back the spinner should be rotating counter clockwise,hope this helps


----------



## bristolturf (Dec 20, 2008)

I dont think that that model has a vibrator or it, you could try installing as well, we did on one of our smaller ones and it helped tremendously


----------



## CUTNGRAS (Jan 9, 2010)

Thanks for the suggestions, I did check the wiring, it is correct, i thought about a vibrator, but still dont think that is the problem. Someone posted about switching the negative and positive wires to plug into the opposites, and stated it made the auger spin faster??? anyone ever heard of that??? if not i might try the knapkin idea post (appreciated) as i thought that might be the problem, that not enough material is channeling down and more room is needed, thanks again all, keep em coming, this is driving me crazy and alot of cash and time wasted!!!!!


----------



## Pennings Garden (Dec 11, 2006)

CUTNGRAS;952670 said:


> Thanks for the suggestions, I did check the wiring, it is correct, i thought about a vibrator, but still dont think that is the problem. Someone posted about switching the negative and positive wires to plug into the opposites, and stated it made the auger spin faster??? anyone ever heard of that??? if not i might try the knapkin idea post (appreciated) as i thought that might be the problem, that not enough material is channeling down and more room is needed, thanks again all, keep em coming, this is driving me crazy and alot of cash and time wasted!!!!!


Even if the wiring "looks" correct, switch the positive and negative wires and give it a try. these spreaders are notorious for being wired wrong from the factory. meaning if you wired it perfectly correct, it might be spinning backwards anyway, that is what happend to mine and some fine people here told me to try it and it worked.

So by changing the wiring you will not increase the auger or spinner speed, it will just make it spin the other-way. (no risk of burning your motor or anything...)


----------



## Lightningllc (Nov 23, 2009)

Sell it and buy a in bed salter solve all the problems.


----------



## RacerBren (Nov 6, 2005)

Yeah, sounds like the material is the problem. Either get a vibrator or just upgrade to a known spreader that works with all material.. Depending what you want to spend either the Snowex 1575, Fisher speedcaster 2 come to mind as ones that work well. 1575 is nice as it just slides in, not too big and has a built in vibrator...


----------



## dforbes (Jan 14, 2005)

I have the same spreader. Once and a while I fill the spreader and it will cone up just as you describe. 99% of the time it spreads perfectly. Go buy enough bags of differant material to fill at least half way and try it. Then you will know if it is a spreader problem or salt problem. I don't run a vibrator on mine but have seen many positive posts about them.

Dennis


----------



## CUTNGRAS (Jan 9, 2010)

Thanks for all the replys. Tomorrow A.M. i will try switching the wires, if not im gonna report a burglary at my shop and tell the pd it was stolen, by someone as dumb as me, for buying this thing. Do they make different augers for these spreaders or a more powerful motor maybe?? Any suggestions for a on the smaller side, in the bed, electric spreader, I prefer non metal, which makes/models are better, maybe a 1 yarder or 1 1/2 yarder..


----------



## vamootsman (Oct 5, 2008)

What brand of material are you using? I have some crap on hand that will bridge in about any spreader. It's in yellow and black bags called Ice Away. I bought 5 pallets and it was 50/50 decent and crap. I have been running in my SaltDogg walk behind just to get rid of it. I cuss as pour it int the SaltDogg, but at least I'm down to 6 bags now. You couldn't pay me to use it again.


----------



## ACA L&L (Jan 5, 2007)

the tailgate spreader we bought in december is horrid, it drops the ice melt like a dead body as soon as u start filling it. when u start spreading, you cannot go fast enuff to spread it evenly. its a turkey shoot. we are using 2-4x as much ice melt now. Its sitting in to th box waiting to go back to the company we bought it from. Its junk. Stick with name brands!!im just glad we didnt out fit the other 3 trucks out the gate. one v box for us now.


----------



## Snowpusher78 (Dec 20, 2009)

The Ice Away product i used once also had many problems with it, would spread and stop had to get out to beat on spreader. I have used Diamond Crystal rock salt which spreads good in that spreader. I found this year from another supplier in and orange and white bag its says Ice Melt on the bag, its smaller rock salt and spreads from the buyers spreader with no problem also use it in my walk behind salt dogg and it spreads really nice. If you could find the ice melt you would be happy with it. The supplier i bought it from says it comes from Michigan at a salt mine rally good stuff if you can find it. But definitly stay away from the Ice Melt and the Morton Salt that if you open the bag has biiger rock in it and alot of fines cause it will cause you problems. Hope this help took me about a year of using diff erent material to figure out what to use.


----------



## CUTNGRAS (Jan 9, 2010)

currently we got supplied with a company called "American Rock Salt" red, white and blue plastic bags, seems to be decent product, not alot of rock in it


----------



## wildwilly (Oct 6, 2009)

This year I purchased a snowex 1075 and have been very happy with it, although, I didnt get a wastegate control it works very smoothly..maybe next year I'll run bulk with a karrier vibrator


----------



## CUTNGRAS (Jan 9, 2010)

Today I went to my shop, switched the wires, put a 100lbs in, and guess what? Spread a hell of alot better then it did. I dont know if this is a factory mishap or a purpose. I will use for now, as it seems to be working, but will never buy another Buyers product again. I still hope for suggestions for a smaller side , in the bed, non metal spreader, for next year. Thanks again for all the suggestions. much appreciated


----------



## MahonLawnCare (Nov 18, 2007)

Another TGS06 Thread?


----------



## gamberbull13 (Dec 16, 2009)

dont knock the buyers spreaders too bad. i agree the tailgate models are pos. but their v boxes are top notch i have a 2yd poly all electric and love it. our last load through it was the nastiest salt ever, you could see the water dripping as the bucket tipped and it still spread like a champ(with the vibrator )


----------



## hitachiman 200 (Jan 17, 2010)

I use a buyers on the back of an atv,worked fine last year hooked her up this year and the goofy thing ran backwards,  had to rewire the plug.


----------

