# We need a way to fix hardened bags of salt



## Smitty58

Ok so last year we had no snow, so I had about 60 bags of salt left over from a year before that. Now I have 60 hard as rock for the most part bags. I had them stacked on a skid and covered up but still most are ruined. So it struck me that there has to be a way to chop these up so I can use them and not just throw them away and buy more. Anyone know of a way to beat these up so I can re-bag or bucket them up for use?


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## BC Handyman

You can crush them(do you have a SS?) & put them into 5gal buckets or you could make a salt brine with the salt chunks, add the chunks to hot water(works better if you crush it)


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## ALC-GregH

I'll be up to pick them up and get them out of the way for you.

Seriously, is this a real question? Take the bag and drop it on the ground. The salt IS NOT a solid brick because it sat for a year. It will break right up with a drop on the ground. Flip it and drop it again and you're done.


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## Wilnip

What ALC said. You may have to pick out a few clumps, but most of it will break up if dropped on the concrete like a bag of ice.


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## ALC-GregH

Wilnip;1539176 said:


> What ALC said. You may have to pick out a few clumps, but most of it will break up if dropped on the concrete like a bag of ice.


I was in panic mode a few weeks ago and needed salt quick so I hit up Lowes. I went in and found the pallets of salt. I got 8 bags and the fist one I picked up was solid. I thought, great now it will be full of clumps. I dropped one and it broke up on the first drop. I said screw it and grabbed them and left. They all busted up and I didn't have any problems at all.


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## theholycow

ALC-GregH;1539172 said:


> Seriously, is this a real question? Take the bag and drop it on the ground. The salt IS NOT a solid brick because it sat for a year. It will break right up with a drop on the ground. Flip it and drop it again and you're done.


I was thinking the same thing, but then I decided that he was hoping for an idea that would be less work for 60 bags.


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## Rainer

theholycow;1539186 said:


> I was thinking the same thing, but then I decided that he was hoping for an idea that would be less work for 60 bags.


Raise the skid with a forklift and knock each bag off? Could even position an empty skid so they all fall onto it, then raise THAT skid and do it again hoping each bag fell once per side.

He should send everyone here that gets so frustrated with these type questions a bag or two, which they could then put on their desk and beat their head against it until it was loose enough to send back.


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## Wilnip

Rainer;1539200 said:


> Raise the skid with a forklift and knock each bag off? Could even position an empty skid so they all fall onto it, then raise THAT skid and do it again hoping each bag fell once per side.
> 
> He should send everyone here that gets so frustrated with these type questions a bag or two, which they could then put on their desk and beat their head against it until it was loose enough to send back.


Ease up there big guy. I didn't know what to do with them until I asked someone


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## Rainer

Wilnip;1539205 said:


> Ease up there big guy. I didn't know what to do with them until I asked someone


My response was more for the guys being smartasses. The forklift suggestion was honest input. Apologies though.


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## ALC-GregH

Rainer;1539200 said:


> Raise the skid with a forklift and knock each bag off? Could even position an empty skid so they all fall onto it, then raise THAT skid and do it again hoping each bag fell once per side.
> *
> He should send everyone here that gets so frustrated with these type questions a bag or two, which they could then put on their desk and beat their head against it until it was loose enough to send back*.





Wilnip;1539205 said:


> *Ease up there big guy*. I didn't know what to do with them until I asked someone


I thought it was funny myself. Learn to take it light and it will all be good.

60 bags would take me less then 30 minutes to deal with. If you have a couple guys it wouldn't take but 15-20min to deal with. You're making it harder then it needs to be. This comment in your first post right away made me think you don't have a clue what you're doing.

" and not just throw them away and buy more."

If you even considered throwing away 60 bags of salt because the salt was stuck together and the bags were hard makes me wonder. Don't take this wrong but it seems as though you lack common sense. Not trying to be mean here or nothing. Bottom line, either you or (if you have employee's) your employee's need to drop each bag, pick it back up and drop it again on the other side and stack them back up. It really is that simple of a task. Anything else and you'll risk busting the bag open. Do it like you would a bag of ice. Don't think past anything else but what I'm telling you. It's the only way to get it done. The time and energy you've already spent on here could have been used to get the task done.


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## Rainer

ALC-GregH;1539220 said:


> I thought it was funny myself. Learn to take it light and it will all be good.
> 
> 60 bags would take me less then 30 minutes to deal with. If you have a couple guys it wouldn't take but 15-20min to deal with. You're making it harder then it needs to be. This comment in your first post right away made me think you don't have a clue what you're doing.
> 
> " and not just throw them away and buy more."
> 
> If you even considered throwing away 60 bags of salt because the salt was stuck together and the bags were hard makes me wonder. Don't take this wrong but it seems as though you lack common sense. Not trying to be mean here or nothing. Bottom line, either *you or (if you have employee's) your employee's need to drop each bag, pick it back up and drop it again on the other side and stack them back up. It really is that simple of a task. *Anything else and you'll risk busting the bag open. Do it like you would a bag of ice. Don't think past anything else but what I'm telling you. It's the only way to get it done. The time and energy you've already spent on here could have been used to get the task done.


Doesn't even need to be done all at once, just on an as needed basis. Literally 5 seconds before use. Otherwise the ones that don't get used will just harden again.


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## Antlerart06

open bags and put them in seed bags and drive on them most time get 2 50lbs bags will fit in a 50 lb seed bag
This what I have done with rock hard bags in the past

Little tip storing salt lay some weat straw on it during the summer time then tarp the bags


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## MR. Elite

Rainer;1539200 said:


> Raise the skid with a forklift and knock each bag off? Could even position an empty skid so they all fall onto it, then raise THAT skid and do it again hoping each bag fell once per side.
> 
> He should send everyone here that gets so frustrated with these type questions a bag or two, which they could then put on their desk and beat their head against it until it was loose enough to send back.


LOL Thats 2 funny!!! But Ill take 1!


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## jhall22guitar

At my summer job I had to move about 100 (small) bags of salt that were all rock hard, and had been sitting for probably 5+ years. they still broke up great!

Truth be told I was shocked.


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## leolkfrm

put it through a roller mill


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## MARK SUPPLY

If they don't break up well enough by dropping them, I have heard of guys mixing in washer fluid to loosen up clumps. Good Luck


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## ALC-GregH

Rainer;1539224 said:


> Doesn't even need to be done all at once, just on an as needed basis. Literally 5 seconds before use. Otherwise the ones that don't get used will just harden again.


That's even better yet! No sense in wasting time doing them all if you don't need them all.


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## Team_Arctic

i built a crusher for salt... its the crimpers off an old haybine. But cut the bags open and smash it with the loader bucket.


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## potskie

Place I used to work for had a crappy old tractor snow blower that occasionally blew snow but was actually used more effectively to break up clumpy salt.


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## Smitty58

I like the putting through an auger idea, and adding windshed washer fluid. Thanks. 
To the others, I realize picking them up and slamming them down works just looking for some innovative ideas. I can't seem to locate my forklift in my homes garage so that's out, but good idea I guess. Some here don't have heavy equipment to help with these things so that's what the question was for.


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## snowbrothers101

Smitty58;1541016 said:


> I like the putting through an auger idea, and adding windshed washer fluid. Thanks.
> To the others, I realize picking them up and slamming them down works just looking for some innovative ideas. I can't seem to locate my forklift in my homes garage so that's out, but good idea I guess. Some here don't have heavy equipment to help with these things so that's what the question was for.


Can't seem to locate my forklift? Seriously? And this from a Senior Member. With this capability, I must be a Member Extraordinare!


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## Smitty58

Snowbrother, I think you missed my point. Not everyone has access to forklifts, skid steers etc. So I was looking for how others deal with this issue and I did find a few interesting ideas. Of course as always there are those who like to poke fun and that's ok too.


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## Antlerart06

Smitty58;1541743 said:


> Snowbrother, I think you missed my point. Not everyone has access to forklifts, skid steers etc. So I was looking for how others deal with this issue and I did find a few interesting ideas. Of course as always there are those who like to poke fun and that's ok too.


Here what you do Say have 10 bags go buy 10 new bags and next day take 10 bags back to store tell them its hard as rock cant use them Tell them you want your money back

Problem solved


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## SnowGuy73

Antlerart06;1541856 said:


> Here what you do Say have 10 bags go buy 10 new bags and next day take 10 bags back to store tell them its hard as rock cant use them Tell them you want your money back
> 
> Problem solved


:laughing: Sad, but I can't say that I have never done this..


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## Rainer

Antlerart06;1541856 said:


> Here what you do Say have 10 bags go buy 10 new bags and next day take 10 bags back to store tell them its hard as rock cant use them Tell them you want your money back
> 
> Problem solved


If you're already gonna handle them that many times, why not just.....

Nahh, never mind.


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## mrwolf

I had to deal with a few bags last season and remembered it was not horrible but forgoy how easy it was. I had about 15 bags left from last season. Surprisingly sitting next to the barn all year a few were still loose. I took them all out (including the bad ones) on the first run and used every one. I open them over the salter wih a box knife and a 3 pound hammer. Break them up as I use them. I have no luck dropping the bags as they always seem to break open 

Because of Normally dealing with fertilizer I was surprised last season how easy salt breaks up. 

Z


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## ALC-GregH

mrwolf;1547032 said:


> I had to deal with a few bags last season and remembered it was not horrible but forgoy how easy it was. I had about 15 bags left from last season. Surprisingly sitting next to the barn all year a few were still loose. I took them all out (including the bad ones) on the first run and used every one. I open them over the salter wih a box knife and a 3 pound hammer. Break them up as I use them. *I have no luck dropping the bags as they always seem to break open *
> 
> Because of Normally dealing with fertilizer I was surprised last season how easy salt breaks up.
> 
> Z


I had good luck until yesterday. I needed about 10 bags so I hit up Lowes. All of them were hard as a rock. I dropped the very first one and the bag had been chewed on by a mouse. It hit the ground and spread salt farther then my spreader does! I put it back and grabbed others and they all stayed together. I left the mess on the floor. I figure, they pay someone to keep the floor cleaned up.


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## THEGOLDPRO

I had a few bags of Peladow that were rock solid, couldn't break it up to save my life, I dropped them like 200 times and the rock wasn't budging. I suspect peladow is a different animal then reg rock salt tho.


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## ALC-GregH

THEGOLDPRO;1547134 said:


> I had a few bags of Peladow that were rock solid, couldn't break it up to save my life, I dropped them like 200 times and the rock wasn't budging. I suspect peladow is a different animal then reg rock salt tho.


Apparently..... 

I had bags that were solid and the first hit busted them up good. Flip it and drop it again and they were pretty much loosened up good.

With that said, as for the mess I had left on the floor, I shouldn't have to break up the product in the first place. I know it's going to happen but maybe if they kept it out of the weather while in storage it wouldn't turn to a solid chunk of salt and I or anyone else that buys it wouldn't have to drop it. My spreader doesn't have a auger so I can't have a lump of salt or it clogs. It does just fine if the salt is already broken up.


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