# What's the best spreader



## acswaupaca1 (Jun 5, 2017)

Who has the best poly, electric, with auger spreader on the market?


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## BossPlow2010 (Sep 29, 2010)

Why do you ask?


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## Defcon 5 (Mar 20, 2014)

Can I answer....None of the above?


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## Defcon 5 (Mar 20, 2014)

BossPlow2010 said:


> Why do you ask?


I'm guessing he is in the market for one...I'm also guessing your gonna get a wide range of answers...Along the lines of the "Best" Plow..Truck..Skidsteer..Etc threads


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## Mark Oomkes (Dec 10, 2000)

What color trimmer line should I use?


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## Defcon 5 (Mar 20, 2014)

Mark Oomkes said:


> What color trimmer line should I use?


Don't drag the Lawnsite hot button issues over here


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## Mark Oomkes (Dec 10, 2000)

Defcon 5 said:


> Don't drag the Lawnsite hot button issues over here


Understood...


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## Defcon 5 (Mar 20, 2014)

My personal opinion....I would buy a Gas V box before an electric


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## dieselss (Jan 3, 2008)

Love it when they post, and never come back.


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## BossPlow2010 (Sep 29, 2010)

dieselss said:


> Love it when they post, and never come back.


He's bidding an airport


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## JMHConstruction (Aug 22, 2011)

What dealers do you have around you? Which is open 24 hrs during a storm?

I suggest whichever of those you've answered.


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## Mr.Markus (Jan 7, 2010)

Mark Oomkes said:


> What color trimmer line should I use?


Thought for sure you would post broodbeleg...


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## John_DeereGreen (Jan 2, 2011)

Best, auger, and electric don't go together. 

Sorry, that's just reality.


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## Defcon 5 (Mar 20, 2014)

Out of all the Electrics I have used....My Vote is for the Western-Fisher-Blizzard Model...This is Vote is by default


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## fireside (Mar 1, 2008)

Guys have you ever looked back at your own posts. You wonder why people only post ONCE!!! It's a valid question to ask but the group of six think you have all the answers who gives a crap about line color on PLOWSITE it has nothing to do with the question at hand!! If you have nothing important to say please keep your dam fingers off the keyboard!!


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## fireside (Mar 1, 2008)

I would stay away from the auger type units after fixing a snowex and a salt dog they really don't work that great. Electric with a drag chain work really nice. I perfer a stainless steel hopper than the plastic. They sit much lower and are narrower in the bed


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## Hysert (Dec 16, 2009)




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## JMHConstruction (Aug 22, 2011)

Defcon 5 said:


> Out of all the Electrics I have used....My Vote is for the Western-Fisher-Blizzard Model...This is Vote is by default


What all have you used?


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## Mark Oomkes (Dec 10, 2000)

fireside said:


> Guys have you ever looked back at your own posts. You wonder why people only post ONCE!!! It's a valid question to ask but the group of six think you have all the answers who gives a crap about line color on PLOWSITE it has nothing to do with the question at hand!! If you have nothing important to say please keep your dam fingers off the keyboard!!


Understood


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## Defcon 5 (Mar 20, 2014)

JMHConstruction said:


> What all have you used?


Meyers...Snowex...Fisher...Saltmut....Have not used Boss


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## Defcon 5 (Mar 20, 2014)

fireside said:


> I would stay away from the auger type units after fixing a snowex and a salt dog they really don't work that great. Electric with a drag chain work really nice. I perfer a stainless steel hopper than the plastic. They sit much lower and are narrower in the bed


You are correct on all points...I would agree with you on the stainless...If I was the OP and my only option was electric...I would take a look at The Western-Fisher stainless Vbox...


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## Randall Ave (Oct 29, 2014)

Western tornado. But any thing you get, need to keep connections cleaned and greased. What brand is in your area is going to make the decision for you, unless your going to stock extra motors, harnesses, and controllers.


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## JMHConstruction (Aug 22, 2011)

Defcon 5 said:


> You are correct on all points...I would agree with you on the stainless...If I was the OP and my only option was electric...I would take a look at The Western-Fisher stainless Vbox...


My original plan was to get the western SS, until I found out we didn't have a dealer. If Boss wouldn't have gone cheap with their SS I would have gone that route. I would rather have metal than plastic.


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## fireside (Mar 1, 2008)

Henderson,smith co, fisher ploy caster


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## fireside (Mar 1, 2008)

I sold the poly caster I hated it to the max. Control boxes and wiring corrosion was just to much.


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## FredG (Oct 15, 2012)

Around here most contractors use Smith or Airflow SS.


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## JMHConstruction (Aug 22, 2011)

FredG said:


> Around here most contractors use Smith or Airflow SS.


I heard a lot about the Smith, but they're not here.


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## John_DeereGreen (Jan 2, 2011)

Our VBX's were flawless. Just slow. 

If I were dead set on a v box that was electric, there is no way I would buy an auger model. Pintle chain only. Still no spread width but at least it'll put some salt out.


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## BossPlow2010 (Sep 29, 2010)

John_DeereGreen said:


> Our VBX's were flawless. Just slow.
> 
> If I were dead set on a v box that was electric, there is no way I would buy an auger model. Pintle chain only. Still no spread width but at least it'll put some salt out.


I haven't had any issues with my auger.
Boss vbx.
If I was bigger and had the money, I'd probably do central hydraulics.


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## Mr.Markus (Jan 7, 2010)

fireside said:


> Guys have you ever looked back at your own posts. You wonder why people only post ONCE!!! It's a valid question to ask but the group of six think you have all the answers who gives a crap about line color on PLOWSITE it has nothing to do with the question at hand!! If you have nothing important to say please keep your dam fingers off the keyboard!!










?


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## acswaupaca1 (Jun 5, 2017)

Sorry, I'm busy, don't have time to check every hour. I'm in the market for a second spreader and while I have a boss currently I'm just looking for someones opinion who may have several spreaders. I prefer auger even if they are slower, they are cleaner in the truck as long as the loader operator has his coffee in him.

I have all dealers available but none are 24 hours, I'm thinking about trying the new forge from boss?


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## JMHConstruction (Aug 22, 2011)

acswaupaca1 said:


> Sorry, I'm busy, don't have time to check every hour. I'm in the market for a second spreader and while I have a boss currently I'm just looking for someones opinion who may have several spreaders. I prefer auger even if they are slower, they are cleaner in the truck as long as the loader operator has his coffee in him.
> 
> I have all dealers available but none are 24 hours, I'm thinking about trying the new forge from boss?


Do you not like the boss? Just curious as to why you would be looking at other brands unless you weren't happy. I personally would want everything to be able to be swapped around from truck to truck in case of breakdown or whatever. I believe the forge will hook right up to vbx trucks and vise versa.
What I didn't like about the forge was how cheap boss went with it. I'm sure it would have been fine, but boss shaved off every penny they could on that thing, and it made me nervous. I understand making something more affordable, but I think they were too worried about price, and not product. With that said, I fully intended on buying the forge this year. It's a nice spreader, but the vbx offers more.


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## FredG (Oct 15, 2012)

JMHConstruction said:


> I heard a lot about the Smith, but they're not here.


I don't know how far they have distributors. They are built in a small factory in a town of about 10K people about 13 miles from my shop. As far as reliability and quality Airflow is a close second.


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## Orangelandscape (Nov 27, 2013)

I bought a torwel and hated it it sits on the side of my yard with about 2 hours on it. My fisher steel caster has been awesome. Now I’m deciding between another fisher or a smith. Smith seems to be the best I’ve seen but a bit more expensive than the fisher.


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## to_buy (Dec 19, 2005)

Defcon 5 said:


> My personal opinion....I would buy a Gas V box before an electric


I totally agree, I prefer Air Flo with a Briggs engine, I have about 30 and a few new Westerns, and still like Air Flo


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## dodgegmc1213 (Aug 21, 2011)

love my 1.5 yard salt dogg, that thing puts down some salt and throws it too. With the auger setting at 3 and spinner at 6 or 7 I was going curb to curb on 1 pass. Its older with the old turn knob controller, heard a lot of people complain about the newer ones. If I were to buy a new spreader I would go with auger as well, less parts to worry about and no mess in the bed of the truck, I would probably go with boss, I don't know if I would go with salt dogg again after reading a lot of bad reviews with the newer styles.


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## John_DeereGreen (Jan 2, 2011)

dodgegmc1213 said:


> love my 1.5 yard salt dogg, that thing puts down some salt and throws it too. With the auger setting at 3 and spinner at 6 or 7 I was going curb to curb on 1 pass. Its older with the old turn knob controller, heard a lot of people complain about the newer ones. If I were to buy a new spreader I would go with auger as well, less parts to worry about and no mess in the bed of the truck, I would probably go with boss, I don't know if I would go with salt dogg again after reading a lot of bad reviews with the newer styles.


The curbs must be awful close together.


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## dodgegmc1213 (Aug 21, 2011)

John_DeereGreen said:


> The curbs must be awful close together.


It was a normal 2 way road way, now everyone knows the spinners throw more to the driver side, so while driving on the right side i was hitting the curb on the left and even going into the driveways


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## acswaupaca1 (Jun 5, 2017)

What is everyone's opinions of dump inserts with spreaders?


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## John_DeereGreen (Jan 2, 2011)

An even bigger pain in the ass than an under tailgate spreader on a dump truck. 

But I've never used a dump insert to confirm this thought.


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## acswaupaca1 (Jun 5, 2017)

John_DeereGreen said:


> An even bigger pain in the ass than an under tailgate spreader on a dump truck.
> 
> But I've never used a dump insert to confirm this thought.


What makes you think they are a bigger pain? I'm in your position as well, never seen it to know.


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## John_DeereGreen (Jan 2, 2011)

acswaupaca1 said:


> What makes you think they are a bigger pain? I'm in your position as well, never seen it to know.


Less (legal) capacity than a pickup vbox, harder on the truck with the up and down dumping with a load, more dangers of an employee screwing something up...I could probably come up with more but those are just quick ones.

In reality, all the same drawbacks of a dump under tailgate, except capacity. With the dump, you gain capacity and the ability to easily retain your dump truck option but you sacrifice control of material spread. A v box is consistent from the beginning to end of the load. An undergate is not.


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## acswaupaca1 (Jun 5, 2017)

John_DeereGreen said:


> Less (legal) capacity than a pickup vbox, harder on the truck with the up and down dumping with a load, more dangers of an employee screwing something up...I could probably come up with more but those are just quick ones.
> 
> In reality, all the same drawbacks of a dump under tailgate, except capacity. With the dump, you gain capacity and the ability to easily retain your dump truck option but you sacrifice control of material spread. A v box is consistent from the beginning to end of the load. An undergate is not.


So if you bought a 1-ton dump you'd option for a v box in the back still?


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## John_DeereGreen (Jan 2, 2011)

acswaupaca1 said:


> So if you bought a 1-ton dump you'd option for a v box in the back still?


The smallest dump I would buy would be a 450/550 size truck, and unless I had no other choice, such as needing the dump for snow hauling, I would likey remove the dump body for winter and chassis mount the v box to the frame.

If I had to retain functionality of the dump truck, I'd opt for an under tailgate and just make due with the previously mentioned complaints.


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## Daddyworbucks (Oct 11, 2014)

acswaupaca1 said:


> Who has the best poly, electric, with auger spreader on the market?


I'm still running my gen 1 boss vbx no issues wide spread pattern no controller issues as I've heard with other electric units five years of use still going strong. That being said I'm a person who takes pretty meticulous care of equipment that I spend hard earned money on protect your investment and it will take care of you at 3 am


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