# Buyers Spreader Question?



## The Mowerdude (Jul 28, 2002)

Folks on this forum sure have been great to help me with all of my newb questions. But I've still got more.

Here's a pic of my spreader. This thing has to be the most finicky, tempermental peice of equipment I've ever owned. And I really don't know if it's a peice of junk or if it's because I still don't know what to expect from it or how to take good care of it. Maybe in my ignorance, I've failed to do something.

The man I'm subbing from, wants calcium chloride spread with it. Unlike the little spreaders that we use for fert and grass seed, this one never came with a screen to sift anything larger than little pellets out. I'm constantly fighting with lumps in the calcium clogging this thing up. This spreader is brand new but didn't come with any instructions. I was flying blind during the entire installation. And the place where I bought it from doesn't know anything about it either. (Hey, this is the South, we don't use these things) Last week was the first time I've ever used this spreader but all night long, it seemed to work in fits and starts. I probably unclogged it a dozen times and several times I would look in my mirrors to find that nothing was happening. When I would go back I'd find the motor not running but I know it has voltage on it, because the control is on but the breaker hasn't tripped yet.

After our snow was over, I cleaned it out and it ran fine. Now, this afternoon, the weather report is calling for more snow and when I tested this thing out, nothing happens. There is no material in the hopper but turning it by hand is like turning a wheel that has rusted. Have I failed to lube this thing properly? If so, how do I lube it? Have I maybe burned the brushes to the commutator shaft? If so, am I looking at a quick repair or is it toast?

If you look closely, you'll see that there is a wire hanging loose. It snapped off when I wiggled it for a better connection. I'm fixing it right now.

Now you start seeing why I'm interested in using liquids next year.


----------



## Arc Burn (Oct 21, 2002)

A vibrator kit worked wonders on my 2 stage unit,no screen and it spreads sand like a dream,yours is a little different,there are a bunch of guys running that same unit who will help you out shortly i'm sure,do a search on buyers spreaders,the topic comes up alot here.


----------



## wyldman (Jan 18, 2001)

With most single stage units the material must be clean and dry,no clumps,or it will clog up.It is much more noticeable on that model due to the narrow bottom above the spinner.A vibrator may help some.Does it have an internal auger ? If it doesn't it has no way to break up some of the clumped material,maybe there is a retrofit available ?

I'm not sure if it's the exact same spreader,but I remeber a few posts on here about having to get out and turn the spinner by hand to get it started every once and awhile.


----------



## The Mowerdude (Jul 28, 2002)

Ok, I'm back and I've found the problem. Here it is.

One of the magnets in the motor didn't stay glued in place. I think it's safe to say that the Buyers Company has gotten the last penny they'll ever get from me.

And yes, now it's snowing again and it looks like Crazygator and I are going to be using our push spreaders tonight. No, I'm not a happy camper.


----------



## wyldman (Jan 18, 2001)

That was easy.Hopefully buyers will come good on the motor,if the unit is still under warranty.If not,you can always just epoxy it back on.


----------



## CPSS (Mar 15, 2002)

Looks just like the Meyers Mini-Spreader that we had on one of our trucks for two years. Bigest piece of junk we ever bought. Went thru three motors, broke the wires off many times backing into snow banks. Always jammed up. Paid $1800 installed from a local truck equipment company. Sold it two years later for $100. Don't think we recouped our investment, do you?


----------



## ksimpson (Oct 3, 2002)

Sorry to hear about your problems M.Dude and CP. Bought a new mini spreader this fall and have had absolutely no problems. We have went through 28 tons and it has been a wonder. Only thing I had to do was reconfigure a different support bracket. The arms that went over the tailgate was putting a lot of strain on the vertical brackets (Bending). I know that the new spreaders this year have a new resey switch on them, and they also give a 1 second blast when first switched on. I have run through some serious chuncks and the auger chewed everything. Just wanted to say "HI GUYS". I have been a member since last fall, just haven't responded to anything. It is a great site!! We are getting some good lake effect today 9-15". So things are busy!! Stay warm---Keith


----------



## BRL (Dec 21, 1999)

Welcome to Plowsite Ksimpson.

Mowerdude,
The biggest problem here is that you didn't receive instructions with this unit. Your dealer should be able to get them for you, if they are a real Buyers dealer. If not, let us know & someone here will be able to hunt them down for you & mail. As posted already, a single stage spreader needs to use dry, bagged material. If your supply got wet at sometime, it got clumpy. When you continually jam the auger with clumped material, you will continually bind the motor against its natural working process & it will eventually break from the abuse. Also, once the motor is binding, the electric should be shut off to it ASAP, to help keep it from breaking under the strain of trying to work against the bind. This is not a military tank, its a simple electric motor on a simple piece of equipment. A vibrator may help break up rock salt clumps. Its been a few years since I used calcium chloride, but what I remember about it is when it got wet & clumped, it was more like concrete than rock salt clumps. So I'm not sure a vibrator would help for that situation. You have bought about the cheapest, lowest end piece of equipment to do the job that you are attempting to do. So your expectations should not be the same as owning a V-box or a 2 stage tailgater. It needs to be used in the manner for which it was designed, and it is not designed to take a lot of abuse, or handle clumped or wet material. This is not your fault, as the instructions should have been provided. 

So on to the solution to the problem: 
1. First, take a deep breath & relax, being upset about the situation won't help solve it, trust me. No matter how far, or how hard you toss that wrench, it doesn't help  (got one to go about 80 yards one time, but still didn't fix the problem LOL)
2. As posted, you should see if buyers will warranty the repair or replacement of that motor. Don't tell them you were putting concrete in there though 
3. Insist that your dealer provide the instructions that should come with the unit. (if they can't, post here & we'll find them for you)
4. Inquire from the dealer about whether a screen can be purchased for that unit. If not, fabricate one. Do a search here for ideas, as people have posted about making them for their spreaders. 
5. Inquire from the dealer about purchasing a vibrator for that unit. Or, do a search here to find threads on getting them cheaper from alternate suppliers, or about how to make one your self. 
6. Once its running correctly again, take care of it & follow the instructions for years of trouble free use. I know people that have used those units for years without problems. I also know of other's who have had problems, but the majority of those problems were a result of operator abuse 
7. Oh yea, all electric connections should be very clean before doing them, should have dielectric grease used, and if possible should be soldered. After you get this thing running correctly, your biggest battle will be against the corrosion of the metal components & electrical connections that are inherent with using deicing chemicals. 
Good luck!

PS: You mentioned wanting to get into liquids. You also mentioned being a newbie to this industry. IMO you should gain some more experience before attempting to get into liquid apps. The equipment alone for that is a lot more expensive than this single stage spreader we're talking about, so its a serious consideration. There is also a much higher learning curve to successfully use liquiuds for ice control. I've got a decent amount of experience with snow & ice & I don't really feel I'm ready for liquids quite yet, and certainly wouldn't consider it a good option for me 8 or so years ago when I first started plowing on my own. Maybe those using the liquids would give a different opinion though.


----------



## ksimpson (Oct 3, 2002)

Thanks BRL,

Mowerdude--The supplier that I go to on-line is: angelos-supplies.com
They are VERY helpful and should be able to send you a manual. As for the calcium, when my sidewalk crew has to use it, they put a pallet in the bed of the truck, put the calcium on it and cover everything with a tarp. BRL is right----hard as concrete when wet.
I only use #1 rock salt in my Buyers. There is a sticker on the side of mine that says what to use. I would think that calcium would flow through like an open salt shaker. A small screen will make the particles flow through a little slower for no waste, and to also sift out the hardened stuff. Good luck---------STILL SNOWING!!!!!!


----------



## paul soccodato (Nov 9, 2002)

brl is correct,

those spreaders can only handle dry (non clumped) products.

most any spreader will like dry material better than clumpy, the dry stuff will give you better performance anyways.

the other day, i went to unload my v-box. it was loaded with salt from last friday (1/17). 

its been so cold out, that the 3 days that salt was in the machine it hardened into a concrete block. 

i started the engine, flipped on the conveyor,and , SNAP!. it kept on breaking a 5/16" bolt, that bolts the drives together, (probably a good thing, than a broken conveyor chain or so). 

i had to pour about 10 gallons of hot water on the salt to get the conveyor to turn, and still break up the chunks for 15 minutes.

pain in the a??!


----------



## EJK2352 (Jul 22, 2001)

I would highly suggest a vibrator to you or anyone else running a single stage unit. I put one on my Buyers SUV spreader and it made a world of difference!!! I can now spread bulk salt with no problems at all. Before I added the vibrator I was having problems getting bagged salt to flow through it. I got a great deal on the vibrator, $ 200 from J. Thomas Distributors. Their web site is www.j-thomas.com If you can't get the motor fixed I found the best price for a motor $178.50 at www.discountsnowplowparts.com You also need to make up some type of screen to keep large clumps out of the hopper or it will jam up on you.   ED


----------



## The Mowerdude (Jul 28, 2002)

Well, we went and spread all our chemical last night with our Lesco push spreaders. We had 3 of them going and it did a SUPER job, but MAN it was lot of work. 

I got in about 7:30 and went to bed. Now that I'm up I see that lots of folks have posted to this thread and I thank you all.

*CPSS* Yup, I can now relate. I don't think this magnet coming loose is an "abuse" issue, either.

*KSIMPSON* Mine doesn't have the 1-second blast feature, but I don't know why I couldn't get in the habit of doing manually. Good idea. BTW, I already had Angelo's website bookmarked a year ago. They're like Tony the Tiger. They're GREAT!!

*BRL* I don't think my dealer was an official Buyers dealer. It's a trucking company that most likely bought a truckload of these things just to have something to offer "if and when." That's also probably one of the reasons that it didn't come with any instructions. I'm sure that any warranty I would've had is long expired.

Also, I now know that I bought the cheapest around, but hey! WHO KNEW? I got this thing 3 years ago but have only used it this year for the first time because we haven't had enough snow to amount to anything.  Oh, well, live and learn.

I am going to cut a peice of expanded metal I have out back, to screen out the lumps, and I'll certainly watch for the clumps much more closely. I had already soldered my permanent connections and have been using a Dremel tool to clean the plugs. Dremels work great.

Four things have had me thinking about liquids.

1. We can eliminate having a "barrel" man. To my mind, it seems that this is an inefficient area which may need trimming back when the competition around here gets crazier in the future.

2. Our area has little or no snow per winter, but when it comes, a man can literally name his price. This market area has not been raped by scrubs and lowballers.....yet. However, everyone here is "monkey see, monkey do." Only a micro percentage of these guys ever bother to learn about anything. I figured that if I learn all I can about liquids, salt, calcium or whatever, I'll be ahead of the game when the time finally does come when every ******* crack head that can keep his britches zipped has a plow and a truck. As it is now, when I'm running down the road with bags of chemical and a spreader, Bubba's looking at my rig and thinking: "Hell, I can do that." But liquids will remain a huge mystery no matter how far in traffic these boys follow me.

3. I could be wrong, but I believe that once a man is set up for liquids, material handling will be considerable easier. But, like I said, I could be wrong.

4. After reading John A. Allin's book, it also appears to me that liquids really represent the future. Even after the competition has all bought spreaders, I'll be able to hang on to my higher price because of having a "higher tech" system. And I'm not fooling myself. The situation that many of you have farther north, WILL happen here eventually. Since I'm in the height of my learning curve already, hey, what the heck?!! Why not learn more?

*EJK2352* While I was preparing this post, you came in and posted as well. Thanx for those websites. I think the vibrator combined with a screen combined with a much more vigilant attitude might be the ticket.


----------



## Chuck Smith (Dec 30, 1999)

It figures, this thread took off before I had time to finish this new page. 

http://www.snowplowing-contractors.com/single_stage_salt_spreader_screen.html

~Chuck


----------



## Arc Burn (Oct 21, 2002)

Chuck,i just walked in from the shop and had laid a piece of expanded steel on top of the spreader and decided to do it tomorrow and think on it but you just did the thinkin for me,Thanks


----------



## plowking35 (Dec 21, 1999)

When I was a newbie I also was sold one of those Great Pumpkins. I was told it would spread anything, including mix. Well imagine my surprise when it wouldnt. I spent 1000.00 on it during the winter of 92-93 and sold it for 100.00 in 95 when I bought a v box. We would have 1 guy drive and the other feed the material 1 shovel at a time to the spinner. Clumped up all the time, but the motor never gave me any trouble aside from tripping the breaker. But all in all, I regret ever seeing the thing.
Dino


----------



## Chuck Smith (Dec 30, 1999)

Here's another "now why didn't *I* think of that!", thanks to Alan!

http://www.snowplowing-contractors.com/tail_gate_salt_spreader_dump_door.html

~Chuck


----------



## pjslawncare (Jan 17, 2003)

Hey Mowerdude, Check this page out. http://www.snowplowing-contractors.com/single_stage_salt_spreader_screen.html


----------



## The Mowerdude (Jul 28, 2002)

PJSLawncare

That's a very cool idea. And in fact, I've got everything I need right on my bone pile to complete this job. I'll have it done by this evening.

I ordered a new motor from Angelo's yesterday (Friday) and it got here this morning. I had looked and looked all over Nashville for an electric motor shop that would help me fix the old one, but I guess it isn't enough money. I know these folks can do it, they just don't want to fool with it.

Problem is, I don't remember which pole on the old motor, the red wire went to and which one the black wire went to. I don't suppose it really matters but I'd hate to find out I got them wrong if I burn up a brand new motor. Here's a pic of the inside of the old one. It looks to me like the motor should turn either direction without any problems, but I just want to be sure.


----------



## The Mowerdude (Jul 28, 2002)

Here's a pic of the new motor. The poles are only labeled #1 and #2. There's no indicator of which one is positive or negative.

I'm kind of embarrassed.  I feel I should know this stuff.


----------



## BRL (Dec 21, 1999)

Test it off of the spreader & keep track of which way it turns with each combo. The only difference between mixing the 2 wires is one combo will turn the shaft clock wise & the other conbo will turn it counter clockwise. Then you just need to determine which way the shaft should turn to make the auger work in the correct direction, then install it to the spreader. Actually you can install it & do that test right on the spreader since its empty probably. Won't hurt the spreader to have the auger turning turning the wrong way for a couple of seconds. Good luck.


----------



## The Mowerdude (Jul 28, 2002)

BRL

Yup, I got it by looking at the auger. (DOH!!) It's working great now. Next I'll build a screen like mentioned earlier to keep the "rocks" from getting to it. That motor cost a shade over $200 by the time I had it overnighted. I really don't want to do this again anytime soon. 

Just think. A new Xbox video game system would cost me about $200 but I've been putting it off because I haven't had the money ahead enough to rationalize buying it. Then this stupid motor comes along and ends up costing me the exact same amount. So I've spent the money anyway, but I don't have my Xbox. Something's wrong with this


----------



## Crazygator (Jan 18, 2003)

Hey Mowerdude,

Dont run out and get that X Box just yet, I still need to get paid for helping you, remember?..... 

And for you pro's, what is our best solution for our area? 

We some snow each year, but if we do get it, it and everything else that falls usually turns to ice on the roads. 

What would you guys suggest for a good spreader? Keep in mind we dont use it all winter like you do, we dont need to spend lots of $$$ if we can help it, but would be looking for long term investment because of the higher profits in our supply and demand market.

Thanks for your help!


----------



## SnowGodFather (Aug 1, 2001)

Spreader like the Western and Fisher pro flo's

1) motor is not under the spreader

2) motor is molded into the spreader.

3) adj feed gate, adj left/right.

4) Variable speed and blast

5) built in top screen

6) built in bag opener (used a utility knife instead)

7) chain breaker before it gets to feed gate

8) hopper cover (rain cap)

All these little fetures make the spreader a great spreader.
I recommend them because they will last long term.

Too bad I sold all mine to a guy in central KY.


----------



## noclevername (Jan 14, 2003)

For a tailgate spreader try an Air-Flo. All stainless steel construction, motor mounted adjacent to the hopper, belt feed (so it really will spread ANYTHING, salt/sand, straight salt, calcium, urea) adjustable hopper door, lottsa grease nipples, a really well made unit. I've had mine for 12 years and all I've done is rebuild the motor once, and new bearings once. The belt has a few small cracks in it and I picked up a new belt last year, but wanna see how long the old one will last....


----------



## pjslawncare (Jan 17, 2003)

Hey Mowerdude, If you wind up having to get a new motor, the best deal I found is this guy on e-bay http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2303876642&category=11704
I got my new motor for my Byers spreader for $150.00 including shipping and he shipped it real quick (I had it in two business days) when I paid thru Pay-pal. I beleive he takes credit cards as well. He sells motors for all kinds of stuf. His discription sais its for Myers spreaders, however it was same bolt pattern and shaft size as my Byers. Only difference was new motor is fatter and shorter. It gives me about 1 1/2" more ground clearance.


----------



## BRL (Dec 21, 1999)

Hey Mowerdude,
The good thing about using the cheaper units for spreading is that your motor is only $200.00. The motor for my spreader that went bad, the cheapest I could find it after checking 7 suppliers was $409.00, and then the 8th one I checked was 360.00+. Those prices were before shipping LOL

Crazygator & Mowerdude,
IMO, given that your area is extremely hit or miss concerning winter weather, I would not spend a whole lot of money on winter weather technology. It would take way too long to get your ROI & make a profit. Such as Mowerdude's thoughts about getting into liquid apps. I disagree with his thoughts about that. Yes it would be great to be the best in town & have the best equipment, but you are business men first, and having that high tech (expensive) equipmnet isn't worth it if it takes 7 years to pay for it IMO. You are already way ahead of the other contractors in your area because you come to sites like this to enhance your knowledge about how to actually handle these snow & ice storms that come once every year, or 3 or 4  I would stick to running granular materials & base your equipment purchases on only that equipment for which you know you have a good dealer supporting it, and for which you know you have a supplier that can get you those materials. If you know you don't have anybody selling bulk salt during the winter, than right off the bat you can stick to a single stage tailgater that handles bagged material. You can get bagged materials shipped to you from anywhere & it may be easier to store that if you don't use it all. You can get bulk shipped to you also, but if you don't have a good way to store it for long periods of time, you may waste a lot of that shipment waiting for years for the next event to actually use it. If you think sand is needed for traction during those ice events that are more common for you, then you'll have to spend the money on a 2 stage spreader like the Air Flow mentioned or a Pro Flo 2 or other brand. Spend the time learning how to use those units correctly, make a good profit & realize you are in it for the long haul. The other guys in town may start to copy you, but you may only lose the price shopper customers to them, who you really don't want anyway. I've been waiting since 1996 for a good snow year to finally use all that I have learned from sites like this & to really make a killing, and I live a lot closer to where snow actually happens sometimes. So above all, remember you won't really make money right away, but you can make money if you plan on the long haul & be persistent. OK that's enough of my lecturing today LOL Now go borrow somebody's X-box & have some fun until the Superbowl!!


----------



## The Mowerdude (Jul 28, 2002)

BRL

My Dultmeier catalog came in the mail yesterday. I've poured over it with great intensity and I've pretty much come to the same conclusion as what you're suggesting. Not only do we not get all that much snow/ice, but I really don't have the material handling abilities. I'm working out of my driveway, which is a major PITA already. But to have to have storage tanks and a place to put my spray units in the off season.....
............well..........forget it.

Also, I've been driving back to my lots to see the results from the calcium chloride. This may be old technology, but the results are absolutely superb! This calcium is just the ticket for Tennessee. It will clear several inches of snow/ice even when the temps are in the single digits. So I think the real path to follow is to go with good spreaders, keep them very clean and well maintained and do a lot of preventative maintainance as well.

Thanx for the input.


----------



## BRL (Dec 21, 1999)

Just don't waste money on all of that expensive calcium chloride on lots when the temps are 25 +. Rock salt is much, much cheaper & will give you the same results when temps aren't so cold. Good luck & have some fun out there too.


----------



## Crazygator (Jan 18, 2003)

We appreciate all the advice to us in our new venture down here. It will take a while to gather all the info and make the wise choices, but we will do things for long term. I was already thinking of it that way anyway. No hurry, just got to get the equipment set up just right.

Thanks and keep the good info coming. Maybe we cant be as big as your snow removal operations, but we can in heart and spirit...haha


----------



## Highpoint (Oct 19, 2000)

I just gotta say that you don't need a two stage to throw sand. We've been using the exact same Buyers unit and it spreads sand just fine. Well fine enough for what we use it for. We buy pallets of pre-bagged sand from Home Depot, Lowes, or any place that handles bagged sand. We get the "all pourpose or play sand" and it works fine. It's a little work on your back but it gets the job donw. It generally costs us on avereage of $2.80 per bag and we sell it for $15.00 per bag installed. We make a killing! As with anyother product, you gotta keep it dry!!!!!!! Wet sand will not go through a single stage unit. Vibrators are helpful but we have not used one yet. We did just order our first 2 stage from Trynex. The 1875. We just state on our invoices how many pounds we installed. We charge anywhere from .25 to .45 cents per pound installed. This covers material and labor. At each jobsite, put in 2 bags to start and spread it. Apply more as needed. When done, write down how many bags it took. (round up the the nearest 1/2. Next time you go to the site. Put that many bags in the spreader and go. You should come out about the same. Don't worry about getting it perfect. You may use a little more or a little less each time. Just keep charging the client the same amount.


----------



## Ohiosnow (Sep 20, 2001)

*Buyers low-profile spreader, the motor is in hopper*

:waving:


----------

