Hey Johnny your right I missed that question + not much to add still waiting what it will do this coming winter, they did some upgrades late January never really got to test it out.
Hey Cree, thought I had answered your pm, but could not find it so I missed that also.
I still believe the dragon has its place, and the 900 is very mobile. I move it from site to site filled with water if im not going far. My biggest issue is that it was melting at best 120 cubic yards instead of the 240 they claimed it did. Will definately keep you all informed what happens this winter.
120 is probably as real as real is real. Don't forget the published '240' was a theoretical value based according to the Principals of Heat Transfer, Machinery's Handbook 22nd Edition. I haven't went so far as to calculate to see if the theoretical value is real.....yet.
It is a sales technique akin to describing the theory of quantum physics.There may very well be a snowdragon in the room, but you can't see it mathematically.
Looks like the Snow Melter Manufacturers and diesel fuel supplier's are the two that make out best when it comes to melting snow. The fuel used per yard or ton is unbelievable.
Looks like the Snow Melter Manufacturers and diesel fuel supplier's are the two that make out best when it comes to melting snow. The fuel used per yard or ton is unbelievable.
Okay. I wanted to bring this thread back up once again, cause I myself, am debating more & more on what would be the best system to have. Snow melter or Trucks (tandem or tri-axles)
Paul, how has your second year been with the Snow Dragon? Is it still as productive as last years trial. Anything break down or premature wear?
1) Lets say your running a 4 dump truck operation (all tri-axles) & they were bought used @ 50k each. The cost of insuring 4 trucks, diesel fuel, fixing breakdowns, buying $$$parts, mechanics bills, PAYROLL for the truck drivers & daily maintenance & safty. That $150K investment just skyrocketed to a insane dollar amount in expence for 4 pieces of equipment.
2) Now you get the snow melter. For quarter mil you have one piece of equipment to insure, maintain, fuel up, & operate. Even tho the cost of diesel is high, I think this investment can be more of a money saver in the long run.
Now, if I were to buy the dump truck system of removing snow, I can operate them full time in the summer months for equipment rental,& get on with city for snow removal rental. Its a year round operation with the trucks. The snowmelter just sits there?
Okay. I wanted to bring this thread back up once again, cause I myself, am debating more & more on what would be the best system to have. Snow melter or Trucks (tandem or tri-axles)
Paul, how has your second year been with the Snow Dragon? Is it still as productive as last years trial. Anything break down or premature wear?
1) Lets say your running a 4 dump truck operation (all tri-axles) & they were bought used @ 50k each. The cost of insuring 4 trucks, diesel fuel, fixing breakdowns, buying $$$parts, mechanics bills, PAYROLL for the truck drivers & daily maintenance & safty. That $150K investment just skyrocketed to a insane dollar amount in expence for 4 pieces of equipment.
2) Now you get the snow melter. For quarter mil you have one piece of equipment to insure, maintain, fuel up, & operate. Even tho the cost of diesel is high, I think this investment can be more of a money saver in the long run.
Now, if I were to buy the dump truck system of removing snow, I can operate them full time in the summer months for equipment rental,& get on with city for snow removal rental. Its a year round operation with the trucks. The snowmelter just sits there?
Hmmmm......
Wouldn't 50k x4 be 200K. Also unless your hauling 100 hours plus/year your better off not to buy trucks just use brokers. On a light winter where you might haul very little snow that makes up for the heavy winter. A snow melter really comes into play when you include snow hauling in a large bid and it snow must be hauled every storm. Do you really haul much snow?
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jmac
There will be an all knowing young kid to say otherwise but trust me, you dont want to run these with a vbox
You hire four or five tri-axle trucks on a short haul, and can remove 400 to 700 yards per hour. You have $ 55.00 to 80.00 per hour each depending what city or state. No driver wages, insurance, fuel or maintenance cost, truck breaks down goes off the clock. If you move snow for 10 days a year, in Michigan that would be a lot. Look at interest if you had
note for the snow melter, some years you would not even use it.
Wouldn't 50k x4 be 200K. Also unless your hauling 100 hours plus/year your better off not to buy trucks just use brokers. On a light winter where you might haul very little snow that makes up for the heavy winter. A snow melter really comes into play when you include snow hauling in a large bid and it snow must be hauled every storm. Do you really haul much snow?
Your right...200K. Im gettin up there faster than expected with snow removal & hauling off sites. For now Im using brokers that charge by the load. If I need 4 trucks they come right away, get the job done in less that 1 hour. (4 trucks @ $200/load = $800 includes dumping cause hes got his own snow dump)
Or u can get a cheap tandem axle @ $72/hr & get the job done in 6 hours + dumping fee & waste alot of time.
Okay. I wanted to bring this thread back up once again, cause I myself, am debating more & more on what would be the best system to have. Snow melter or Trucks (tandem or tri-axles)
Paul, how has your second year been with the Snow Dragon? Is it still as productive as last years trial. Anything break down or premature wear?
1) Lets say your running a 4 dump truck operation (all tri-axles) & they were bought used @ 50k each. The cost of insuring 4 trucks, diesel fuel, fixing breakdowns, buying $$$parts, mechanics bills, PAYROLL for the truck drivers & daily maintenance & safty. That $150K investment just skyrocketed to a insane dollar amount in expence for 4 pieces of equipment.
2) Now you get the snow melter. For quarter mil you have one piece of equipment to insure, maintain, fuel up, & operate. Even tho the cost of diesel is high, I think this investment can be more of a money saver in the long run.
Now, if I were to buy the dump truck system of removing snow, I can operate them full time in the summer months for equipment rental,& get on with city for snow removal rental. Its a year round operation with the trucks. The snowmelter just sits there?
Hmmmm......
No it turns into the worlds most expensive hot tub
Yeah ... Baltimore is a mess. We normally get less snow than this over a normal winter. We got dumped on twice in a 2-3 day period.
Baltimore doesn't have the equipment or space to deal with this much snow, and the citizens are really bitching a fit about the city's response to the snow removal. Baltimore was dumping a lot of their snow in the harbor, but the Snow Dragon seems to be a much better solution even with its high hourly cost.
Yep, in the end run it failed. At best I was getting 120 yards, the average was more around 90 yards. The argument became that 240 yards/hr would have to be 10 to 1 snow, which is crazy. You will never find that ratio in pushed snow. I still believe there is a use for these kinds of machines. I will say that Trecan has been making melters for over 30 years and they guarantee a certain tonnage an hour. For example the 60 P-D is guaranteed to melt 60 tons an hour. Regardless of the kind of snow you are going to melt, you know that this machine will melt at minimum 60 tons an hour. I hope this helps.
Yep, in the end run it failed. At best I was getting 120 yards, the average was more around 90 yards. The argument became that 240 yards/hr would have to be 10 to 1 snow, which is crazy. You will never find that ratio in pushed snow. I still believe there is a use for these kinds of machines. I will say that Trecan has been making melters for over 30 years and they guarantee a certain tonnage an hour. For example the 60 P-D is guaranteed to melt 60 tons an hour. Regardless of the kind of snow you are going to melt, you know that this machine will melt at minimum 60 tons an hour. I hope this helps.
Sorry to hear that Paul, but it doesn't surprise me in the end that the guy who was selling this thing was as full of crap with this as he was with Allin Companies and SMG.
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