To all you experienced pros out there. I am looking for the best hopper salt spreader for the money. I know I will probably read differant opinions but I am interested in hearing from all who have experience with them. Pros & cons please. Also drawbacks of hitch mount type. Thanks in advance! Rick-PAplow
Well... I don't know if mine is the best, but I know it's pretty darn good! Western Pro Flo 2 http://www.westernplows.com/spreaders/sp_frame.htm It'll hold about 700 lbs. of rock salt, and it will also spread sand. It has adjustable wings so you can spread really narrow, or about 20-ft. paths, and it has a gate on the end of the conveyor to control how much material comes out of the hopper onto the spinner. I don't even have the variable rate controller, and I'm extremely happy with it. Good luck with your decision! -Tim [Edited by SlimJim Z71 on 01-02-2001 at 05:11 PM]
Swenson has my vote. Swenson is a brand that is used by many DPWs and DOTs. It is a well respected brand in the commercial market, with the most avaible options by far. I have never owned a Fisher V-box, so I do not know this for sure. However I have heard that not all components can be greased like other brands. Instead of grease they use nylon bushings, which work well, till they need to be replaced. Also Swenson is priced pretty competitive with other brands, so don't think commercial quality will equal a higher cost all the time. Another thing to remember is Swenson, Meyer, and Diamond are all owned by one company. So if you buy a Meyer or Diamond spreader it is really a Swenson with a different sticker. Geoff
Do a search on spreaders, and see what comes up. My vote is for the smith electric stainless model. I have one and love it, no gas engine to worry about, no hard starting, oil and gas to cause problems. And being all stainless, no corrosion issues. Dino
I'm a big fan of airflow. I have been using them for awhile and have had no problems. Either the vbox or the taligate run good in my opinion.
I would NOT recommend the Meyer Mini-Spreader. I have seen a truck with one of these and the bumper is rusted through and falling off. However, Meyer does have plenty of othe r spreaders. Check out http://www.meyerproducts.com
i own an airflow v-box spreader. 8.5 briggs IC on it. No problems at all for the past two years. After every storm i empty it out, then spray everything down including the chain with fuel oil. Helps lubricate and prevent corrosion. I then bungee a tarp over it to prevent freezing rain from causing problems.
i dont have a hopper but my spreader is a fisher. its a fisher 2 stage (has a small belt inside) i love it and have heard good stuff about fishers.I love my spreader
RB did you end up getting the smith v-box I wish that i had got that but i really didn't want to put it in the back of my pick up. was hopping to get a dump but could not find what i was looking for for the right price.
