Anyone Sand their driveway?

[Rob]

Looking for an easy way to sand an icy 220 yard long gravel driveway.

I have a tractor with a blower that I use to clear the snow, but after this deep freeze, warm, rain, freeze and snow cycle we have been thru the last 3 weeks or so, my driveway looks like a toboggan run!  It is treacherous to even walk on.  Had a similar situation last year.

I have seen some of the Saltdoggg spreaders that go into a 2 inch receiver and sit on the bumper of a truck that look perfect.  But as I chatted with a dealer he said they really only work with sand that is 50/50 salt-sand. Seems sand needs a vibratory mechanism to keep it flowing?


What I have at my disposal:
A 35 HP tractor with a 3 point hitch and SSQA loader (would really rather not use the 3 point as my blower uses it and I like to keep it on there for the winter.)
I have a pickup with a 2 inch receiver on the front and back bumpers
I have an ATV that I could add a 2 inch receiver to if I had to.

I don't need to do this more than a few times each year, so I plan to just buy some bags of sand that I can keep in my garage so it stays dry and won't freeze into a block.

This weekend I plan to sit in the bed of the truck with several bags of sand and a scoop while my wife slowly navigates the driveway and fling sand by hand!

[Special T]

Walk behind or 3 point fertilizer broadcast spreader?

[Rob]

That thought had crossed my mind.  similar consistency of media, but sand might be denser (if that matters).

I would settle for that in a heartbeat if someone out there has had luck with a setup like that somewhere before

[hughjorgan]

Special T’s idea would work just make sure to hose it down after each use or it will rust up any metal.

Are you getting temps in the 20s? If so I’d get some bags of salt…

Have you considered hiring it out?

[Special T]

It works with dry sand.

[Rob]

Cool, I think that will be my ticket then.

good info!

[Special T]

My experience is with those 2 wheeled push fertilizer/sand throwers. Provided the wheels can get traction to spin the gears. That may be the sticky point.

[Woodchuck]

Reload a bunch of shotgun shells with sand and go throw some clays.   

[Rob]

My experience is with those 2 wheeled push fertilizer/sand throwers. Provided the wheels can get traction to spin the gears. That may be the sticky point.

I was thinking of getting one I could tow behind the Atv.  That might have the same issue though

Will consider the shotgun shell idea!

[KFhunter]

Make a salted sand pile, put a tarp or roof on it, scoop with tractor bucket and spread it

[wadu1]

Reload a bunch of shotgun shells with sand and go throw some clays.   

Now that sounds like fun, but it would take a lot of shells to do 220 yards of road. On the plus side sand would be a lot cheaper than lead and easier to find. Pitch targets also make good roadbed material. I've got about 2 or 3 thousand extra 10GA wads you can use. On the negative if you use standard pitch clay targets, they are hazardous to farm animals, the new bio targets can change the PH levels in the soil and kill evergreens.   

[Woodchuck]

Reload a bunch of shotgun shells with sand and go throw some clays.   

Now that sounds like fun, but it would take a lot of shells to do 220 yards of road. On the plus side sand would be a lot cheaper than lead and easier to find. Pitch targets also make good roadbed material. I've got about 2 or 3 thousand extra 10GA wads you can use. On the negative if you use standard pitch clay targets, they are hazardous to farm animals, the new bio targets can change the PH levels in the soil and kill evergreens.

Killjoy.

[Ghost Hunter]

Used to spread tons of deicer with a push broadcaster.  Lay it on heavy at entry and heavy traffic areas.  Surprising how far it would travel with traffic.

[LongBomb]

Used to spread tons of deicer with a push broadcaster.  Lay it on heavy at entry and heavy traffic areas.  Surprising how far it would travel with traffic.

Dump some piles ever so often and as you drive you will track it up and down

[ghosthunter]

Used to spread tons of deicer with a push broadcaster.  Lay it on heavy at entry and heavy traffic areas.  Surprising how far it would travel with traffic.

Dump some piles ever so often and as you drive you will track it up and down

We did that one year to get out of a steep FS road we were on in preparation to leaving with our cargo trailers. Traffic up and down spread it out and when we left three days later there were 25-30 foot bare spots.