Sand Booser
The 27-hole Star Valley Ranch (Wyo.) Golf Course receives significant snow throughout a typical winter. To remove the 24-plus inches of snow off the greens in the spring, a 2014 The Andersons PowerPro 2000 12-volt electric spinner rotary spreader ($800) was mounted, using a homemade bracket made of square tubing and flat steel to a 1970 SkiDoo Ski-Boose MK II sled. The windshield was removed from the sled, a 12-volt electrically operated ram formerly used to control the throttle on a Buffalo Blower was modified to open and close the spreader’s rate control plate. The control panel for the ram was modified to control the rate control plate and the 12-volt spreader’s spinner. It was attached to the 2013 Ski Doo Skandil 600 ETec ($12,000) snow mobile’s battery using alligator clips. The tongue to pull the sled was made of 2-inch square tubing that mounts to the snowmobile with a quick-disconnect hitch. Unipar Black Sand in 50-pound bags ($9.40 each) was applied at 10 pounds per 1,000 square feet using about 100 to 150 pounds per green. The black sand was applied in mid-March in 40–50 degree temperatures on a sunny day and about 16 inches of snow was successfully melted. It took about four hours to apply the black sand on nine holes. It took about 40 hours on and off for about a year to mount and modify the spreader. Kurt Richmond, superintendent, Steve Stohr, equipment manager, and James Bort, irrigation specialist, make up this great turf care team.
The Hulk
This Kuker 1,500-gallon water trailer was not used for many years, so it was modified by building a 90-inch by 40-inch by 18-inch dump trailer using ½-inch steel sheets, 2-inch by 2-inch square tubing ¼-inch thick and 2-inch channel stock. A hydraulic ram raises and lowers the bed that is hooked to the hydraulic spool quick connect on the John Deere 4600 Tractor. A step made from 2-inch angle iron with a handrail made out of 2-inch bent solid steel leads to the standing area made with 2-inch angle iron and 1-inch wire mesh. The tailgate is held in place during transport using a 2-inch flat steel bracket with a notch that slides over a 5/8-inch diameter bolt welded in place. The trailer is used for transporting materials such as sand and mulch. It took about 30 hours on and off to build and about $300 for materials. Brad Twidwell, superintendent, at the Cape Girardeau (Mo.) Country Club and his team performed this modification.
Explore the May 2017 Issue
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