by Jon M. Casey

In the August 2014 issue of Hard Hat News we featured a pictorial presentation of several new snow blades and snow pushers exhibited at the 17^th Annual Snow and Ice Symposium in Columbus, OH. The four-day event, hosted by the Snow & Ice Management Association (SIMA), featured educational sessions, a tour of the Columbus City brine making facility, and a Snow and Ice Trade Show filled with exhibitors featuring snow and ice products, programs and services, some of which are shown here. This month, we are featuring several new products ranging from walk-behind snow pushers to an innovative articulated mini-loader with dozens of optional accessories for helping contractors with jobs not only for winter use, but for summer projects as well. For contractors who specialize in winter’s snow removal, there are plenty of new products to help make the job easier.

For example, I was especially impressed with the Avant articulated loader and the host of attachments that the company offers to give contractors flexibility for every season. The variety of salt spreaders whether for tailgate use or on an ATV, give snow removal crews choices on how best to meet the needs of their customers. One of the more novel innovations was the KAGE repolacement Poly Roto Blades for Toro single stage snow blowers. KAGE representative Dustin Odegaard said these new poly blades offer contractors a durable alternative to regular blades that tend to wear out quickly when doing detailed snow removal on customer sidewalks.

Mark Holman, VP of Sales and Marketing for SnowWolf™ noted that their Wolf™Paws snow tires and wheels for skid steer loaders, are unique in the industry. He said the added down force from the narrower design, coupled with the proprietary rubber formulation and tread design, gives operators better skid steer control when removing snow and ice from parking lots and other larger areas.

The DropPro 600 Sidewalk Spreader from SnowEx® was worth a closer look as well. This durable spreader features a motor with auger drive transmission, a variable-speed digital controller and a mounting capability that provides for connecting to a small tractor or ATV depending on the customer requirements. This spreader is available in a 6 or 14 cubic-foot capacity. Most importantly, with the precision of application that this unit provides, less lawn damage in the spring, from over-application of salt or other ice control products, will make summer lawn care easy.

For readers who might be interested in attending the 2015 SIMA Snow and Ice Symposium, to be held June 24-27, 2015 in Shaumburg, IL, details will be available at www.sima.org/show.