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Written by Del Williams
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Tuesday, November 05, 2024 12:00 AM |
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 Unique Skid Steer Tire Increases Snow Clearing Performance and Safety
Traditional wide tires slip and slide on snow and ice. A specially designed, narrow skid steer tire is designed to penetrate snow and ice, dramatically increasing traction.
When snow needs to be quickly cleared from public areas, municipalities and landscape contractors often rely on skid steers with snow removal attachments to efficiently complete the job. However, poor tire traction can slow or halt work as well as threaten safety.
Conventional skid steer tires can be prone to slipping or sliding in icy environments or heavy snow. When a skid steer loses road traction in these conditions, the operator can lose control of the vehicle and a collision, accident, or injury can occur.
“Typical skid steer tires, not built for snow and ice, can be up to 14 inches across so tend to stay on the surface, leading to poor traction and safety,” says Jerry Holman, President of SnowWolf Plows, a Minnesota-based manufacturer that offers various snow removal accessories such as snow blowers, plows, and pushers which are compatible with skid steers, compact loaders, wheel loaders, front-end loaders, tractors, and other machinery.
In response, industry innovators have helped to minimize wheel slippage and sliding with skid steer-specific snow tire designs that provide superior traction. The improved traction, in turn, translates into greater safety and productivity when clearing snow from public spaces. The enhanced safety provided by superior tire traction also reduces the risk
of accidents and collisions as well as required repairs and maintenance, prolonging the usable life of the vehicle and snow removal attachment.
As an example, skid steer specific tires such as WolfPaws by SnowWolf are designed to be narrower to penetrate ice and snow. Depending on the model, WolfPaws are 6.6”-8.5” wide compared to most skid steer loader tires at 10”-14” so can exert nearly double the ground pressure, dramatically improving traction, snow clearing, and safety.
WolfPaws range from 28” to 36” in height and fitments are offered for machines as small as the Bobcat Toolcat all the way up to the largest of skid steers. Some customers prefer to go with a larger diameter tire than what comes standard on their machine which gives the added benefit of increasing the skid steers’ travel speed and hence, an even greater improvement in productivity.
According to Holman, the skid steer snow tires, which are made in the USA, are not a retread and not a truck tire but a completely new tire designed for this one purpose. Due to the unique width and special tread, the snow tires come as a complete package…4 tires installed on the correct wheels for your machine and aired up to spec.
“The specialized tread pattern is specifically designed and molded for use with machinery on snow and ice, and many of the models are compatible with carbide studs which you can add as an option. While the snow tires are designed to increase traction, ground pressure and productivity while eliminating sliding, slipping, and spinning in snow, add the carbide stud option will give you incredible traction even on ice” says Holman
Testing and experience in the field have proven the snow tire design to be effective and they will significantly improve the productivity of your machines. With full confidence in the product, the OEM offers a full refund to dissatisfied customers if returned to the dealer after the first use.
Skid steer tires with snow removal attachments play an important role in maintaining safety on roads and other public areas. However, using standard tires that offer poor traction can compromise snow clearing performance and safety.
As a solution, municipalities and landscape contractors that utilize skid steer snow tires specifically designed to improve traction will not only improve their snow clearing efficiency but also the safety of operators and the public.
For more information, call SnowWolf at (800) 905-2265; email [email protected]; visit www.snowwolfplows.com.
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Written by Becky Garber-Godi
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Tuesday, November 05, 2024 12:00 AM |
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Carl left a legacy in the Green Industry
Photo credit: David Winger Photography
Colorado’s horticulture industry lost one of its most influential advocates with the recent passing of Carl W. Anderson Jr., founder and owner of the former Arapahoe Acres Nursery in Littleton. Though his primary residence was recently in Arizona, a memorial service in Colorado will be held November 18, 2024, 2 p.m., at Mission Hills Church, 620 Southpark, Littleton.
In his early career, Anderson was a Denver-area schoolteacher who started what was to become Arapahoe Acres Nursery--a large wholesale nursery and retail garden center in Littleton. After school hours, he came to the nursery which his wife Mary managed early in the day. In later years of the nursery, their adult son Wayne became an owner.
As a full-time nurseryman, Anderson served on the boards of both the Colorado Nursery Association, now Colorado Nursery and Greenhouse Association (CNGA), and Associated Landscape Contractors of Colorado (ALCC). His industry peer, Stanley Brown Jr., of Alameda Wholesale Nursery, Inc., recalls that it was rare for industry pros to serve simultaneous terms on the boards of both organizations whose priorities were not always mutual. Yet, Anderson managed those dual commitments with enthusiasm for both.
Anderson earned the nickname “King Carl” when the nursery board did not vote to support a project he proposed. He said, “No, this is something we ought to be doing, and Stan [Brown] and I will pay for it!” and they did. “King Carl” believed in doing what served the industry, whether it was internally promoting industry-wide best practices or educating their consumers in best horticulture practices. In the green industry, “He was not reluctant to call on others to get help for worthwhile projects,” remembers one.
He was very involved personally in the Denver Post’s weekly gardening insert which was one of the most popular features among its readers for many years. Anderson also coordinated writing and publishing the book, Successful Gardening for Colorado, which included a chapter written by each of 21 industry contributors based on their individual area of expertise.
Brown also recalls Anderson’s character as always being one that placed goodwill above personal gain. He recounts he and Anderson often went on trips together to buy plants for their respective nurseries. One such trip was to Oregon when the relatively new introduction of Mugo pines was in high demand. The distraught salesman told them¸ “I only have enough stock to fill one of your orders.” Anderson’s immediate response was, “Then sell us each half!” Dilemma solved.
His commitment to the industry and its consumers earned Anderson numerous leadership positions and awards from several industry segments. Among them are his selection as the eighth person to earn ALCC’s Bob Cannon Award for Lifetime Achievement, induction into the Colorado Floriculture Hall of Fame in 2000 and induction into CNGA’s Hall of Fame in 2006.
Read more in this issue of Colorado Green Now:
Enhancing snow-clearing performance
CO 811 Damage Prevention Summit
How to manage vole damage
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Written by Colorado Green Now
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Tuesday, November 05, 2024 12:00 AM |
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Voles, also known as field mice, are small brown rodents very common in yards and fields. They are about the size and shape of a mouse and have small ears and a short tail. Colorado has several species of vole, the most common being the meadow vole and the prairie vole.
Their presence is most often observed in the late winter and early spring right after the snow melts, when their grassy trails are exposed, and areas of dead grass appear. Voles do the most harm to small trees and shrubs when they chew on the bark, often hidden below winter snow.
Life cycle
- Like most rodents, voles do not live long, seldom more than 12 months.
- They are very productive breeders. One female vole can have 5-10 litters in a year, averaging three to five young. They may next in shallow grass-filled nests on the ground or dig a small tunnel about four to five inches down to nest.
- Vole populations cycle. Every three to five years there will be a population boom. Mild winters with good snowfall can help to increase vole populations.
- Voles are a prime food source for many predators such as snakes, hawks, owls, foxes and badgers.
Identifying vole damage
- Voles spend a great deal of time eating grass and roots and making trails. These surface runways are one of the easiest ways to identify voles. Usually seen in early spring just after snowmelt, a series of crisscrossing trails can be viewed on the surface. There may be larger patches of dried grass that serve as storage areas for extra food and nesting materials.
- Voles will also make small holes about one inch across to get to tubers and bulbs.
- Voles sometimes use mole tunnels, which causes moles to be blamed for eating roots instead of the white grubs they actually eat.
- Vole damage may also be noticed on trees and shrubs where they have chewed through the bark hear the ground. The vole's front teeth will leave quarter-inch, side-by-side grooves in the wood.
Preventing and managing vole damage
Voles may go unnoticed for a large portion of the year. In an average year, it may not even be worth the effort to control the population.
Yard Sanitation - Voles are very common and total prevention is impossible, but general yard sanitation may help keep vole numbers down.
- Remove woodpiles and other debris from the ground that may be hiding places for voles
- Keep grass trimmed short and bushes trimmed up from the ground.
- Bird feeders are another attraction for voles. Remove them or keep the ground very clean.
Reseeding grass - While lawn damage is most visible in the spring, it is rarely permanent.
- Rake up the dead grass and reseed the area.
- As the surrounding grass grows, it will cover up the trails.
Tree guards - Prevent vole damage to tree bark by encircling the tree with light colored tree gaurd.
- The guard should be tall enough to reach above the snow line in the winter.
- The base should be buried in the soil or have a soil ridge around the base.
- Make sure that the guard is loose enough so that it does not constrict the tree.
Trapping - In small areas, trapping may be an effective way of reducing vole populations.
- Standard mouse snap traps set along runways or near tunnels will catch some animals.
- Bait with peanut butter.
- Cover the traps so that pets and children do not accidentally find them.
Pesticides - Reduce large vole populations with toxic baits.
- Most pesticides recommended for voles are restricted and can only be used by certified pesticide applicators.
- Contact your local Extension educators for more information about pesticide use.
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Written by Colorado 811
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Tuesday, November 05, 2024 12:00 AM |
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2024 Colorado 811 Annual Damage Prevention Summit Wrap-Up
With a shared commitment to improving damage prevention practices across Colorado, Colorado 811 hosted over 100 utility owners, operators, professional excavators, and locators on September 17, 2024, at the newly redesigned Colorado 811 Annual Damage Prevention Summit & Annual Member Meeting at the Great Wolf Lodge in Colorado Springs.
Education took center stage, with a focus on providing participants with the latest knowledge, best practices, data, and techniques essential for improving safety, optimizing locate requests, and preventing damage to underground utilities. The event also included a fun networking lunch combined with a spirited game of Damage Prevention Trivia, as well as several prize giveaways including a Big Green Egg Grill, Yeti Coolers, and Flat Screen TV!
This year’s 2024 Colorado 811 Summit was made possible by Colorado 811 and funding received from multiple industry sponsors. This combined support was crucial to provide a stage for industry professionals to come together, share knowledge, and advance damage prevention efforts in Colorado.
Based on this year’s overwhelming positive feedback and event success, next year’s 2025 Colorado 811 Damage Prevention Summit & Expo will be even bigger! The 2025 conference will be a 2-day event that includes even more education sessions, networking opportunities, a Damage Prevention Relay Race, a Mock Line Strike, and more – a must attend event in 2025.
For more information about next year’s conference or to sign up to receive updates on event location, session content, speakers, and sponsorship opportunities click here.
Industry professionals who were not able to attend this year’s Colorado 811 event and attendees who want to revisit the education session content have the opportunity to access the sessions online. Colorado 811 has made the course content available online, free of charge...explore here.
Education sessions available on demand are:
•Bridging the Gap: Collaborative Strategies for Locators and Excavators
•Current Colorado Excavator Trends: Data & Insights from CO811 Tickets
•Deep Dig: Masting Ticket Creation for Colorado 811
•Maximizing Safety & Efficiency: Navigating Colorado 811's Positive Response Procedures
Read more in this issue of Colorado Green Now:
Enhancing snow-clearing performance
In memoriam: Carl W. Anderson Jr.
How to manage vole damage
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