ARCHBOLD WEATHER

Snowplow Truck, Large Mower Purchased


The village of Archbold and the Archbold Park Board recently agreed to purchase two pieces of equipment– one much larger than the other.

Village Council approved the purchase of a 2020 Freightliner snowplow truck at its Monday, Jan. 20 meeting.

Jason Martz, street commissioner, received prices for mid-sized trucks from International, Freightliner, Kenworth, and Western Star.

Martz also received bids for snowplow equipment including stainless-steel dump beds, snowplows, stainlesssteel salt spreaders, equipment to add calcium chloride to road salt, related hydraulic gear, and other equipment.

Kalida Truck, Kalida, offered the equipment for $74,000. Concord Equipment, Painesville, bid the same equipment for $84,063.22.

Freightliner

Martz told council he recommends the Freightliner 114SD, which was not the least-expensive truck. With an $84,802 chassis, plus $74,000 in equipment, the total price was $148,802.

That’s about 2%, or $3,058, more than the $81,734 International HV507 chassis, which, with equipment, was $144,734.

The Freightliner will be delivered with a Cummins diesel engine, Allison automatic transmission, and a single rear axle.

Martz said it will be the second Freghtliner, and the second truck with a stainless steel bed. He has been pleased with both.

The Kenworth T370, with equipment, was $159,390. The Western Star 4700 was the most expensive, at $168,582.

Martz said it will take four to five months for the truck chassis to be delivered to Stoops Freightliner, Lima. Then it will go straight to Kalida Trucks to fit the snowplow equipment, which will take another four to five months.

One street department truck will move to the water treatment plant. A 1990 truck with a standard transmission will be sold.

Mower

Archbold Park Board agreed to purchase an eXmark commercial zero-turn lawn mower during its Wednesday, Jan. 22 meeting.

Mike Rosebrook, athletic field maintenance supervisor, said the mower, powered by a diesel engine, has sev- eral advantages over other machines.

The unit was selected through the state of Ohio bid program, in which the state picks the lowest bids for each make and model. The purchase price is $33,500.

It will come from Buehrer Power Equipment, rural Stryker.

Currently, Parks & Recreation owns one “big” mower– a John Deere, and three smaller machines– all riding mowers.

Jennifer Kidder, director of Parks & Recreation, said plans are to go to two big mowers (the eXmark and the John Deere) and sell one of the smaller machines through the GovDeals website.

Rosebrook said currently, it takes 4 to 4 1/2 days to mow all the grass in the parks. Sometimes, Parks & Recreation brings in outside contractors to do some mowing.