posted
on Tuesday, July 12, 2022
in
Dealer News
In Louisiana, we know hurricane season is something that is always on the back of our minds every summer into fall. Preparing for hurricane season always presents variables that are completely out of our control but something we are very accustomed to. Below is our top 5 list of items you might need for the hurricane season that you may not be thinking about if you are preparing to clean up debris or ride out a storm (should they come) this year.
1. Generators
Of course, this might be a "duh" factor but are you thinking about the things you will need for the generator? Improper usage can also make generators extremely dangerous. Carbon monoxide and electrocution are legitimate, life-threatening hazards if you don’t know what you’re doing. What you are probably not thinking about is the oil and fuel you are going to need. You will need plenty of oil and fuel to keep the generator going for an extended period of time.
Most new generators need their first oil change after just 25 hours. After that, you’ll have to dump the old stuff and refill it every 50 or 60 hours. During extended outages, you can easily run your generator long enough to need an oil change. Don’t count on finding the right oil filter for your particular generator after a major storm. Instead, buy extra filters and oil before the storm hits. Check out the generators that Sunshine has before they are gone.
2. Implements for Your Compact Tractor to Clean Debris
- Grapple – If you need to remove something large and heavy, such as boulders, rocks, or logs, then a regular bucket might not cut it. Grapples — or grapple buckets — offer an extra advantage with big debris. Unlike a normal bucket, grapples are fitted with two grapple arms that help hold onto whatever you need to move after a storm. They are an excellent addition to your implement collection.
- Front End Loader – Moving dirt and debris will be one of your first priorities, having your front end loader and bucket ready to go will be essential. Removing your bucket from your John Deere compact tractor is easy.
- Pallet Forks – Having pallet forks will be great before and after the storm. Whether you are needing them to move around sandbags or needing them to move rocks out of the way, or help move pallets of food or water around a warehouse, they are very useful.
3. Stihl Chainsaw
Chainsaws are always one of the first items we sell out on after a hurricane hits. More than likely, if you have a lot of trees, they could fall during the storm and you will need a chainsaw to help cut tree limbs and stumps up to move them out of the way with your skid steer, track loader, or compact tractor. At Sunshine, we have a number of different models made by Stihl that you can purchase before the storm.
4. Skid Steer or Compact Track Loader
This is much more of an expensive investment but worth it if you are looking for a side hustle when storms come around or to have on your property. When it comes to John Deere Skid Steers or Compact Track Loaders there isn’t a lot that they can’t do. Skid steer tree pullers can easily pull trees, shrubs and other vegetation from the ground after a storm and they even make attachments to grind up tree stumps.
Our most personal favorite attachment here at Sunshine is a mulching head. It is able to turn wood material such as stumps, brush, and smaller trees into mulch with ease which would be great for after the storm. Another extremely useful favorite is a stump shredder attachment. When trees fall after high winds this will be a very useful attachment for most yards.
5. Servicing Your Equipment Before the Storm
If you know you haven’t had a routine maintenance check in a while, go ahead and get that done so your equipment is prepared for whatever storm might come our way. It would be awful if you had a simple maintenance issue that could have been resolved earlier. This can be for your Stihl chainsaw, compact tractor, generator, or your gator utility vehicle. If you want to schedule routine maintenance you can call any one of our 17 locations or reach out via an online form!