The Zamboni juggles several functions with aplomb: it scrapes, washes, filters, and vacuums the ice, shifting water from tank to tank, then uses heat to create a slight melt that’s squeegeed flat as glass. The machine responsible for this elaborate choreography was patented by Frank Zamboni in 1947 – and it was an invention born of necessity. Frank and his brothers had built an ice rink in Paramount, California, christened Iceland, but resurfacing it took several people more than 90 minutes. His new machine could finish the task in 15 minutes. Zamboni never intended to produce more than one machine, but orders piled up, and soon he was in business. This 1990 Zamboni 500 is listed for sale here on facebook Marketplace by the Shawano Hockey League (they have a new machine!). The price is $10,999, a discount from the previous ask of $14,999. Drive it home (ha ha) from Appleton, Wisconsin. Thanks for the tip, Lothar… of the Hill People! We appreciate you.
At first, Zamboni garnished a Jeep with his various ice-surfacing gadgets – augers, blades, tanks. Increasing orders from outsiders provoked a more sophisticated approach, so by the mid 1960s, Zamboni was building custom chassis and powering his machines with VW engines altered to use propane. Shawano’s 500 has a 63 hp four-cylinder propane-powered engine, with a single tank. Other specs include a hydrostatic transmission, four-wheel drive, and hydraulically-controlled augers. Loaded with water and ice shavings in the tanks, this beast weighs about 9000 lbs. That pond better be frozen solid before you get out there!
The black mechanism contains the blade, conveyor, ice rinser, and “carpet” that work together to gloss up the ice. The seller will include an extra blade, carpet, and the operating manual. This Zamboni starts easily, runs well, and is ready to work.
The new owner might want to customize the paint job, or maybe use a wrap? I’d love to see a Zamboni with flames like an old-school hot rod. Price-wise, now that the hockey league has dished up a discount, this 500 is about on target. Research shows that if you stalk auctions, you might be able to do better, but there’s value in having the prior owner available for questions, if even to teach you how to use the thing!
Wow!!! Michelle, I saw this on Fast Finds and was hoping it would get written up. My Dad worked at an Ice Rink back in the 50’s. I remember him saying he drove an early Zamboni made out of an early Jeep. It’s quite a skill running one of these. As Michelle already written, there’s a lot going on there in the process of running one of these. Thank you so much for writing this one up and your research. The image I posted is of one that was probably similar to the one my Dad drove. Zambonis are impressive machines when you realize all thats going on. This is great Michelle!!! Thank you.
I see the site opened up the “Michelle Files”,,,don’t stop now! A Zamboni,,,never thought I’d see that here. As a kid, ice skating was THE thing to do. In Milwaukee, we didn’t have very many indoor rinks, maybe 1 or 2, but we had dozens of city parks, and everyone had a lagoon or pond. It should come as no surprise, I was the ice skating champion. We’d have tag, and I never got caught. I remember walking for blocks on the sidewalk, IN MY SKATES, the blades couldn’t cut butter, but never a Zamboni. Sometimes the fire dept. would flood the rinks. Usually a FC Jeep with a broom on front, rough ice was rough ice. We did have an indoor rink on the sout’ side, for hockey and “open skating”, and was always a treat. It wasn’t 10 below, the ice was smooth as glass, and a great, clean cut place for a date. I always thought the Zamboni job looked a bit boring. NEXT!!!
Ha, no secret files, I just got back from a business trip and couldn’t sleep at 10 pm! So out came the computer and off it rolled these articles….
I learned to skate at Lloyd Center ice rink and kept at it on and off for years. Watching the Zamboni was mesmerizing. Some guys could run that thing ’round the rink in no time flat.
🎶🎸 “I wanna drive the Zamboni! I wanna drive the Zam-bo-neee!” 🎸🎶