anyone built a lime/fertilizer spreader?

[GonHuntin]

Just wondering if anyone has built their own lime/fertilizer spreader??

I have a moutrie atv spreader, but I'd be stopping every 3 minutes to refill it if I was trying to spread lime or fertilizer.

I'm thinking one could be built with a plastic drum and a heavy duty 12 volt motor and mount it on a small trailer to pull behind an atv. I know there are ground driven atv "cone" spreaders, but I hear a lot of complaints about them tipping over.

Anybody done it?? Any great ideas??

 

[Semisane]

I built one just as you describe GonHuntin. It worked fine. I used the motor from my Moultrie ATV spreader. It was a little tricky fabricating the gate. I used plastic from a second barrel for that. I also used plastic from the second barrel to fabricate a cone for the inside of the spreader. A cone isn't absolutely necessary but the barrel won't completely empty without one. If you make a cone be sure to use a half dozen small stainless steel bolts around the top circumference of the cone to secure it to the barrel. Otherwise it will shift. Sorry, I don't have pictures of it, and no longer have it. I found I didn't need that much capacity for my small plots and preferred the maneuverability of the ATV mounted unit.

 

[GonHuntin]

Sounds like it worked.

I was brainstorming with my brother about this project, trying to figure out a heavy duty, 12 volt ,variable speed motor with enough torque to distribute s higher volume of material than the motor on my moultrie spreader. He came up with the brilliant idea to use the motor and speed control from an old trolling motor!! I happen to have an old 12 volt foot controlled trolling motor, with a bad steering cable, that should do the trick.

It's going to have to cool down a bit before I can build it, but I have a good plan in mind.

 

[Semisane]

Don't know if this is a fact, but I've always had the impression that trolling motors should not be run out of water for extended periods of time to avoid overheating. I don't know why that should be because electric motors don't generally overhead except when placed under excessive load. But you might check that out.

If the motor is of no use to you otherwise, you could hook it up to a battery and let it run for a half hour and see what happens. Worst case, you ruin the motor. Best case, you save the trouble of fabricating a mount for a motor that won't work.

 

[Doe Shooter]

I did this years ago and it has under gone some changes. I works best with dry ag lime from the quarry. Which means mid late summer.


gate open


gate closed


drive wheel


agitators


mike