Do you hate filling spreader bags?

[Tap]

I sure do. Trying to pour an awkward bag of grain seed into the floppy bag of an Earthway shoulder spreader is a pain. And the junky plastic gizmos they added to "improve" the bag suck. Those plastic stays of mine broke after 1 season.

Here's a good cure that makes it much easier to fill spreader bags without the bag sagging and spilling seed everywhere.
I cut the bottom out of a 5 gallon bucket and then I made another cut all the way up the side. I originally made this to protect young trees when I'm spot spraying or weed wacking around them, but the bucket works great for slipping inside the spreader bag before filling it. It holds it rigid in the upright position while pouring seed in the bag. The cut up the side of the bucket allows the bucket to slip in easier. Just slide the bucket in, fill it up without having the bag sag, then pull the bucket out (if you want), zip it closed and go. I guess the bucket could be left in but I prefer having it out so the bag can collapse as it empties. It's a little more comfortable for me to use without the bucket still inside.

 

[Osceola]

Just last Saturday I was cursing my Earthway bag spreader for this very reason. Thanks for the tip.

 

[j-bird]

Sounds like somebody needs to be pitching a patent idea to Earthway!!!!

 

[Osceola]

Here's another idea for $7.95:

 

[Jason Broom]

Given the small size of seed usually put in these bags, one could cut the bottom of a 1-gallon water jug and stick it into the Earthway spreader bag with the mouth of the jug facing down. Pour in a gallon of seed, lift up to have it run out the bottom of the jug, then the sides should stand up by themselves?

 

[Turkish]

One word. Solo.

 

[Tap]

Given the small size of seed usually put in these bags, one could cut the bottom of a 1-gallon water jug and stick it into the Earthway spreader bag with the mouth of the jug facing down. Pour in a gallon of seed, lift up to have it run out the bottom of the jug, then the sides should stand up by themselves?

That's pretty much what I'm doing except I use the bucket instead of a jug.
I think a bucket will work better than a jug because...with the cut going up the side of the bucket, it's diameter can be squished to slide it in the bag easily, and when you let it go, it flexes back and expands tightly against the inside of the bag and stands up. I think the jug would flop around inside, fall over in there and defeat the purpose.
And I don't just spread small seeds. I do large seeds and fertilizer, too. So the small opening of a jug would take longer to empty. My bucket empties as fast as I pull it out.

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[Tap]

One word. Solo.

Nope. I have a Solo, too. It's opening for filling is still too small compared to my bucket.
And I hate the strap on the Solo. Very uncomfortable for me and I have short arms. For me to adjust the strap short enough that I easily reach the crank on the bottom of a rotation, then the plastic bin is right in my face which limits visibility when walking.
The nice thing about bags is that they collapse out of the way as they empty and I can see rocks, clumps, holes, etc, much better. For smaller people, bags spreaders are less tiring to use than hopper style, but bags are just a pain to fill...not so if you stick a cut bucket inside.
Solo spreaders hang right in front of you. I'm constantly stumbling on stones and stuff. Earthway bags kinda hang to the side on your hip. I can see where I'm stepping.


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[Tap]

Here's another idea for $7.95:
View attachment 9314

Nope. A rigid device won't work as well as a flexible plastic bucket. The bucket expands fully inside the bag. When I pour into it, the bag is 100% full.
And I used an old bucket with a leak...it was free.
I'm convinced that there is nothing cheaper, that will work as well as a cut bucket.
Try it...I think you'll agree.

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[Drycreek]

One word. Solo.

Yeah, my bag spreader is sitting in my shop feeling very unloved. My Solo on the other hand, is standing loud and proud !

 

[CTM1]

Yep Solo is the way to go, but it does not matter as spreading seed is the single thing I hate most about food plotting.

 

[MarkDarvin]

I don't do any kind of bag or strap spreaders anymore. Those things are too small for big and heavy rate seeds like rye, oats, beans, and far to big for small things like clover and brassicas. I simply throw by hand my large seeds out of a 5 gallon bucket. Takes about 30 seconds of practice and you can get proficient. I blow on my small seeds with a leaf blower.

There is a huge problem out there of putting down too much small seed, and having to fill those bag spreaders countless times for large seeds. Lots of time, seed, and plot performance is lost because of it.

Buy once, cry once. My whole rig cost $210 ($50 for blower attachment, $160 for electric leaf blower). I've peed away more than that on bag spreaders.

 

[Drycreek]

I don't do any kind of bag or strap spreaders anymore. Those things are too small for big and heavy rate seeds like rye, oats, beans, and far to big for small things like clover and brassicas. I simply throw by hand my large seeds out of a 5 gallon bucket. Takes about 30 seconds of practice and you can get proficient. I blow on my small seeds with a leaf blower.

There is a huge problem out there of putting down too much small seed, and having to fill those bag spreaders countless times for large seeds. Lots of time, seed, and plot performance is lost because of it.

Buy once, cry once. My whole rig cost $210 ($50 for blower attachment, $160 for electric leaf blower). I've peed away more than that on bag spreaders.

If I planted very much small seed, I could learn to love that, but I don't. I've had decent luck mixing clover seed with my fertilizer and spreading with a cyclone spreader on my tractor, but I normally just use the Solo. ALL large seeds are spread with the cyclone spreader. I've done it enough that I can spread it 15 feet wide in a narrow plot or as wide as it will sling. The key, for me, is to set the gate to where I have to go over the plot 2/3 times to get rid of the seed. That keeps it pretty uniform.

 

[Jason Broom]

I don't do any kind of bag or strap spreaders anymore. Those things are too small for big and heavy rate seeds like rye, oats, beans, and far to big for small things like clover and brassicas. I simply throw by hand my large seeds out of a 5 gallon bucket. Takes about 30 seconds of practice and you can get proficient. I blow on my small seeds with a leaf blower.

There is a huge problem out there of putting down too much small seed, and having to fill those bag spreaders countless times for large seeds. Lots of time, seed, and plot performance is lost because of it.

Buy once, cry once. My whole rig cost $210 ($50 for blower attachment, $160 for electric leaf blower). I've peed away more than that on bag spreaders.

I agree on bag spreaders being too small in capacity to spread pelletized lime, fertilizer or larger seeded plants, but to say they are "far to (sic) big for small things like clover and brassicas." is something you can't say without substantiating your claim. Smaller spreader, like the better Earthway and Solo units, are exceptional spreading small seed very effectively, with just a little practice. Tens of thousands of food plots can't be wrong?

Please elaborate on why you feel the bag seeders or a Solo is not suitable for spreading small seeds?

 

[Elkaddict]

Another Solo fan here....

 

[Mennoniteman]

Yep Solo is the way to go, but it does not matter as spreading seed is the single thing I hate most about food plotting.

ATV with Herd model 77 seeder makes spreading seed the most fun thing about food plotting.

 

[Doe Shooter]

One word. Solo.

That's one reason why I also bought a solo. Built for a lifetime.

 

[MarkDarvin]

I agree on bag spreaders being too small in capacity to spread pelletized lime, fertilizer or larger seeded plants, but to say they are "far to (sic) big for small things like clover and brassicas." is something you can't say without substantiating your claim. Smaller spreader, like the better Earthway and Solo units, are exceptional spreading small seed very effectively, with just a little practice. Tens of thousands of food plots can't be wrong?

Please elaborate on why you feel the bag seeders or a Solo is not suitable for spreading small seeds?

I've had earthways and chapin over the shoulder seeders and the openings are too wide. There's no sweet spot between not flowing, and flowing too fast for brassicas and clover. Daikon seeds are bigger than rape and turnip, so to get it going enough to get the radish through, the smaller ones are flying through. I had to damn near run the one time I was able to spread it thin enough. If the makers would redesign the openings so the slide plate is angled, it could work better, but the slide plate is parallel to the opening.

I base my opinion on the number of brassica plots that get posted where the seed rates are just too high. I don't fault anyone for overseeding. Hell, almost every brassica plot I've ever done has been seeded too heavily. I'd like to see my brassicas at 2-3 plants per square foot at most. I see lots where there are dozens per square foot, again, including my own past performances.

The edges where a person turned and flung less seed in a spot seem to put out the biggest tubers, and leaves.

I'm not trying to come off cranky or critical, but I just hate over the shoulder spreaders. Seems like a "better horse" situation when the automobile was coming of age.

 

[Tap]

I started this thread to pass on a tip to users of bag spreaders, not to debate which brand is best. But since some of you guys brought it up...
I've only owned shoulder speaders. I never had an ATV or 3 point unit and I've been spreading seed and fertilizer for 25 years. I started out with a canvas bag Earthway, then got a nylon bag EW and I hated it because of the difficulty to fill it. So I bought the largest size EW hopper style. It sure was easy to fill but it was just way too large to have hanging in front of me. I couldn't see where I was walking.
So I sold it and got a Solo. It was smaller that the huge EW so I liked that, but the filler hole should be much larger and the stinkin strap across the back of the neck is a horrible design.
I still have that Solo but after inventing the bucket method, I know I'll never use that Solo again. Anybody want to buy it?
So, with the EW bag unit and with the bucket, I realize the Solo can't hold a candle to the EW.
I did some comparison measurements and pics.
The main advantage of the EW (with the cut bucket) is ease of filling. It's almost instant and no seed or fertilizer gets spilled...NONE at all.
With the Solo, the filler hole need care when pouring into it and some seed still gets spilled.
Size is another issue. The EW will hold a full 5 gallon bucket of product (which is half a bag/bushel of rye).
The Solo only holds about 3 and 1/2 gallons of product.
And as I mentioned earlier, the EW sits on the hip not in front like a Solo. Visibility to much better with the EW.
Now that I have a good method of filling the bag without spillage, there is no way the Solo can compare IMO.
I admit the floppy bags suck...

Which one would you rather fill? Not a single seed was spilled...

That's a full 5 gallon bucket of seed that it holds. The Solo has much less capacity...

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[MarkDarvin]

The reason I left the earthways was because those gears seemed to seize up or strip out after about two years, and the plastic jiggler also broke on one of the two I had. Never ran any fertilizer through it either.