Planning for fall plots....

[David]

I have yet to use the spreader attachment for my tractor. I have been too nervous about putting 900 lbs of fertilizer and going at it. The previous owner told me the two times he used it that he was unable to controll the flow and it spread the entire load in under a minute.

Regardless I am going to test it with sand, so here are my two questions.

1) any helpful tips?

2) what ever you call the spinner/agitator that is in the bottom of the bucket and keeps the fertilzer/seed flowing is absolutely HUGE. Seems to me it would break in one turn if it was under 900 lbs of sand or fertilzer. Usually I see them and they are maybe a large Cotter pin....1-3 inches. This thing is a big wheel on the end of a 8 inch shaft. Any reason I should fear this thing snapping?

It's a king cutter.

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[SwampCat]

The wheel inside the hopper is an agitator - to keep the material in the hopper flowing and keep the openings from clogging up - too bad. I would be surprised if that hopper holds 900 lbs. I cant see a pic from the outside to see how big it is - but mine looks exactly like yours from the inside and holds 400 lbs. Mine also releases seed/fertilizer with the slides closed over the holes. It didn't do that until the gates/slides rusted out and I replaced them with new ones. I need to bend the guides down on the sides to hold them tighter. Start with one bag, and the gates closed all the way - and see how much it puts out. I actually have to my gates about halfway to spread fertilizer at 200 lbs per acre. Start with a single bag and closed gates and see how fast it puts it out. Then adjust your gates open to increase distribution rate. The fertilizer may still build up around the inside bottom and slow the distribution as you go along. When the hopper empties, you may have to scrape it with a screwdriver to break it loose so it still continues to flow freely. Seed will not do that. Spray all metal parts of the distributor with a power washer when done. That fertilizer will eat it up. Spray off the back of your tractor, too.

 

[Drycreek]

As a side note, I bought my cyclone-type seed/fertilizer spreader in 2003 to replace a rusted out one. In a moment of clarity I decided to have it sprayed with commercial bedliner. It is still going strong after all these years. I always put out fertilizer first, seed second, then wash it completely with a nozzle on the end of my water hose. It's stored under a shed and I keep a gallon of cheap motor oil handy to pour a dollop on the sliding gates. I then open and close the gates quickly to get some oil up in the surfaces that are hidden. It's worked for me for all these years. If you get a nick in the bedliner, patch it with a spray can of bedliner.

 

[David]

Thanks fellas

 

[Mennoniteman]

Be careful if you let the standard drawbar in the tractor, don't lower the spreader all the way down or the pto shaft will hit the drawbar and raise lots of havoc.

 

[Vandy]

only advice is don't over load it with fertilizer. Yes it sucks to keep dumping it in but it would suck even more to have it break with 900lbs in it... We did pellet lime out of similar spreader and only did about 350-400 lbs at a crack (5 tons total...only took 1/2 day). Yes it took a while but everything still worked when done too. Good luck with your plots

 

[David]

mennonite man and vandy,

thanks

 

[David]

Thanks agin for your replies. I hooked it up today and took it for a test run. Above I posted a stock picture from the internet, that is not my spreader.

These pictures are my actual spreader.

Mennonite man, thanks for the heads up on the draw bar, you can see in one of the poctures I moved it to the side. Now if unit is lowered, the back of the spreader will hit the ground without anything contacting the drive shaft.

So this dang agitator seems insanely large. It must be 14 inches. One of the pictures is with 100 lbs of pellitized lime. You can still see the top wheel. When I turned the pto on, it was like a pop corn maker. I ended up with lime pellets in my hair, pockets, boots and even some in my ear. I need a cover! I fashioned one from a shower curtain to finish the testing. Problem is, I can't see how much is in the hopper any more.

Can I remove this agitator and replace it with somwthing a little more tame? There is a second smaller agitator on it, it's a more traditional type.....will this be enough?

I would love to be able to see how much I have left in my hopper.

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[Mennoniteman]

Thanks agin for your replies. I hooked it up today and took it for a test run. Above I posted a stock picture from the internet, that is not my spreader.

These pictures are my actual spreader.

Mennonite man, thanks for the heads up on the draw bar, you can see in one of the poctures I moved it to the side. Now if unit is lowered, the back of the spreader will hit the ground without anything contacting the drive shaft.

So this dang agitator seems insanely large. It must be 14 inches. One of the pictures is with 100 lbs of pellitized lime. You can still see the top wheel. When I turned the pto on, it was like a pop corn maker. I ended up with lime pellets in my hair, pockets, boots and even some in my ear. I need a cover! I fashioned one from a shower curtain to finish the testing. Problem is, I can't see how much is in the hopper any more.

Can I remove this agitator and replace it with somwthing a little more tame? There is a second smaller agitator on it, it's a more traditional type.....will this be enough?

I would love to be able to see how much I have left in my hopper.

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You actually should not need the agitator for pellet lime. Take the agitator out totally and see how it works. However, check that there isn't too many pellets going down into the center of the drive unit once the agitator is off. Sorry to hear about your experience, my Nordagri three point spreader mostly spins pellets out the back, yours must be a bad design to be throwing stuff everywhere.

 

[David]

The pellets were shooting up from the hopper. It actually did a great job broadcasting. The cover fixed the problem.

I will try it wo the aggitator.

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[cutman]

Until you figure out the agitator, put a clear shower curtain/tarp on as a cover. Then at least you can see how much you have left in the hopper.

 

[David]

Good idea

 

[JFH]

The pellets were shooting up from the hopper. It actually did a great job broadcasting. The cover fixed the problem.

I will try it wo the aggitator.

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I have the same unit. My second one, the first rusted out after 20 years or so. This spring I found an identical used one with minimal rust, then stripped, primed and painted. See pic below. Yellow areas were where it had rusted a bit. Works great.

I routinely fill it to within a few inches of the top with pellet lime and/or fertilizer. Only have some pellets flying out the top when it gets down toward the end of spreading.

I just make sure to sweep out and spray the tractor afterward so the fertilizer doesn't corrode the tractor.

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[JFH]

I have the same unit. My second one, the first rusted out after 20 years or so. This spring I found an identical used one with minimal rust, then stripped, primed and painted. See pic below. Yellow areas were where it had rusted a bit. Works great.

I routinely fill it to within a few inches of the top with pellet lime and/or fertilizer. Only have some pellets flying out the top when it gets down toward the end of spreading.

I just make sure to sweep out and spray the tractor afterward so the fertilizer doesn't corrode the tractor.

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One note -- these types of spreaders throw the fertilizer in a clockwise direction, so pellets are hurled toward the left lower area of the tractor.

My left lower link telescoping adjustment rusted shut from fertilizer getting into that tight space. Had to break it open, strip, prime, paint and grease. Not fun!

Strongly suggest keeping that area well greased and regularly examined!


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[David]

One note -- these types of spreaders throw the fertilizer in a clockwise direction, so pellets are hurled toward the left lower area of the tractor.

My left lower link telescoping adjustment rusted shut from fertilizer getting into that tight space. Had to break it open, strip, prime, paint and grease. Not fun!

Strongly suggest keeping that area well greased and regularly examined!


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I broke the agitator yesterday. It is much easier to use now. I actually said to my dad that I was consideing removing it. I can now use it without a cover.

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[Mennoniteman]

I broke the agitator yesterday. It is much easier to use now. I actually said to my dad that I was consideing removing it. I can now use it without a cover.

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How lucky can you get? I'd be happy if all of my problems would break off. Hopefully it'll work better for you now. Fertilizer is one of the worst products that a farmer uses, as far as being hard on equipment, if you don't wash out and oil your spreader it'll rust to nothing in a short period of time.