jcaledon
Bronze Member
Just bought a Kubota B2620, which will be delivered shortly. I need a broadcast spreader (300 pound hopper) to spread lawn fertilizer and seed. I will not be using it for salt or sand. I have approx 2 1/2 acres of lawn. I am located in Ontario Canada.
I have read some pretty good reviews on the Herd M96 spreader. However, the price on the spreader here in Canada is approx $625. I could order it from Herd directly, but would have to pay duties and shipping which would bring the cost up to about that anyways, in fact Herd suggested I just call their distributor in Canada which is where I got the quote for $625. I would have to drive an hour and a half to pick it up.
My Kubota dealer sells the Befco spreader. The price is $650, and it can be added to my order. I haven't heard too much about this brand of spreader. The hopper is painted steel, not galvanized like the Herd, and overall it doesn't seem as solid as the Herd. But then again, the design is a little different, so maybe I'm comparing apples and oranges.
I would prefer to pick up the spreader with the tractor and be done with it. But $650 is a lot of money to spend on broadcast spreader - so I want it to last forever - I've heard a lot of people complain that these things rust very quickly.
Which one is the better unit? Is the Befco going to rust quickly, even with good maintenance? The Befco unit I was quoted on does not have the stainless steel components - I'm sure that unit would cost considerably more.
In addition to the above, any advise you could provide on the use of organic fertilizer would be great. I would like to move away from chemicals, and move completely to organic or natural fertilizers, but there seems to be very little information out there. I have only found Scotts Eco-sense, but that's only available in small bags. I don't want to spend a fortune - this stuff must be available in bulk somewhere. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
I have read some pretty good reviews on the Herd M96 spreader. However, the price on the spreader here in Canada is approx $625. I could order it from Herd directly, but would have to pay duties and shipping which would bring the cost up to about that anyways, in fact Herd suggested I just call their distributor in Canada which is where I got the quote for $625. I would have to drive an hour and a half to pick it up.
My Kubota dealer sells the Befco spreader. The price is $650, and it can be added to my order. I haven't heard too much about this brand of spreader. The hopper is painted steel, not galvanized like the Herd, and overall it doesn't seem as solid as the Herd. But then again, the design is a little different, so maybe I'm comparing apples and oranges.
I would prefer to pick up the spreader with the tractor and be done with it. But $650 is a lot of money to spend on broadcast spreader - so I want it to last forever - I've heard a lot of people complain that these things rust very quickly.
Which one is the better unit? Is the Befco going to rust quickly, even with good maintenance? The Befco unit I was quoted on does not have the stainless steel components - I'm sure that unit would cost considerably more.
In addition to the above, any advise you could provide on the use of organic fertilizer would be great. I would like to move away from chemicals, and move completely to organic or natural fertilizers, but there seems to be very little information out there. I have only found Scotts Eco-sense, but that's only available in small bags. I don't want to spend a fortune - this stuff must be available in bulk somewhere. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
