KennK
Silver Member
In order to manage/compost manure on my small horse farm (3 horses) I purchased a JD 3320 with a FEL and a smallish ground-driven manure spreader. The problem is that in order to fill the manure spreader I have to detach it from the tractor. Reattaching a full manure spreader to the drawbar is an intersting challenge (getting the hitch to line up right, plus getting the height of the spreader hitch just right). One of the real problems is that the spreader manual says not to use the tongue-jack when it is filled. Even if I do use the tongue-jack, the tractor's drawbar is low enough that I can't rotate the tongue-jack to stow it (the foot pad hits the ground).
Right now I rest the hitch on a series of pieces of wood and HOPE that once filled the spreader hitch is still the right height to line up with the drawbar. Often it isn't, which means I have to muscle the whole thing to the right height before backing the tractor up to it. Then I pull forward hoping that the hitch will slide off the pile enough to remove the bits of wood - so I don't have to drive the spreader over them, hope off the tractor, move the wood, and then head off to spread. A real pain in the back, not to mention the neck.
This has me wondering if anyone makes a 3PH version of a drawbar (or similar), where I could simply back up to the spreader hitch with the 3PH drawbar lowered, line up a hitch pin (kind of like the ball part of an automotive hitch), raise the 3PH drawbar to insert the pin into the hitch, and then insert a clip to keep the spreader attached on a bump.
There has got to be a better way ... short of buy an ATV or a second tractor to pull the spreader. My back can't keep doing this!
Right now I rest the hitch on a series of pieces of wood and HOPE that once filled the spreader hitch is still the right height to line up with the drawbar. Often it isn't, which means I have to muscle the whole thing to the right height before backing the tractor up to it. Then I pull forward hoping that the hitch will slide off the pile enough to remove the bits of wood - so I don't have to drive the spreader over them, hope off the tractor, move the wood, and then head off to spread. A real pain in the back, not to mention the neck.
This has me wondering if anyone makes a 3PH version of a drawbar (or similar), where I could simply back up to the spreader hitch with the 3PH drawbar lowered, line up a hitch pin (kind of like the ball part of an automotive hitch), raise the 3PH drawbar to insert the pin into the hitch, and then insert a clip to keep the spreader attached on a bump.
There has got to be a better way ... short of buy an ATV or a second tractor to pull the spreader. My back can't keep doing this!