Is it just me...

[mgraham112]

Is it just me or does everybody hate using a 3pt spreader? It has always made a huge mess with fertilizer all over the tractor and myself. I finally put a cover over it so that the auger doesn't spill it everywhere and I've tried some fabric between the shield and hopper to minimize the mess. I've never had a new spreader, just always dealt with it and rinsed everything off afterwards. I've thought about closing of the areas around the shield with metal and cutting the auger to a few inches, but I gotta ask if it's just me. It doesn't seem to matter what pto speed. Any tips or is this just normal.

 

[kneedeep]

I don't use a auger (agitator) in the tub for that reason. I mix seed and fertilizer as I load or just fertilizer and don't overfill the hopper. When it is on, the spreader throws only to the rear or which ever side I have it set for (usually for center). Very little gets on tractor and none on me??
Does the agitator throw it out?? If so, remove it or shorten it.

Always wash it out good and then spray it down with diesel/hydraulic mix top and bottom. Store it upside down on a pallet under a shed.



Been doing this for 15 years and it still is in good shape.

 

[mgraham112]

Then my dispersal plate must be bent. I'll take a closer look at it. Much easier to replace that then weld additional shields on spreader

 

[kneedeep]

Plate will get out of wack. I take a big adj wrench & get it back even.
Still why does it throw on operator??

 

[mgraham112]

Perhaps it's more than the plate being a little bent. I've never used any other spreader and this was a used bargain, so it's hard to know what's right and wrong. Perhaps it's time to get a new one since it sounds like I'm in the messy boat by myself. I'll take some pictures tomorrow if I get to the farm. I've still got about 750lbs of fertilizer to put out before planting, so this might be the time to buy.

 

[kneedeep]

Does it throw it on the tractor/operator from top or bottom?

 

[Wagtail]

Well, this is timely... I just bought 13x 25kg bags of fertiliser for my paddocks and it'll be the first time I get to use my new spreader. (it was amusing to have a 'police report' sent in when I purchased ) ((the fertiliser, not the spreader))

I'll have a neighbour come over to help set it up and adjust everything before I have a go with it.