Spreading Lime with belt trailers and railroad iron

[jpbertel1234]

I want to order lime and have it delivered in belt trailers. When the trucks towing belt trailers arrive....I will have them drive over ground with belts slowly kicking lime out the back in small windrows up and down the fields. Then I will take a 20 ft. railroad iron and drag the windrows to try and consistantly spread the lime. Has anyone ever done this? and or Does anybody think this would work? I will save 35 $ a ton doing this and will be spreading approx. 500 tons.

Thanks

Jeff

 

[farm boy00]

Maybe do a drag hollow or chain link fence instead. I think the railroad iron would just compact it more then spread evenly

 

[4get gto]

500 ton...? Isn't that like 20 tractor trailer loads. Holy crap..!

 

[smstonypoint]

500 ton...? Isn't that like 20 tractor trailer loads. Holy crap..!

And a lot of acreage at typical application rates in my area.

Steve

 

[LouNY]

I could see considerable problems with that method of application;
1) it would be hard to get a uniform application rate
2) tractor trailers can have a hard time driving in fields,
stuck
deep ruts
3) how would the drivers keep uniform spacing between rows
4) lots of compaction to ground

Spreader trucks with floatation tires are normally the best way to apply, have trailers unload, then load spreader trucks.
Or park trailers and use an auger to load trucks directly.

Good luck

 

[boomer1025]

I want to order lime and have it delivered in belt trailers. When the trucks towing belt trailers arrive....I will have them drive over ground with belts slowly kicking lime out the back in small windrows up and down the fields. Then I will take a 20 ft. railroad iron and drag the windrows to try and consistantly spread the lime. Has anyone ever done this? and or Does anybody think this would work? I will save 35 $ a ton doing this and will be spreading approx. 500 tons.

Thanks

Jeff

It won't spread out evenly that way. You need it spread with a spreader.

 

[Big Barn]

It won't spread out evenly that way. You need it spread with a spreader.

^^^ THIS ^^^

 

[KYErik]

Where are you located? That seems like a very high spreading fee. Here in south central IL , the lime is only about $25-30 per ton and that includes hauling AND spreading. Typical rates are 3-4 tons per acre. They dump the lime with semi's, then use a front end loader to load the spreader truck.

I don't think you will get it spread very evenly with your proposed method.

 

[jpbertel1234]

Thank you for your replies.....One other thing I failed to mention is: The lime will be dumped over the top of sod and then disked twice and plowed .....after of course I can successfully spread it.

 

[farm boy00]

Another option is to buy a 3pt PTO sead spreader and use that