Spreader Cosmo 500 spreader

[barticus73]

I just bought a Cosmo 500 cone shaped seed/fertilizer spreader. Anyone else have one of these and have trouble getting the slide doors to close all the way? I tried to spread timothy seed and the gates were open enough at the "close" position that it just poured out. There are two doors, one closes 99.9% of the way but the other side stays cracked no matter how I adjust it? If nothing else I guess I could just put tape over the cracked open side and just use one door. Any ideas or is this normal with these?

 

[jeff_jeff]

two suggestions:

1. there are adjustment bolts on the rods, try moving them

2. The problem on mine was the lip that holds the sliding door was too tight. I bent each side out a little with a flat screwdriver, the doors slid much easier and started working like they were supposed to.

 

[Phred]

Yep.
Exact same problem. I think the paint was applied a little to thick on mine, or the slits that the door covers slide in are bent a little to much inward.
So, since I am a highly trained engineer.....
I used a hammer. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

Worked like a charm. A few raps with a hammer (actually a rubber coated mallet) and they now almost close completely.
To do this first unbolt the door arms and then pound them in a bit, slide them out and repeat until they close.

You may also need to mess with the double bolts that hold the arms on the door covers.

Fred

 

[sweettractors]

These adjust ments will help--However--They will never cut completley off or adjust to sow 1-3 lbs per acre of white dutch clover etc--They just are not built as precision machines--Ken Sweet
Sweet Farm Equipment LLC *New Grooming Mowers, Sickle mowers and Disc Mowers Stocked*

 

[markie61]

Yes! I had to remove the "doors" and grind the edges to get them to close all the way. Then I had to mess with the handle friction a bit as well. You can take the knob/bolt out that holds the two handles together and use just one door, but Ken is right - this spreader is a WMD: weapon of mass distribution /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif...

Mark

 

[BubbaJr]

I had the same problem with mine, I figured that the gorilla that put it together just didn't do a very good job. But now I see that a lot of others have had the same problem, so I guess it must be a design flaw, or the same gorilla is fitting all the doors. I modified my track with a BIG screwdriver, and adjusted the bolts until I got a 99% seal. Just be sure you clean it thoroughly when you get done, especially if you spread fertilizer with it.

 

[CTyler]

I had all the issues listed by everyone as well. Adjusted the stop nuts, lightly greased the slots, a tap of the hammer here and there fixed her up.

 

[dieseldoc]

i have the cosmo 400,i used it for the first time 2 weeks ago,i also had the same problems you had! first i had to adjust the gates,then i had to spray them with wd-40 this worked good,i have to add that this thing slings the hell out of fertilizer!!!

 

[zuiko]

How easy is it to open and close the gates while on the tractor? Can you even do it? I'm going to be getting one of these cosmo 500 units soon.

 

[CTyler]

On my L3130 and the quick hitch I have to reach a ways to do it. Not real conveinient but it can be done. If I had a need to open and close it much I'd rig up an extender of some sort.

 

[Phred]

Since I have a cab I can not operate the lever from the seat.

I just trun the PTO on and off and thats usually good enough to stop the bulk of the flow.

Fred

 

[greenbeans]

I hitched a COSMO500 spreader to my tractor and the flow lever bashed out the tail light lens. Need to TIG an extension lever AWAY from tail lamp. Assume lever faces tractor to adjust flow while driving. else pours as you run like fool for driver seat. better to drive tractor THEN pull chute open. Notice seed lever too tight must loosen/grease BEFORE operate. why they ship in that condition.

 

[greenbeans]

I put one of them COSMO 500 spreaders on my tractor last night but the seed lever bashed the balls out of my tail light. That calls for an extension lever modification to a different location. Goes without saying, THIS lever faces the tractor so I can adjust the flow while driving, and if not, then it pours out as I make a run for the driver seat and bang my balls into the shift-stick. So now, I prefer to drive the tractor, and THEN pull the seed chute open, that's if I can reach it without throwing my back out again, my wife said honey your seed lever is too tight and in your rear and you should loosen your nut and grease your lever BEFORE you get into position.

 

[EV59]

I guess on some tractors (compacts) the lever could contact the fender area... I have mounted COSMO spreaders to numerous different tractor models and never had the problem.....the adjustments, slides, etc were assembled by dealer....they probably didnt adjust properly....machines are shipped from Italy and dealer-distributor assembles here.

 

[Rara Avis]

Greenbeans welcome to TBN...

I'm impressed that you searched and found a FOUR YEAR OLD thread related to the Cosmo 500 spreader to add to...rather than starting another thread...

Hopefully someone will have an answer for you...

 

[landman]

I love old threads,, especially when im looking up equipment that i may be purchasing,,, i get to use all your combined knowledge towards my decision to purchase or not, and i get to see the faults associated with that item.