Spreading Ag Lime

[jwcinpk]

Around here there are just a couple people who spread ag lime and they use a truck. You can rarely get lime spread. I haven't been able to locate a pull behind spreader even for rent.
I'm sure someone manufactures them that you pull behind a tractor. Could someone point me in the right direction. Depending on cost this might be another boneheaded costly buisness venture.

 

[jimg]

Ive seen some 3pt models (herd) and those for trucks but nothing like what youre asking for. Ill be intersted to see what the regulars come uip w/ as Im sure they exist. It seems to me though that the type which fit onto a flat bed truck would be least expensive and the truck could be used for other purposes. This type of rig would also be easier to get to/from/around the job site.

 

[jwcinpk]

It's 45 miles or more to the closest quarry. Most of the trucks only hold about 15 tons. I can have 30 tons delivered on the ground for under $100. I can't see paying for the truck, unless I could find a used one. By the time you pay insurance, licensing, maintenence, fuel, etc. I can't see being able to transport 30 tons to the farm and spread it. On the other hand if they bring it on the ground and I could get something pull behind and load it with the tractor loader I'd be in buisness. There are a lot of places here in SE KY I wouldn't dare take a lime truck.

 

[cowboydoc]

All of the farm places around here have what are called fertilizer and/or lime buggys. They are basically hoppers with spreaders that you pull behind your tractor. They load the lime/fertilizer at the plant and bring it out to your farm. You spread it and they come back and pick it up. I would sure think they would have something like this where you are at.

 

[Farmwithjunk]

Howdy fellow Kentuckian! Grab the phone book and look for a Southern States Co-op. They almost always have fertilizer/lime spreaders to rent. Dang near every county (EXCEPT the one I live in) has one in Ky.

Other than that, find a good FARM equipment dealer and ask them about buying one. Just don't expect a bargain. They're pricey. Since they're used for fertilizer more than lime, the majority are built using a lot of stainless steel. If my feeble mind is clicking tonight, I'm thinking Herd used to manufacture a fertilizer "buggy".

 

[Robert_in_NY]

Ask the local dealers about them as they might know who has one to rent out. I buy my lime thru my friend and he lets us use his. He has a couple depending on what we are doing.

If you do look to buy a new one, be prepared as something as simple as they are have a price tag that doesn't match /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

 

[jwcinpk]

Well there are atleast 2 counties with a Southern States coop that don't rent lime spreaders. Somerset (pulaski co.) doesn't either. Neither does the Scott Farmer's coop just across the state line. Just my luck! I asked at Warner fertilizer where I buy my fertilizer and you would have thought I'd slept with someones wife. I can tell you they sure don't want you spreading lime with their spreaders. They would be more than glad to sell me that pelletized lime and let me use their spraeder though imagine that.

 

[cowboydoc]

The pelletized lime is what everyone I know uses. Why wouldn't you want to use it? If I understand correctly you are wanting to buy your own lime and then rent a buggy to spread it? If that's the case I can see why you're having a hard time finding one.

 

[Robert_in_NY]

Hi Richard, around here the pelletized lime is around $80 a ton. Pulverized lime is around $20 give or take.

I am surprised at how some areas have trouble with equipment. It is easy to find lime spreaders around here and there are a couple companies that spread lime also. Just about any big fertilizer/lime dealer here has one he can rent or loan out.

 

[jeffinsgf]

Attached is a picture of what I bought with the same thought in mind. Not so much that it is hard to get someone to come out, but I want to spread some lime, sand and compost on my yard that I put sprinklers in last year. I don't think the regular lime trucks are going to be able to dodge my sprinkler heads. This machine is a Turfco Mete-R-Matic II. Golf courses use them to spread top dressing treatments on the fairways and greens. I got mine on eBay for $500. Knew going in that I had to replace the feeder belt (another $500). I am going to strip off the rust and spray a few coats of JD green on it and replace all the nuts and bolts. Between it all I'll have an 8000 dollar machine for about 1200 (and a few weekends). I plan on letting a few landscapers know I have it, if they need material spread in a tight and tricky spot.

I asked for some hints on refinishing it in this thread The link to the auction with more pictures is there. Here's a link to the manufacturer's page on the Mete-R-Matic.

 

[cowboydoc]

Wow I can't believe the price difference between the two. There's hardly any difference in price here. BTW Robert is that the bulk lime or the lime by the bag?

 

[BarryinMN]

In my area the lime guys allow use of the spreader when you buy lime. The things are huge and they recommend a 150 HP tractor minimum to hold the wagon back on hills. Wagons generally spit material out the side about 50 feet.

Distribution rates can go as high as 6 ton/acre although that much should be spread over 2 or 3 years.

The large scale farms have lime is dumped along the edge of the field so they can reload nearby. They have a fleet of new 7820 & larger tractors.

 

[Robert_in_NY]

Prices are for bulk. The only thing I can figure is that the Quarry is only 40 miles away so it is easy to get pulverized lime where as the pelletized takes more to make and I don't know if it is done at the quarry or if it is shipped elsewhere first.

 

[Farmwithjunk]

I've got a smaller version of the same unit. (It's about 35 years old) It's 4' wide, and is self propelled. It steers with a tiller. I bought it at an auction a few years back. I TRIED to spread AG lime with it one time.

After I shoveled all the lime out of the hopper, it's been sitting since. Lime doesn't seem to flow through it like I was hoping. My intention was to use it to spread compost/lime/fertilizer on our garden. (We had a neighbor who complained to the local Polution Control District every time I started spreading ANYTHING, due to dust blowing their way. Hope was the top dresser would eliminate the dust.) (I only paid $110 for mine)

The problem with lime is it packs so tight when you get a big load. It won't feed trough the rear gate. (Known as "bridging" )

Anything short of sand needs to be extremely dry and free-flowing to work well. Pelletized lime might work, but when doing large acreage, that becomes cost prohibitive.

We're in the midst of a limestone belt here in north-central Kentucky. Quarried lime is (literally) cheaper than dirt. Pelletized lime is like gold by comparison. To do just a small lawn might be reasonable, but covering large fields with it would break the bank.

The spreader I bought was originally used on a golf course. It was used to top-dress greens (with a sand/peat moss/fertilizer mix refered to as "engineered dirt". They replaced mine with a unit identical to yours. Since then, the "new one" was replaced with a unit that mounts on the back of a Cushman work cart.

Here's a suggestion. With the ever-increasing popularity of golf, more people than ever are building practice greens in their yards. If you have any "golfing buddies", let the word out that you have the top dresser. You might pick up a few side jobs top dressing some of the home greens. Like a boat or a swimming pool, golf related "stuff" is automatic $$$$$$$$.

 

[jeffinsgf]

FWJ, that is very interesting. I would have bought one of the small self propelled Mete-R-Matic's if I could have. I bid on a few on eBay, but they always seemed to end up going through the roof. The seller offered this one on a "best offer" basis, and took my offer of $500 to my surprise. It is a little rough and is going to take some work, but I am happy with the mechanical condition of the machine, if not the cosmetic.

I am a little disappointed to hear that AG lime would not spread. Did the bridging happen regardless of where you positioned the gate? I am only doing an acre, so if I have to go with pelletized lime, it won't break the bank, but like others here have mentioned, the quarry is just a few miles from here.

 

[Farmwithjunk]

The bridging problem came about when I'd try to "meter" the amount of lime coming out of the rear gate. If it was "wide open", the problem wasn't so bad. BUT... That let too much lime out too quickly. The self propelled model will only travel so fast. (I'm guessing about 2-1/2 MPH or slower) A drawn type might be able to be towed faster, allowing a faster feed rate. It's all about trial and error.

Now it WILL spread Hydrated lime quite well, but once again, you're getting away from the "quarried lime".

 

[slowzuki]

Up here there is such thing as spreading powdered lime. Traditionally a drop spreader is used. It is a towed, wide hopper with a wheel on each end and is ground driven with an auger inside.

Now most people use a 4 wheeled lime buggy thing that has a vibratory hammer in it I think to stop bridging and ratholing of the lime. Very heavy rig, I don't think I could haul it except in a flat field.

 

[Farmwithjunk]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Up here there is such thing as spreading powdered lime. Traditionally a drop spreader is used.)</font>

Those were common around here for years. Known by the name of the most comon manufacturer, we always call 'em "E-Z-Flows". I've got an old IH (#11?????) 8' drop spreader sitting out behind the barn. Way too slow in big fields though. Back when we used to use it, there was more time spent filling than spreading.

Fortunately, most of the quarries around here have sub-contractors working for them with truck mounted lime spreaders. So much a ton for the lime, hauling it and spreading. They just about give us the lime dust to get rid of it. (But they sure don't give us the hauling :O!)

 

[jwcinpk]

I had 30 tons of quarried lime delivered here for $260. We spread the majority of it with a funnel type 3pt spreader. A young guy rode on the hitch arms with a shovel and made it feed out. The trick was dig a hole down though the center of the funnel first. It spread with not a whole lot of effort the first evening, but then a rain shower came and it became work the next day. We spread most of the pile in about 8 hours. Not a safe way to do it, but it beats the heck out of the time the lime truck got in the septic line and dumped his whole load. I spread 16 tons with a shovel. Loaded it in the back of the truck and then spread it both with a shovel. Dang near killed me. Pelletized lime was quoted to me at $100 ton.

 

[plumboy]

Without a cab I hope you drove into the wind.Have a guy around here that does it with an old truck.I just dont see how they can handle the dust.Most of the time seemed like he was outrunning it but he disapeared quite a bit.The pellet lime is high and they say it dont last very long either.