Brand New Manure Spreader thoughts

EddieWalker · Jan 3, 2024

I think that I'm in the market for a brand new manure spreader. I've never had one before. I've never seen one being used before. I just watch YouTube and seen them on there.

I have 68 acres, 4 horses, 50 or so goats and I'll be adding cattle later this year. Four to start, but they are pregnant, so it could be 8 by the time they get here. I'll keep a few and build up the heard to a dozen or so in the future.

My current manure pile is getting bigger and bigger. I've turned it a couple times in the last two years, and added to it about twice a year from what builds up around the hay ring. It's only going to increase, and eventually I'll have to buy something to deal with it.

I'm not excited about buying used. Prices are lower, but they are used and abused to the point that I'm sure that I'll be working on it every time I want to use it. I have too many other projects to deal with, and I don't want another.

I'm thinking that I need something in the 150 cubic feet range with a PTO driven system. I also like the idea of a hydraulic lift for the tail gate.

ABI has some good videos. I'm not sure of their pricing, but I like what I've seen just watching them on YouTube.

Millcreek, H&S, Conestoga and Frontier all seem to have what I'm looking for. Some of the other bigger brands seem too far out of my price range, if they even have something in the size I'm looking for.

I've sent request for prices and will keep looking. So far, I haven't found anything local to look at. I'm not sure how much shipping will be, so that might be a deal breaker right there.

What do you have?
What do you recommend?
What should I look for?

Thanks,
Eddie

zzvyb6 · Jan 3, 2024

Have you ever tried burning it after it dries out ? I did because the weed seeds in it made it's use as fertilizer a poor choice. After burning it, you get a powder that makes excellent pine tree fertilizer. It doesn't actually 'burn' with flames, but smolders very slowly and thoroughly. About 100:1 pile size reduction. Smells like burning cork. (I kinda like the smell ( ! ).

If you still want a spreader, I've seen a new type that is a chariot type. Ground drive or PTO driven. No clumps. Sorta like a paving machine. Chariot Manure Spreader Eliminates

EddieWalker · Jan 3, 2024

Pine trees grow like weeds here. If you don't mow a field for a year, you will have pines every six inches from each other and they will be 6 feet tall!!! I guess it's the red clay, they do very well in my area of Texas.

My goal is to use the manure to improve my soil in the areas that are not growing hay as well as other areas. I also want to disk those areas, and/or deep plow it with a ripper to break up the surface, hard shell and allow water to get through.

ponytug · Jan 3, 2024

EddieWalker said:
I think that I'm in the market for a brand new manure spreader. I've never had one before. I've never seen one being used before. I just watch YouTube and seen them on there.

I have 68 acres, 4 horses, 50 or so goats and I'll be adding cattle later this year. Four to start, but they are pregnant, so it could be 8 by the time they get here. I'll keep a few and build up the heard to a dozen or so in the future.

My current manure pile is getting bigger and bigger. I've turned it a couple times in the last two years, and added to it about twice a year from what builds up around the hay ring. It's only going to increase, and eventually I'll have to buy something to deal with it.

I'm not excited about buying used. Prices are lower, but they are used and abused to the point that I'm sure that I'll be working on it every time I want to use it. I have too many other projects to deal with, and I don't want another.

I'm thinking that I need something in the 150 cubic feet range with a PTO driven system. I also like the idea of a hydraulic lift for the tail gate.

ABI has some good videos. I'm not sure of their pricing, but I like what I've seen just watching them on YouTube.

Millcreek, H&S, Conestoga and Frontier all seem to have what I'm looking for. Some of the other bigger brands seem too far out of my price range, if they even have something in the size I'm looking for.

I've sent request for prices and will keep looking. So far, I haven't found anything local to look at. I'm not sure how much shipping will be, so that might be a deal breaker right there.

What do you have?
What do you recommend?
What should I look for?

Thanks,
Eddie

If you need one, you need one, but...

I would at least consider moving the hay ring around to spread the wealth. I think of manure spreaders as necessary for confined feeding (dairy) operations, especially those with field crops. Most of the important P/N/K is in the urine. Manure itself is pretty low, but still useful. Moving the hay ring around will enrich the pastures at multiple locations. If you disk the old feeding area after you move the hay ring, that will do a good job of incorporating the valuable material in the soil and reducing any compaction that may have happened.

I compost ours, and run a rototiller through it every so often until it loses steam, so to speak, and then spread it around on the garden.

Since you have never had a manure spreader, I might poke around to find a cheap, more or less working one to get a feel for what you like/don't like. Different designs work better for straw/manure vs straight cow manure or horse manure.

All the best,

Peter

EddieWalker · Jan 3, 2024

My feed area is only about two acres. I've been moving the ring around, but I'm just killing everything in a 100 foot circle around that seems to take years to come back. I guess I could move the ring out to other areas of my land, but I really like it where it is so we can see it from the house. It's also really close to where I store the hay outside of the pasture.

If all goes well with my fencing, I'm going to build a fence line feeder for round bales that's right on the fence next to the hay bales. It will by 8x8 and have a concrete pad under the hay, and then go out ten feet for the cows and horses to stand on. I want their feet to stay dry, and it will just be a matter of time until they wear away all the dirt around the feeder if I don't put concrete down.

I should take a picture of my manure pile. To me, it's pretty big. Once the cattle get here, it's only going to get bigger, faster.

RustyA · Jan 3, 2024

When we had horses and hayfields we bought a slightly used Millcreek PTO spreader. Worked great and I really liked composite floor. 35 hp tractor handled it just fine. We piled manure and turned it during winter then spread it as top dressing in the spring on hayfields.

grsthegreat · Jan 3, 2024

I have a 1940s era manure spreader myself. Just keeps working. Ive replaced 1 drive belt only thing I’ve ever done to it. I can pull it with horses or tractor as its ground driven unit. Spread piles 2 times a year. Have 3 horses. Had 6 at one time.

grsthegreat · Jan 3, 2024

Not sure how the sleigh picture snuck in

grsthegreat · Jan 3, 2024

the older styles have better breaking up and spreading methods than the newer ones do i feel...but i may be wrong.

EddieWalker · Jan 3, 2024

The rear picture of yours looks a lot like the ABI spreader.

RobA · Jan 3, 2024

I purchased a smaller ground drive Conestoga spreader 10 years ago. Very well made. They are an Amish company about 10 miles from my house. They may manufacture for other brands as well.

5030 · Jan 3, 2024

The new ones with the poly floors and sides are much better. I always liked the ACGO spreaders myself. Not a worry an more as I sold off all the livestock some years ago.

One thing about forecart spreaders and horses is, the horses apply NEW fertilizer as the pull the OLD fertilizer....

grsthegreat · Jan 3, 2024

Those are pretty nice….but expensive. The ones I usually see only have 2 rotating blades in back and don’t do much good.

EddieWalker · Jan 3, 2024

I saw a YouTube video on manure spreaders from Messicks, so I looked up what they had and thought the New Holland manure spreader was worth asking for a price on.

This is their reply,

"
Hi, Eddie,

Thanks for reaching out to Messick's for your new New Holland 185! While we can provide parts support and sell a variety of attachments around the country, we're unfortunately not able to sell you a spreader. Per our vendor requirements, we must be able to provide service after the sale and, based on your location, we're unable to meet those obligations. "

Makes sense. I never thought about having to sell locally to take care of warranty issues. I'm gonna look at my local New Holland Dealers to see if anybody has one with a price that they are willing to share with me.

EddieWalker · Jan 3, 2024

5030 said:
The new ones with the poly floors and sides are much better. I always liked the ACGO spreaders myself. Not a worry an more as I sold off all the livestock some years ago.

I saw some older Massey Ferguson spreaders, but nothing new. I didn't search for AGCO. I'll try that now. Thanks

ultrarunner · Jan 3, 2024

EddieWalker said:
I saw a YouTube video on manure spreaders from Messicks, so I looked up what they had and thought the New Holland manure spreader was worth asking for a price on.

This is their reply,

"
Hi, Eddie,

Thanks for reaching out to Messick's for your new New Holland 185! While we can provide parts support and sell a variety of attachments around the country, we're unfortunately not able to sell you a spreader. Per our vendor requirements, we must be able to provide service after the sale and, based on your location, we're unable to meet those obligations. "

Makes sense. I never thought about having to sell locally to take care of warranty issues. I'm gonna look at my local New Holland Dealers to see if anybody has one with a price that they are willing to share with me.

Kubota said the same to me when I was RTV shopping…

Reached out to Corp and said dealers have territories…

I thought having a Washington property would make it easy to buy in WA but I have California plates and Drivers License…

I’m sure there are workarounds and my understanding this only applies to new equipment… anything goes on used.

EddieWalker · Jan 3, 2024

I just assumed that if you bought something from a dealer somewhere else, you could get parts and service for it where you live. Or if you moved. But if I have to buy it someplace closer, that's OK too. So far I haven't been able to get the New Holland dealer locator to work.

ponytug · Jan 3, 2024

EddieWalker said:
I just assumed that if you bought something from a dealer somewhere else, you could get parts and service for it where you live. Or if you moved. But if I have to buy it someplace closer, that's OK too. So far I haven't been able to get the New Holland dealer locator to work.

Yes, the website is terrible.

Try google maps for Tyler, TX, and search nearby.
One comes up at 1400 Shannon Rd W, Sulphur Springs, TX 75482, and one over at Texarkana New Holland, 7340 Hampton Rd, Texarkana, TX 75503...

All the best, Peter

WM75Guy · Jan 3, 2024

One that size is going to be pricey. If you are going to get one that big, try to get vertical beaters to spread the manure out on the field. We bought a Loyal 28 cubic feet ground driven manure spreader in 2009 for $1,999 from TSC. We tow it behind our Mule. It works great for pulling through the barn and cleaning out the stalls but does not spread it out much, just drops it in a row the width of the spreader. I grease it once a year and it is good to go. Today's price is $2,999.

The new Athens NH dealership is Texas Ag on south Loop 7 by the airport.

Home Texas Ag & Equipment Athens, TX (903) 303-2783

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/loyal-manure-spreader-23-bushel

EddieWalker · Jan 3, 2024

Thanks Randy,

I sent them a request for the price of a manure spreader. I looked at Four Brothers website on 20, but couldn't find manure spreaders or a search option. I didn't know there was a New Holland dealer in Athens.