Choosing a Manure Spreader

[LHF2019]

Probably within a couple years I will be able to upgrade my spreader. Down to 2 styles. Kuhn Knight side slinger which I have had experience with when I had the dairy and really like what I see with the Meyer Crossfire. Smallest model in each. Manure ranges from almost liquid to heavy pen pack. Would also like it to use it for possible future poultry litter. Looking for the most consistent spread pattern and the one that would handle pen pack the best. When I had the dairy it was all sawdust so have no experience how well the side slinger would handle pen pack. With the side slinger I could probably cover more acres especially when utilizing the wind to my favor.

Wondering if anybody has experience with both or has either brand spreading similar material.

Thank you

 

[Hay Dude]

The only ones I have owned were the ones with twin rear beaters. Both were Meyer.
They worked really well with soils like mushroom compost of light topsoil.
You spreading mostly turkey litter? A neighboring farmer uses same type I had for spreading turkey litter and seems to do real well with it.
Don’t have many photos of them, but they worked very well.

I sold them because I found renting to be a less expensive alternative. I can rent a spreader for 2 months and spread 200 acres for about 2 grand.

 

[oldnslo]

What do you consider heavy pen pack?

Long straw, corn stalks, etc. compacted in loafing shed by 1,500 lb cattle and loaded with grapple is far different than chopped straw compacted by 200 lbs calves.

Have not run side spread slinger but have watched neighbor dairy and they do not spread pen pack with the slinger. They have another rear beater spreader they use for that purpose. Again I don’t know why but suspect side slinger jams with heavy pen pack from winter of cattle packing it down and then loaded with grapple on large skid steer.

 

[LHF2019]

The only ones I have owned were the ones with twin rear beaters. Both were Meyer.
They worked really well with soils like mushroom compost of light topsoil.
You spreading mostly turkey litter? A neighboring farmer uses same type I had for spreading turkey litter and seems to do real well with it.

Who knows what I can find for litter in this area. With 40 head and growing need to make the most use of my manure over as many acres as I can and be able to haul to further fields. I hand load one area in the winter so height is a major consideration. Currently borrow my uncles new holland with no end gate. 3 buckets with the skidsteer fills it. With the pen pack it tends to grab it leaving large clumps in the field that in the spring I go through with the drags and try to break them up so they can breakdown and hopefully not end up in the hay I sell.

What do you consider heavy pen pack?

Long straw, corn stalks, etc. compacted in loafing shed by 1,500 lb cattle and loaded with grapple is far different than chopped straw compacted by 200 lbs calves.

Have not run side spread slinger but have watched neighbor dairy and they do not spread pen pack with the slinger. They have another rear beater spreader they use for that purpose. Again I don’t know why but suspect side slinger jams with heavy pen pack from winter of cattle packing it down and then loaded with grapple on large skid steer.

Bed with hay/hay stems refusals. I'm getting that impression from the other site I have this question. I have no doubt that the slinger would spread it but it would be time consuming working it through the door and if you opened it all the way up it would be hard on the hammer unit and potentially plug.

 

[Farmer495]

My experience with side slinger spreaders is heavy pen pack bridges and makes your life miserable bridging. Spent a lot of time with the tractor & spreader off jumping up and down on the load to get it to feed into the auger.

New Holland 308 was really hateful with no down pressure on the auger. Scavenger II spreaders at least had power down on the auger.

 

[LouNY]

The rear vertical spreaders have a bad habit of grabbing bedding pack and trying to yank it through the beaters, when it doesn't make it trough it is a serious job to get it clear.

 

[LHF2019]

My experience with side slinger spreaders is heavy pen pack bridges and makes your life miserable bridging. Spent a lot of time with the tractor & spreader off jumping up and down on the load to get it to feed into the auger.

New Holland 308 was really hateful with no down pressure on the auger. Scavenger II spreaders at least had power down on the auger.

There is no comparison between the Kuhn Knight side slinger and the brands you mentioned. Completely different design.

 

[Farmer495]

There is no comparison between the Kuhn Knight side slinger and the brands you mentioned. Completely different design.

Glad to hear that. I really hated running that NH 308.

 

[LouNY]

Who knows what I can find for litter in this area. With 40 head and growing need to make the most use of my manure over as many acres as I can and be able to haul to further fields. I hand load one area in the winter so height is a major consideration. Currently borrow my uncles new holland with no end gate. 3 buckets with the skidsteer fills it. With the pen pack it tends to grab it leaving large clumps in the field that in the spring I go through with the drags and try to break them up so they can breakdown and hopefully not end up in the hay I sell.

Bed with hay/hay stems refusals. I'm getting that impression from the other site I have this question. I have no doubt that the slinger would spread it but it would be time consuming working it through the door and if you opened it all the way up it would be hard on the hammer unit and potentially plug.

Many times when spreading hay pack, speeding the tractor rpms up to pto speed and slowing the apron chain way down will help it spread better.

 

[LHF2019]

Many times when spreading hay pack, speeding the tractor rpms up to pto speed and slowing the apron chain way down will help it spread better.

Of course. That's the only way I spread. I really like the NH that I use in that it is a 5 speed. All spreading done in 1. The general consensus on another site is composting would be best.

 

[LHF2019]

Some pictures from yesterday. I try hard to not waste hay but the cattle still pull more through than what I like so it was a good representation of what I spread in the spring when I clean them out. A baler with a processor is in the future. Enough about that. Using a small NH 213. What I like about it is back in the day spreaders had 5 speeds. I did not know that and the slowest speed is just about perfect. I would love to find a 2nd beater because I'm curious if it would help that much or not. Question. With the single beater it grabs the chunk and flips it on to the ground. Depending on the circumstance wouldn't the 2nd beater just assist and pull it off with the same results? I can see the top beater helping on tall loads but what happens with large chunks? I spend a lot of time trying to break up the chunks. I put thought in to where i dump in the spreader that hopefully results in it broken up the most. But it is a small spreader and it does limit me.

Currently I spread about 3 loads a week from November through May. Main goal is to not have to go through in the spring and run the drags to break up the clumps. Obviously the clump in the picture will be there in the spring and it is actually to large for the drags to do much to it. Sometimes I take a fork out and break it up. I don't have time for that. In the spring when I clean the pens out I probably do an additional 20-30 loads. Takes 3 buckets to fill the spreader and I don't max it out. Only heap it up if I feel it will result in a nice spread job.

 

[LouNY]

Yes a two beater will work to spread it a little better.

 

[Elviscaretaker]

Not that it matters but I use a Kuhn 727 2x axle. Holds about 4 yards or more but I compost all my bedding and manure together. The side discharge throws it out to 150' but good coverage in my opinion is 50-70'. Composting it all and no time wasted dragging the chunks. It doesn't break up non composted hay, but it beats chunks of solid muck to pieces. Not good for a slurry at all, it'd just leak out the side door. Only time I've had a plug was when I left a load in overnight and we hit 20 and froze the crap. Heated the door up to free it then it was fine with the rest. I really like the screw drive on it though sometimes you need to scrape the front are to get it all out. Buying a used one, look for bent rims from people hitting them with a skid loader. Then only once did the main gear come out of alignment causing it to toss it's chain. Over all happy for a tool that all it does is fling poo.
I also will take a load and run it through into a pile (use a back drop) for my wife in her greenhouse.