Spreader Cosmo 500 spreader

barticus73 · Apr 28, 2004

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 · Apr 28, 2004

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 · Apr 28, 2004

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 · Apr 29, 2004

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 · Apr 29, 2004

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 · Apr 29, 2004

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 · Apr 29, 2004

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 · Apr 29, 2004

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 · Apr 29, 2004

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 · Apr 29, 2004

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.