Spreader Painting wasteoil on manure spreaders

[RichZ]

My full time farmer friends advise me to paint the wooden deck and chains of my manure spreader with waste oil, to protect the wood and lubricate the chains. It seems to me, that the waste oil will contaminate the manure, and then contaminate my hayfields and pastures. My friends tell me the oil is absorbed into the wood immediately and not spread to the manure.

I was going to paint the wood deck with marine polyurethane to protect it, but my buddies all tell me the waste oil is the way to go.

What do you guys think?

Thanks!!

 

[theboman]

I'd go along with the full time farmer friend. The oil will absorb into the wood, and it's his job. Check out his hayfields, stock, etc for signs of the oil hurting whatever.

If you paint the wood with marine polyurethane, can't the chemicals in that also be absorbed into the manure?

 

[Bird]

I suspect your farmer friend is right, Rich. A farmer neighbor and I were recently talking about pickup trucks (remember when they had wooden floors?) and he was telling me about getting upset when he was a kid because when his dad bought a new truck, the first thing he did to that shiny new truck was mop that wooden bed with old motor oil./w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

 

[hazmat]

I'm going to respectfully disagree. Just because it is a common practice to use old oil as a preservative, doesn't mean its right.

Will it get into the field? Yes. Enough to do damage to your crop or livestock? Probably not, but who knows.

The polyurethane will cure hard & then the only way it will get into the field is if it is scraped off.

If you were really worried about contamination, the spreader would be built using FDA approved plastics & stainless steel & would also cost 10 times as much.

The polyurethane is the more conservative approach.

 

[gws]

I wouldnt worry about the oil, but the heavy metals in the oil I would be concerned about. While this may have been a safe way in the past. I am not sure It is now.

 

[Hillbilly]

Hazmat.....I honestly do not think coating a manure spreader with wast oil is going to have an adverse effect on the enviroment..its has been done for years,just one farmer and one manure spreader,but I respect your concern for the enviroment.
Hazmat.....that sounds familiar....would you care to tell me what is behind your handle? We have hazmat training where I work?/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[hazmat]

It does stand for hazardous material. It is the name of the family's boston whaler (17' motor boat for you land lubbers). With two sets of twin teenagers at the time, my mother thought it was an appropriate moniker.

 

[Hillbilly]

Interesting/cool...........thanks for explaining that.Have a good day./w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[hazmat]

I just thought of a solution. Use cooking oil /w3tcompact/icons/clever.gif Keeps us tree huggers happy & you can keep your organic certification/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[cowboydoc]

Done it for years Rich and never saw where it ever killed any grass, hay, etc. It's not anymore toxic than any other preservative you're going to put on it.