Fertiliser spreader tray testing

[jg123]

Has anyone had a good deal on a kit?

They seem an awful lot of money for a few plastic trays and grids ( sure they only cost pence to produce) anyway with the price of fert id quite like a set for next year. 24m but would consider only setting trays from center of the tractor 12m one way if they are half the price and doing one side at a time even tho settings should mirror.

 

[snarling bee]

Just get the professionals in. You know that it is done properly then. Cost less than a tonne of fert.

 

[Wombat]

I made a set of 6 out of plug trays and a some larger ones all out the local garden centre for about £20 total

 

[jg123]

Just get the professionals in. You know that it is done properly then. Cost less than a tonne of fert.

It needs doing for every product tho if not every batch and i wait weeks for a sprayer mot so won't be very handy when fert arrives and i want to go do an afternoon one sunday. we use nitram, urea, straight p and k, salt, sulphur etc etc and its not all on farm at the same time.

Im happy to hold my hands up and say i cant rebuild a tractor gearbox and need a professional but im confident i can calibrate machines with the correct kit.

 

[JCfarmer]

Just get the professionals in. You know that it is done properly then. Cost less than a tonne of fert.

I should bloody hope so........

 

[jg123]

I made a set of 6 out of plug trays and a some larger ones all out the local garden centre for about £20 totalView attachment 992559

They look tidy, i think they definitely want inserts to help avoid it bouncing out

 

[marshbarn]

Do Red tractor assurance require tray testing?

 

[colhonk]

SSSHHHH, do not give them more idea`s.

 

[jg123]

Do Red tractor assurance require tray testing?

Im only FAWL and they dont

 

[snarling bee]

I have mine done routinely every year. It doesn't take a lot to have stripes - if you have stripes you have lost money. As a contractor I have to be responsible to my customers, as a farmer I have to be responsible to my business.
If I was putting 100kg N on 50 acres of grass then it is probably not that critical, but as I spread well over 200 t per year it is a must do no brainer.

 

[Zippy768]

I have mine done routinely every year. It doesn't take a lot to have stripes - if you have stripes you have lost money. As a contractor I have to be responsible to my customers, as a farmer I have to be responsible to my business.
If I was putting 100kg N on 50 acres of grass then it is probably not that critical, but as I spread well over 200 t per year it is a must do no brainer.

I think it was once stated on this forum that it takes a 33% difference to visibly see stripes. So can be wildly out (and costly) without actually seeing it by colour

 

[jg123]

I have mine done routinely every year. It doesn't take a lot to have stripes - if you have stripes you have lost money. As a contractor I have to be responsible to my customers, as a farmer I have to be responsible to my business.
If I was putting 100kg N on 50 acres of grass then it is probably not that critical, but as I spread well over 200 t per year it is a must do no brainer.

Im lost how you spread well over 200t for different customers and only get the professionals in once. I want to check the drop point of each product throughout the year. I can get the professionals in feb to test my urea then when my maize/beet/after cut fert arrives later in year i cant test it. we are not massive farmers but the spreader will do over 100t in a season so would be nice to have the kit.

 

[maxxum5120]

We had "professionals" in once and was ok, but i wasnt paying for it as it came free with a fert deal and only works when each different product is tested as they vary so much. I now use cat litter trays with plant cell inserts just throw them out while in the field to check spread pattern and alter if required its not rocket science

 

[Spencer]

Was only thinking today I need to make some trays this winter.

 

[tullah]

Egg trays

 

[Bobthebuilder]

Im lost how you spread well over 200t for different customers and only get the professionals in once. I want to check the drop point of each product throughout the year. I can get the professionals in feb to test my urea then when my maize/beet/after cut fert arrives later in year i cant test it. we are not massive farmers but the spreader will do over 100t in a season so would be nice to have the kit.

If you need to check it every time you use it its about time you had a new spreader do ours every other year in a grass field, check 4 products normally takes a couple of hours as long as not much faffing about needed, we'll spread well over 300t/season and never had an issue with striping yet

 

[jg123]

If you need to check it every time you use it its about time you had a new spreader do ours every other year in a grass field, check 4 products normally takes a couple of hours as long as not much faffing about needed, we'll spread well over 300t/season and never had an issue with striping yet

Thats not what i said

I want to check the drop point of each product throughout the year as we use them, not every time i use them. We often have different brands each year so would want to test each one each year. I also dont want to drop 600kg of each different product in (or open part bags) just so i can spin them all out at the start of the year on the same day while paying a man to use his trays. Spreader is only 2yr old but its only as accurate as its settings.

Iv not had a problem with striping but as said above by the time you get to visable stripes you are miles off accurate.

 

[Flatlander]

Buy a pneumatic spreader. No more striping or wind worries. Sectional control would be good but not available on mine. 70 ft wide and 12-14 mph. Covers a lot of ground in a day. Often drop 350 lbs of product an acre and haven’t seen any stripes.

 

[Jim75]

£5-600 for the proper kit vs £300/yr for the pros, doesn’t take long to get that back and can choose to do it when you think it’s suitable not when someone is in the area

 

[manhill]

I just do few yards at my dead reckoning rate, jump off the tractor and have a look at the pellet spacing on the ground. Then using Eular 's equations for real and imaginary numbers to confirm my estimate, jump back in the tractor, set the throttle and gears to suit the calorific value of the particular diesel in the tank, sit back and pour a cup of coffee. Job done!