Home made lime spreader.

john432

Member
Location
Carmarthenshire
Chatting with a friend,I said why don't we do a kind of "Scrap heap challenge" and knock together a lime spreader. First thoughts were to cut the top third off an old Slurry tanker, fit a kind of moving floor in the bottom,and some discs on the back and away to go!. But too much thinking and planning ,we are going to end up with only a drawbar from a collapsed Star tanker as the only salvaged scrap.
We decided that we needed big wide wheels for flotation, so thought the best route was the Russian 28.1x26 type tyres, but a bit of searching on eBay got me a pair of used Michelin 750/65R 26 tyres off a JCB articulated shovel. Got a 10 stud lorry trailer axle from Jenkins in Felinfach . This was my progress a few days ago. Had the steel delivered yesterday,from Dyfed Steels, four gearboxes have come from Kramp, and bearings, sprockets, hydraulic motor valves, floor chain and fittings etc have come from Granit, who have kindly given me a trade account.
20170317_165529.jpg
 
Chatting with a friend,I said why don't we do a kind of "Scrap heap challenge" and knock together a lime spreader. First thoughts were to cut the top third off an old Slurry tanker, fit a kind of moving floor in the bottom,and some discs on the back and away to go!. But too much thinking and planning ,we are going to end up with only a drawbar from a collapsed Star tanker as the only salvaged scrap.
We decided that we needed big wide wheels for flotation, so thought the best route was the Russian 28.1x26 type tyres, but a bit of searching on eBay got me a pair of used Michelin 750/65R 26 tyres off a JCB articulated shovel. Got a 10 stud lorry trailer axle from Jenkins in Felinfach . This was my progress a few days ago. Had the steel delivered yesterday,from Dyfed Steels, four gearboxes have come from Kramp, and bearings, sprockets, hydraulic motor valves, floor chain and fittings etc have come from Granit, who have kindly given me a trade account.View attachment 492840
Any more pics sounds interesting
 

john432

Member
Location
Carmarthenshire
Thanks banjo, the one thing that does worry me a bit if the floor conveyor system, rather than a flat wide belt, we are going for chains and slats, similar to rear discharge muck spreaders,but with a width of 24" and a slat every 4.5" .Driven by a hydraulic motor through a Burma 30 to 1 reduction gearbox, with a view one day to make it with a variable rate. Plenty of videos on YouTube of slatted floor spreaders in other countries. So should work. Pto drive to the rear spreading discs using 3 topper gearboxes , one T gearbox in the centre, on its flat, driven by its output, and 2 L type topper gearboxes upside down to turn the discs. Both will need dismantling and fitted with sealed bearings on the bottom ,which will be top ,due to no oil.
 
Thanks banjo, the one thing that does worry me a bit if the floor conveyor system, rather than a flat wide belt, we are going for chains and slats, similar to rear discharge muck spreaders,but with a width of 24" and a slat every 4.5" .Driven by a hydraulic motor through a Burma 30 to 1 reduction gearbox, with a view one day to make it with a variable rate. Plenty of videos on YouTube of slatted floor spreaders in other countries. So should work. Pto drive to the rear spreading discs using 3 topper gearboxes , one T gearbox in the centre, on its flat, driven by its output, and 2 L type topper gearboxes upside down to turn the discs. Both will need dismantling and fitted with sealed bearings on the bottom ,which will be top ,due to no oil.
Im not criticiseing at all would hyd motors drive the spinners and land drive the bed take a drive wheel off a fert spinner etc
 

john432

Member
Location
Carmarthenshire
Been thinking a lot about which way would be best to drive the bed and discs, wanted to be able to use the spreader on the Track Marshall on slopes, don't think the Hydraulics would be up to turning the discs, and wanted the ability to spread in reverse, which can't be done with the ground wheel driven bed system.
 
Been thinking a lot about which way would be best to drive the bed and discs, wanted to be able to use the spreader on the Track Marshall on slopes, don't think the Hydraulics would be up to turning the discs, and wanted the ability to spread in reverse, which can't be done with the ground wheel driven bed system.
Yes Fair play i agree
 

Shovelhands

Member
Location
Sunny Essex
Im not criticiseing at all would hyd motors drive the spinners and land drive the bed take a drive wheel off a fert spinner etc

You'd need a fair oil flow for hyd motors for the spinners. Spools maybe wouldn't cope? Also a free flow return would be best.

You could however use hyd motors and pto drive a larger pump, then have a self contained pto driven system, which could then incorporate variable spinner speed........

......but since there's a heap of new shiny gearboxes on the floor it's probably best not to talk @john432 into another idea:D

John, on the subject of floor, why not go BOC (belt over chain)? Fixing belt to the slats.
 
You'd need a fair oil flow for hyd motors for the spinners. Spools maybe wouldn't cope? Also a free flow return would be best.

You could however use hyd motors and pto drive a larger pump, then have a self contained pto driven system, which could then incorporate variable spinner speed........

......but since there's a heap of new shiny gearboxes on the floor it's probably best not to talk @john432 into another idea:D

John, on the subject of floor, why not go BOC (belt over chain)? Fixing belt to the slats.
Im sure the Ones ive used had motors and worked well but any how they were home made aswell

Agreed pto will be best for his needs
 

Shovelhands

Member
Location
Sunny Essex
Im sure the Ones ive used had motors and worked well but any how they were home made aswell

Agreed pto will be best for his needs

It really depends on how big the spinners are going to be, and how much volume they are going to be required to shift per rev.
I know in the past that I have gone to great lengths to achieve enough oil flow for spinner motors, but probably a bit specific to my requirements I suppose.
 

john432

Member
Location
Carmarthenshire
Belt over chain? Thanks Shovel hands, that would be be an easy fix if there was a problem with the lime sticking to the floor and the slats rising over and stretching or braking. But so many chain bed machines on YouTube seem to work fine, so not giving up on it yet, but have a backup now thanks again.
 

john432

Member
Location
Carmarthenshire
Spinners are going to be about 30" diameter each, still debating the best type of vanes? J J of JJ Haulage in Carmarthenshire ,who has a lifetime experience of spreading lime said go for the angle iron with the curved tip, as fitted to the old Atkinson, as they had a superior spread to even new machines.in his experience, but a lot to do before we get there.
 

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Red Tractor drops launch of green farming scheme amid anger from farmers

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quote: “Red Tractor has confirmed it is dropping plans to launch its green farming assurance standard in April“

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