Home made lime spreader.

[john432]

Sorry I cant seem to get the video and photo to download from facebook onto my tablet ,so that I could then post on here! Maybe someone else can ? Will try again.

 

[john432]

Snapshot!

 

[john432]

Another ,mf 8250 on the front, bought off KP Tractors, terrific tractor!

 

[Kiwi Pete]

That's grand, great to see it in action!
I have started driving a lime/fert truck, about 4 months ago, sounds like you have it running but I can get some spy pictures of how the transpread bins are set up - one has no bridge at all but the others do.
The door is similar width to yours, with a rack/pinion arrangement, they close to 50mm for low rates of granules and open to 200mm, for any mix with lime (or straight lime.)
They are computer controlled, and get a speed pulse from the truck gearbox + GPS to vary the belt speed.

 

[Cab-over Pete]

Looking good @john432 glad you’re getting on well with it.

 

[Kiwi Pete]

The beginnings of a new bin.

this is how the sliding door is set up.

The bins have the belt/chain returning under the bridge at the top, as per the second picture.
The big bin on Bills truck doesn't do that, but returns underneath.

Sorry about the timing, probably would have been more useful this time last year!!

 

[Shovelhands]

View attachment 749072 View attachment 749074
The beginnings of a new bin.View attachment 749076 this is how the sliding door is set up.View attachment 749078 View attachment 749080
The bins have the belt/chain returning under the bridge at the top, as per the second picture.
The big bin on Bills truck doesn't do that, but returns underneath.

Sorry about the timing, probably would have been more useful this time last year!!

Interesting setup there Pete, I’ve never seen a chain return over the top like that. Obviously wouldn’t work with a belt, but very clever with a chain and slat floor, and obviously means ultimately a lower center of gravity
But does mean that you have to only feed it with material that will flow well I suppose.
Also interesting way of mounting the spinners, seen a few over here like that.

I’m hoping to have time to build a new spinner deck for my machine before next season, there’s a few things I’m sure I can improve on, but always looking for ideas on how things can be better

 

[Kiwi Pete]

I will get you a picture of the 740 bin tomorrow it is a more conventional setup.
They are simply slats welded between chain links, returns under as you would with a belt. And the 740 has the better spinners which you will like, as they give a more even lime spread than my lil bin.

We spread frost grit on the roads with these in the winter, just turn the spinners down to about 50 rpm instead of 850..
The 740 design has nothing above the belt and so will spread sheepyard cleanings and allsorts, yet still handles lime without bridging.

But the basic design of them is really good, and versatile, we certainly go some places and the only real disadvantage is they tend to put granules on a little heavy, on steep climbs. They just tend to spill, but having the door well closed and a fast chain is commonsense, just like having a seed drill running faster with less opening is more accurate.

 

[Kiwi Pete]

This has @Cab-over Pete written all over it

Will grab you some decent pictures of the bin tomorrow, I think if I was attempting a project it would be very similar, as it's really similar to @john432's design

Clever, clever bloke

 

[Tomtrac]

Any idea of cost of your home made spreader parts and ruff hrs
Be nice to know i recon these manufacturers are creaming it
I know there is a lot off red tape and regs etc to comply with but i recon farmers could do a lot more making there own front line stuff rather than getting cheque book out

 

[Cab-over Pete]

Hello Pete, if your firm is into your Merc trucks you might like to see this pic. I’m sure the UK owner won’t mind. It has bigger diameter wheels on the back. All geared and ready to go straight from the factory .

Could just give a bit better traction and flotation.

View attachment 749152
This has @Cab-over Pete written all over it

Will grab you some decent pictures of the bin tomorrow, I think if I was attempting a project it would be very similar, as it's really similar to @john432's design

Clever, clever bloke

 

[Kiwi Pete]

Internals of the transpread 730V and 500 bins on the trucks at work. The bigger bin is altogether wider, wider floor chain

means that it can run larger diameter spinners, and has a much better lime pattern than the others. The spinners

are also slightly scalloped and have more dish in them.

otherwise, they are very much the same.
Hold about 6600 in the smaller bin and the larger about 8 ton. Notice that the 730 has much smaller spacings, as the chain returns under, where the smaller bin has wide spacings as the lime goes "through the chain"

That's a nice Merc, Pete. We almost have to run on duals for stability on hills - all the trucks run different tyres which is a headache, we run load-carrying tyres on the inside

as we have to keep the width on the Isuzus down to fit on weighbridges, which the Merc's can't with double chevrons.
We run runout tyres on them until we have the worked ground out of the way - then put new feet on them for grassland spreading, as we do a LOT of roadwork on seed and worked ground job, fiddly stuff.