How religiously do you wash your fertiliser spreader?

[Feldspar]

Do you wash it immediately after use no matter what, at least on the morning after the day before or when you can be bothered or the weather's quite nice?

How do different fertilisers affect the above decision? How good are the materials and paints used in modern fert spreaders (Amazone?)?

 

[Shutesy]

Vicon Varispreader (hate the stupid lump of crap, can't wait till it goes, the sooner the better!!) Cleaned once at the end of the season! New spreader when it arrives will be cleaned after every use at the end of the day and left to dry and then oiled etc when it is not used for any periods more than a few days.

 

[mf7480]

Immediately after use no matter what. 2001 Amazone with only surface rust on the bottom of the chassis.

 

[B&B Pig Man]

Got a Kuhn axis here - always washed immediately after use!

It's 4 years old now, and looks exactly as it did when it was delivered!

 

[Rob Holmes]

Got a Kuhn axis here - always washed immediately after use!

It's 4 years old now, and looks exactly as it did when it was delivered!

Same here, it will get left overnight if spreading next day but once finished it's washed off, and again is 4 yrs old any looks like new

 

[Salopian_Will]

If were using it for a week solid it will only get washed when done. I reckon washing it every day does more harm than good. It is constantly wet, getting in bearings washing fert into every nook and cranny the next day.

In the winter a good coating of oil/diesel. We've got a 15 year old Z AM in the back of the shed and the paint is fine.

 

[nxy]

I have an amazone ZAM bought brand new in 2004, it is my 3rd. It is not washed every day if we are still using it but it is washed if out of work for a few days. It is has rusted very badly, much more than the previous 2.

I am more worried though with the strength of the thing, nearly every weld on it has cracked, and had to be rewelded.We have then had to plate when it cracked again and the metal is so thin you can burn through it with even a small rod. Last week the thing fell on the floor whilst on the tractor I thought the top link had broken but no it had fallen apart again.

 

[John 1594]

Amazone ZAM special, washed every night after use, end of season it has a gallon of clean engine oil poured in each hopper, ran at full speed with slide set at 100, open slides at full revs, entire bottom end of spreader recieves a covering of oil. 2 hessian bags soaked in oil, wrapped round agitators in bottom of hopper, slides open to relax springs, agitator drive chain taken of, pto shaft seperated and a sheet over the top of it. Never had any problems yet

 

[stuart]

Washed the next morning and allways give tractor a good wash at the same time

 

[Blue.]

Washed off as soon as I'm finished,only use it a couple of times a year,then generally spray oil on it before being housed.

 

[General-Lee]

Just got a new amazone and whether it will wear off but clean it everyday, but the 8 year old Kuhn it replaced was only cleaned after I'd finished be it 1 day or a week, with a diesel/oil up when it's sat up. It had minimal rust just hope the new 1 will be as good!!

 

[Scrambler]

Amazone ZAM special, washed every night after use, end of season it has a gallon of clean engine oil poured in each hopper, ran at full speed with slide set at 100, open slides at full revs, entire bottom end of spreader recieves a covering of oil. 2 hessian bags soaked in oil, wrapped round agitators in bottom of hopper, slides open to relax springs, agitator drive chain taken of, pto shaft seperated and a sheet over the top of it. Never had any problems yet

A gallon of oil in each hopper? That sounds a bit ott. Reminds me of when my dad used to say the best way to look after the back end of the tractor was to throw a bucket of oil over it. What a mess. Oh, and I'm pretty sure the agitators are stainless steel.
I wash my ZAM after every use with a cold water pressure washer (no detergent) and spray any bare metal or moving parts with WD40 to chase/displace any water and prevent corrosion. I've been using this routine on my spreaders for the last 25 years and it does the job without to much hassle or mess. And I always store it under cover.

 

[John 1594]

A gallon of oil in each hopper? That sounds a bit ott. Reminds me of when my dad used to say the best way to look after the back end of the tractor was to throw a bucket of oil over it. What a mess. Oh, and I'm pretty sure the agitators are stainless steel.
I wash my ZAM after every use with a cold water pressure washer (no detergent) and spray any bare metal or moving parts with WD40 to chase/displace any water and prevent corrosion. I've been using this routine on my spreaders for the last 25 years and it does the job without to much hassle or mess. And I always store it under cover.

bear in mind ours lives outside as shed space is at a premuim here, hence why it needs more oil

 

[neilo]

Amazone ZAM special, washed every night after use, end of season it has a gallon of clean engine oil poured in each hopper, ran at full speed with slide set at 100, open slides at full revs, entire bottom end of spreader recieves a covering of oil. 2 hessian bags soaked in oil, wrapped round agitators in bottom of hopper, slides open to relax springs, agitator drive chain taken of, pto shaft seperated and a sheet over the top of it. Never had any problems yet

Do you need an EA exemption for chucking so much oil through it? Or do you have one for the DB anyway?

 

[Granite Farmer]

We have a KV Accord it is washed and oiled every night during use if I finish on time.

 

[cotswoldcs]

How do other people (who store machine inside) apply oil to their spreader after use if not going to be used for a while. We've just bought a new Amazone and I want to look after it. I like the idea of using WD40 but wouldn't you need to use about half a can to do the job properly?

 

[aidan]

why don't manufacturers galvanise the hoppers at least?

or what did people find wrong with the fiberglass hoppers that manufactuers moved away from them?

or why not use plastic like a sprayer?

 

[multi power]

Vicon Varispreader (hate the stupid lump of crap, can't wait till it goes, the sooner the better!!) Cleaned once at the end of the season! New spreader when it arrives will be cleaned after every use at the end of the day and left to dry and then oiled etc when it is not used for any periods more than a few days.

whats wrong with it?

 

[Dave6170]

Half burnt oil half diesel sprayed on with compressor.

 

[multi power]

why don't manufacturers galvanise the hoppers at least?

or what did people find wrong with the fiberglass hoppers that manufactuers moved away from them?

or why not use plastic like a sprayer?

i have a old teagle with plastic hopper, the rest of it still rusts n i assume the plastic hopper might not be strong enough to take a ton or more