Where to buy Fertiliser spread testing kit

Chap

Member
Had a company here last week who told me I could test 2 products. Anyway. 30 minutes and £250 later having claimed a headland test was the 2nd product therefore only one product was tested I am now after my own kit . Felt slightly ripped off by said company . Where’s the best place to buy a kit from? Thanks
 

boasley

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
East Devon
We used to use cardboard egg trays - cheap and cheerful, fert can't bounce out, put a load of them across 24m and then if you're feeling really posh a row of cheap plastic test tubes, tip each tray into a tube, line them up and hey presto there's your pattern. The deluxe version included a bit of wood with holes bored in to line up the tubes. Excuse the emphasis on cheap, I was a council tenant at the time, think the whole setup cost about £25 and reusable if you keep the egg trays dry!!
 

nick...

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
south norfolk
We used to use cardboard egg trays - cheap and cheerful, fert can't bounce out, put a load of them across 24m and then if you're feeling really posh a row of cheap plastic test tubes, tip each tray into a tube, line them up and hey presto there's your pattern. The deluxe version included a bit of wood with holes bored in to line up the tubes. Excuse the emphasis on cheap, I was a council tenant at the time, think the whole setup cost about £25 and reusable if you keep the egg trays dry!!
I’m sure this is what the expensive companies do anyway.
nick...
 

Robt

Member
Location
Suffolk
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Yes we do. As so SCS spreaders I believe
 

DrWazzock

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Lincolnshire
Don’t bother with all that shite. Just look on the ground. You can see if it’s a bit thick behind the spreader or whatever. If you want to get scientific but your hand on the ground and count the grains under it as you cross the bout. Never had striping problem.
 
Can you not do your own nsts fert spreader test if you have the trays etc ,and record your own results
seems some of these testing outfits are no more than like the red tractor rip off ,
just looking into importing a load of trays and kits , and do our own ,
tenners worth of plastic test tubes ,and a lump of wood with some holes drilled in it to hold them ,small funnel ,away you go
any one who spreads fert knows how to set their machine so ,why pay for been ripped off for an hours job
 

Robt

Member
Location
Suffolk
Don’t bother with all that shite. Just look on the ground. You can see if it’s a bit thick behind the spreader or whatever. If you want to get scientific but your hand on the ground and count the grains under it as you cross the bout. Never had striping problem.
A tray test kit costs about £100. Remind me again how much a tonne of fert is? Counting prills under your hand is pointless unless you are applying 400kg/ha plus.
 

Robt

Member
Location
Suffolk
Can you not do your own nsts fert spreader test if you have the trays etc ,and record your own results
seems some of these testing outfits are no more than like the red tractor rip off ,
just looking into importing a load of trays and kits , and do our own ,
tenners worth of plastic test tubes ,and a lump of wood with some holes drilled in it to hold them ,small funnel ,away you go
any one who spreads fert knows how to set their machine so ,why pay for been ripped off for an hours job
You obviously don’t supply spreaders . When you said “anyone who spreads fert knows how to set their machine “ is very very wrong! You would be amazed at some of the calls we receive …
 

Robt

Member
Location
Suffolk
Can you not do your own nsts fert spreader test if you have the trays etc ,and record your own results
seems some of these testing outfits are no more than like the red tractor rip off ,
just looking into importing a load of trays and kits , and do our own ,
tenners worth of plastic test tubes ,and a lump of wood with some holes drilled in it to hold them ,small funnel ,away you go
any one who spreads fert knows how to set their machine so ,why pay for been ripped off for an hours job
Have you also ever used the likes of SCS spreader testing? How long were they with you and how many trays did they put out? What %co inefficiency did they find ?
 

steveR

Member
Mixed Farmer
We used to use cardboard egg trays - cheap and cheerful, fert can't bounce out, put a load of them across 24m and then if you're feeling really posh a row of cheap plastic test tubes, tip each tray into a tube, line them up and hey presto there's your pattern. The deluxe version included a bit of wood with holes bored in to line up the tubes. Excuse the emphasis on cheap, I was a council tenant at the time, think the whole setup cost about £25 and reusable if you keep the egg trays dry!!
Spot on.

I was taught this trick, circa 1976 at Day Release Classes in Ludlow FE centre!

No 24m stuff then mind :) Varispreader and a Tasker spinner, as I recall
 

Zippy768

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Dorset/Wilts
What kind of rate are people testing with? Had an attempt at diy testing last couple of years. Have to go v slow or high rate to get enough granules in garden trays.
 
What kind of rate are people testing with? Had an attempt at diy testing last couple of years. Have to go v slow or high rate to get enough granules in garden trays.
Yes this is what I found with the sulky test kit! I think that 4 trays over 24m perhaps isn’t enough.
I tried a few times with, let’s say 250kg/hA of nitram and I was still guessing in all honesty.
I hope my old settings are near enough this year because the idea of using a 600kg bag of nitram and paying a man to test my spreader could end in tears!
 

Shutesy

Moderator
Arable Farmer
Don’t bother with all that shite. Just look on the ground. You can see if it’s a bit thick behind the spreader or whatever. If you want to get scientific but your hand on the ground and count the grains under it as you cross the bout. Never had striping problem.
:oops: What width are you spreading at? Even before fert got to the price it is now a proper tray test was very worthwhile!
 

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