Which Rotor/barrel/side flinger/devils own machine (what ever you want to call them) spreader to buy.

[IOW91]

Good evening all,

Next year I'm looking at buying a rotor spreader. 8-10 cube sort of size.

It will be spreading our own FYM which is a mix of yard scrapings and strawy muck from a covered yard.

Also I am hopefully getting some work in from livery yards, (run by ex farmers who don't tolerate the poney crew using the dung heap as a alternative bin.) so clean heaps.
Mainly shavings based.

I don't want a rear discharge for a few reasons, one that I am planning on using a smaller 360 to load with alot of the time.

I have had a small 5.5 cube Marshall rotor spreader in the past, so know the dos and don'ts with them. (Also know they get plenty of hate on here in other threads) .

Normally would look to buy new, but seems that for around £4k will get us a decent used 8-10 cube.

My main question is are there better and worse brands these days? Liked the Marshall we had in the past. I've seen Hispec and Flemming advertised and they seem popular. Belmac seem to be at the cheaper end of things.

Any info people can give would be great. Thanks.

 

[balerman]

Good evening all,

Next year I'm looking at buying a rotor spreader. 8-10 cube sort of size.

It will be spreading our own FYM which is a mix of yard scrapings and strawy muck from a covered yard.

Also I am hopefully getting some work in from livery yards, (run by ex farmers who don't tolerate the poney crew using the dung heap as a alternative bin.) so clean heaps.
Mainly shavings based.

I don't want a rear discharge for a few reasons, one that I am planning on using a smaller 360 to load with alot of the time.

I have had a small 5.5 cube Marshall rotor spreader in the past, so know the dos and don'ts with them. (Also know they get plenty of hate on here in other threads) .

Normally would look to buy new, but seems that for around £4k will get us a decent used 8-10 cube.

My main question is are there better and worse brands these days? Liked the Marshall we had in the past. I've seen Hispec and Flemming advertised and they seem popular. Belmac seem to be at the cheaper end of things.

Any info people can give would be great. Thanks.

Stick to Marshall,Hi Spec would be best of the others you mention,Fleming and Belmac i wouldnt bother looking at.

 

[IOW91]

Stick to Marshall,Hi Spec would be best of the others you mention,Fleming and Belmac i wouldnt bother looking at.

Thanks, that's the way I was leaning either Marshall or Hispec. There's a Flemming not to far from me for sale pretty cheap. but doesn't look aswell built as either the Marshall or Hispec.

 

[daveydiesel1]

Thanks, that's the way I was leaning either Marshall or Hispec. There's a Flemming not to far from me for sale pretty cheap. but doesn't look aswell built as either the Marshall or Hispec.

Wev a small fleming, needed new chain holders welded on after a few years, wev also a marshall 10 cube which is good apart from sheared off the drive shaft twice at the cog but wev modified it now so shouldnt break

 

[Fendt516profi]

Bunning 60

 

[IOW91]

I would probably have a look at a Flemming if it was sensible money and wasn't in bad nick to begin with (especially rust wise) it would mainly be used on drier stuff, kept clean and under cover. So shouldn't suffer like some would.

 

[steveR]

On my 2nd Belmac.

Built to a price I agree, but have been 100% reliable, wear on chains is minimal. But I'm not spreading breeze blocks....

 

[bobk]

West dual

 

[Aspiring Peasants]

I got a new Fleming 5 years ago, it’s never been any bother but the paintwork is very poor

 

[Henarar]

I don't want a rear discharge for a few reasons, one that I am planning on using a smaller 360 to load with alot of the time.

Hillam rotating barrel
Don't know if they still make them but you may be able to find a second hand one if they don't, easy to load from both sides with a small 360.
I had one and a marshall 85 and the hillam was faster

 

[mtx.jag]

Ran a pair of high spec 1000
Brilliant and bulletproof
Nothing wrong with marshal,they were king in our area through 80’s and 90’s until High spec arrived

 

[Netherfield]

Hillam rotating barrel
Don't know if they still make them but you may be able to find a second hand one if they don't, easy to load from both sides with a small 360.
I had one and a marshall 85 and the hillam was faster

Hillam went a few years ago now, John retired and that was the end of it.

 

[IOW91]

Hillam rotating barrel
Don't know if they still make them but you may be able to find a second hand one if they don't, easy to load from both sides with a small 360.
I had one and a marshall 85 and the hillam was faster

Funny you should say that my neighbours have two sat in the corner of a field. But they have been there for years and would only of been parked up for a reason, they bought our old 5.5 Marshall when we got rid of it about 10 years ago.

 

[BredRedHfd]

You should ask @Northeastfarmer . He's an expert on them, loves them to bits.

 

[IOW91]

You should ask @Northeastfarmer . He's an expert on them, loves them to bits.

I'm guessing he uses names similar to the last one in the thread title....

 

[spin cycle]

West dual

what happens to then if they do get a lump of concrete or big stone?....always wondered

 

[mtx.jag]

what happens to then if they do get a lump of concrete or big stone?....always wondered

They go bang
Normally sheer bolt would go but worse case was pitch fork a pile out

 

[balerman]

They go bang
Normally sheer bolt would go but worse case was pitch fork a pile out

Big chain around one side of axle,lift up with telehandler and tip out.Ive known someone take 2 days to fork one out.

 

[jg123]

Had a hi-spec and did a lot of work with it, if you can find a tidy old Dowdeswell they were also good machines (short and deep like a hi-spec) but will need to be lucky to find a nice one now. They are very simple machines, if its not rotten then it's probably ok. Only flemming thing iv ever bought was a link box for front links..... it was made wrong and wouldn't fit a standard front linkage, they admitted they had made a huge batch wrong, gave them 6 months to sort it and failed to get anything from them so made them come collect it and a refund, can't see myself buying anything Fleming again.

 

[oakleaf]

The rotary side spreader is a good simple tool for small occasional users like myself.
Mine only does FYM, no slurry, does not get washed too often but gets wash an oil spray if it is going to be idle for more than a week or ten days.
I’d go for Hispec.