3pt fertilizer speader

[Anonymous-0]

i bought a good used 500lb fertilizer spreader over the weekend. the seller said he bought it from tractor supply a few years ago. can anyone tell me what the setting should be for applying 100 lbs. per acre of granular fertilizer and speed of tractor. there is a chart on the spreader but not able to read it from being faded.
thanks hank

 

[RodinNS]

Is that one of those single spinner Cosmo/EuroSpand/another brand name? spreaders with two hatches? We've had both the Cosmo and the EuroSpand's...
I'd suggest that you'll be streatching it to knock that down to 100 pounds per acre. They have flowability problems with regulationg that low a rate, particulairly with A/N...
The simple answer to your question is that every blend has a different flow rate, so you have to figure out how many pounds per minute it delivers at a given setting, figure out the width of the spread pattern, the travel speed, and the area you'll cover in 1 minute... and then calculate it.
If you want to wing it, I'd suggest slowing it down to about as slow as you can and still see some fertilizer dropping out the spouts when it's running and drive at 5-6 mph at probably a 30' spacing on center.
Those spreaders are not accurate in any league, so don't expect too much from it. If you want accuracy you'll be spending a lot more money on a spreader to get something with a true bottom unloader that can regulate it's flow.
Those single spinner spreaders let too much out around the agitator to actually control anything. The accuracy improves at rates above 300 pounds per acre....

Rod

 

[Anonymous-0]

Depends on brand ,some are crap and will not apply that low but europe runs on this type of spreader and are perfectly accurate ,Double disc is best and oscillating spout (vicon) is terrible .

 

[RodinNS]

Actually, I use a Vicon pendulum spreader. It's fairly accurate. The biggest downside is the variation in application across the width of it's spread pattern which requires some guess work to get an even application. IT has no problem at all with low rates. I've applied down to 50 ppa of A/N with that spreader at a reasonable speed.
From what I recall in college, in terms of spreading accuracy, the single disc spreaders were least accurate, followed by the pendulum spreaders, with the dual spinner models being most accurate. Lely and Boquballe are two common dual spinner models in this area, but the Vicon spreaders are most common, and probably the most reliable of the bunch. In six years I've done nothing to my Vicon but grease it...

Rod

 

[Anonymous-0]

Do an internet search for the brand you have. You might be able to down load a manual. I know that landride sells a spreader similar to what you are describing. You can download a manual from them.