Fertilizer Spreader

[Texasmark]

A few years ago, I retired my Cosmos 500# conical 3 pt spreader of a decade of service at least, for a Faza 500# which I liked a lot better as it was lighter and easier for me to hook up as I work alone.....used it for several years and had no problems. Yesterday I started loading 33-0-0 and found it (the fertilizer) to be somewhat wet....old stock from my ag. dealer......had a lot of clumps to beat into submission. Started laying out the product and it gummed up with about 400# left in the spreader.

In the process of trying to get back on track, I decided to dump the load on my shop concrete floor.....so that it would easily be scooped up by a flat bottom shovel and put back in the hopper when the problem was solved.

In doing that I put a floor jack under the lower frame and lowered the 3 pt. while disconnected the 3rd member (top link) letting the hopper tilt back and dump the contents on the floor. In doing that process I caught the edge of the slinger disc and broke half the diameter where it mounts to the vertical shaft in the spreader.

I found a replacement disc at Ag. Supply, for $119 + $40 shipping so I decided to see if I could remove the damaged disc before I ordered the new parts.........

Gonna betcha that every one of you that are reading this post have run fertilizer through a spreader and know what fertilizer does to metal parts. I spent all of this morning trying to get components loose so that I could install a new disc, if I bought one, and I betcha, no I know, that you folks know how that went......LAMO

So I went over to the tree line where a lot of my "relics" are resting, and picked up my old Cosmos and took it to the shop. Got out my premium penetrating oil (Kroil) and gave things a good soaking......with apparent rust everywhere, I was able to get the old Cosmos working so that I could get my fertilizer out for the rain we are supposed to have the next 4 days.......I was so worried but now I am a happy camper.

Just thought I'd share this adventure with you so that you can realize that you aren't the only ones having problems getting things done that need to get done in a timely manner......besides the work is done, supper is in the pressure cooker, having a couple of beverages of choice to celebrate and have nothing to do.

 

[Fritz Maurer]

Ive done all you've been through, and more than once had to fix the spreaders from the co-op , and they went back better lubricated than when I got them. Then they charged me a fee for the privilege of using their scrap. What really used to burn me was buying a load in bulk into a gravity box, sometimes the guy would pick up little stones and run them through the blender, and I would find each one later when they broke shear pins on the feed wheels. They just shrug when confronted.... they already got the money.

I had heard of liquid fertilizer for years but everyone said it cost twice as much. Just out of curiosity I called a wet plant and discussed the options and found out that starter for 35 acres of wheat was $1300 less than dry, which paid for the liquid kit on the drill.

After I learned how quick and easy this was, I went liquid on everything...

No more fert dust stuck to a sweaty body on a blistering day, no more days spent taking every machine apart for cleaning....I don't even have to get my hands dirty anymore.

 

[JOCCO]

Yes sir I have walked a mile in your shoes! I rebuilt many of these 3 point spinner types today it seems more effective to just buy a new one. If you can move up to a Vicon type (there are other similar brands. Many of those issues will go away. Also there is a agitator or beater for some of those 3 point types.

 

[Texasmark]

The machine shop wasn't really interested in fixing my disc because they really were in the precision machining business but have helped me out with unique farm related problems over the years.....gives them a break from the assembly line work that pays their bills. So this AM I went and picked it up.
The slinger disc appears to be stainless steel as the surface was slick and I gouged it a dozen times with my sharp knife and nothing changed as my cut marks got deeper. Other thing is that the disc is still shiny after quite a few years of use....no rust like galvanized nuts and bolts used on the spreader and painted surfaces. The confusing thing about the material is that it loved to get cozy with a magnet....something that didn't occur in industry....so I figured that it was a low grade SS....not much Nickel.....but enough to prevent rust.

I'm a guy that supports the axiom.....nothing tried, nothing gained/resolved or something along those lines.....I have taken calculated (legal) risks supporting that axiom as I have proven it to myself over my lifetime that it's true. With that in mind, I got home and got out my HF 151 or something like that (medium duty 220V) MIG with my regular 0.030 steel wire (I had ordered SS wire but now I don't need it) and gave it a shot........Guess what.....the weld took to both surfaces with good smooth flow at the edges blending into the materials telling me that I got a good penetrating weld.....so I spent half of today welding that sucker up.....stronger than it was when new at the disc and adapter that fits the drive shaft mainly because I now have a radius where the two meet rather than a sharp trasition.

Before I finish with it I am going to weld a steel extension to the rear of the frame upon which it rests when not in use so that I won't be having this problem again.

So, I can "re"-retire my old slinger and use the new one, saving $600+ in the process......life is good......just what you make of it!!!!!

 

[JOCCO]

The machine shop wasn't really interested in fixing my disc because they really were in the precision machining business but have helped me out with unique farm related problems over the years.....gives them a break from the assembly line work that pays their bills. So this AM I went and picked it up.
The slinger disc appears to be stainless steel as the surface was slick and I gouged it a dozen times with my sharp knife and nothing changed as my cut marks got deeper. Other thing is that the disc is still shiny after quite a few years of use....no rust like galvanized nuts and bolts used on the spreader and painted surfaces. The confusing thing about the material is that it loved to get cozy with a magnet....something that didn't occur in industry....so I figured that it was a low grade SS....not much Nickel.....but enough to prevent rust.

I'm a guy that supports the axiom.....nothing tried, nothing gained/resolved or something along those lines.....I have taken calculated (legal) risks supporting that axiom as I have proven it to myself over my lifetime that it's true. With that in mind, I got home and got out my HF 151 or something like that (medium duty 220V) MIG with my regular 0.030 steel wire (I had ordered SS wire but now I don't need it) and gave it a shot........Guess what.....the weld took to both surfaces with good smooth flow at the edges blending into the materials telling me that I got a good penetrating weld.....so I spent half of today welding that sucker up.....stronger than it was when new at the disc and adapter that fits the drive shaft mainly because I now have a radius where the two meet rather than a sharp trasition.

Before I finish with it I am going to weld a steel extension to the rear of the frame upon which it rests when not in use so that I won't be having this problem again.

So, I can "re"-retire my old slinger and use the new one, saving $600+ in the process......life is good......just what you make of it!!!!!

Just as an aside I have found parts on evil bay and ASC and a few other places for this stuff.

 

[Texasmark]

Just as an aside I have found parts on evil bay and ASC and a few other places for this stuff.

ASC in N. or S. Carolina sells the disc. The problem is that nothing moves.......fertilizer and steel are each other's worst enemies....and yes I wash down the machine after use and lube the moving parts. Problem is solved and after I get the back extension welded on it won't happen again.