What are fertilizer spreaders for?

What are mineral fertilizer spreaders

One of the most important and difficult tasks in the economy is to introduce fertilizers into the soil on time, quickly and in the right amount. It is extremely difficult to do this manually, so any farm owner needs to purchase at least one device for dispersing mineral fertilizers.

Among the large number of offers on the agricultural equipment market, it is easy to get confused not only for a beginner. After all, for specific tasks, equipment with specific technical characteristics is suitable.

Video: IRIS Double Disc Unit

In total there are two principles of dispersion of fertilizers and other mixtures :

• With pendulum tube
• When rotating discs with special blades

The first option is used only in small areas, because due to its technical limitations it is much inferior to the performance characteristics of mineral fertilizer disc spreaders.

According to the type of construction, solid organic fertilizer spreaders are divided into:

• Trailer. They are a container on wheels attached to the rear of the tractor.
• Mounted. Metal frame and hitch with brackets and hopper on top.
• Manual. Made in the form of a trolley with a small bunker, which must be pushed independently.

There are also self-propelled units, consisting of a vehicle with equipment attached to it. This complex can replace several trailed spreaders of mineral fertilizers, but its cost is appropriate.

Spreader types

Manufacturers from Poland, Belarus, China and Russia compete in the agricultural machinery sales market. Domestic products are competitive, the quality of Russian mineral fertilizer spreaders is not inferior to imported units.

There are several types of modern fertilizer spreaders:

• hinged;
• trailed;
• semitrailer;
• manual.

According to the type of construction, all units are divided into 2 groups: pendulum and disk.

Advantages

With the help of automation of soil fertilization, you can achieve a more stable result than with manual processing of the field. And since it is necessary to saturate the land twice a year (in spring and autumn), a lot of time is saved in total, and the number of workers for servicing the farm is also reduced.

Precise dosing during spraying allows the fertilizer to be spread economically on the ground over large areas. With the help of a regulating system for the supply of raw materials, it is possible to distribute both several centners of fertilizers and a couple of tons on one piece of land.

Advantages and disadvantages

There are pros and cons to spreading dressings with specialized equipment. By applying fertilizers in this way, it is possible to achieve sustainable results in the cultivation of various crops. The positive aspects include the fact that time is saved, because the work is performed at least 2 times a year. There are far fewer people involved in the process. Thanks to the technical characteristics of the mineral fertilizer spreader, it is possible to adjust the amount of fertilizer and the width to which it will be spread. As a result, you can save on the purchase of similar formulations.

It should be noted that the equipment is quite expensive. This is especially true of modern automatic units and tractors, which are necessary for most trailed and mounted spreaders. The cost of spare parts is also high.

Flaws

The first and most important drawback: high cost . While this is less of an issue with manual diffusers, automatic models can cost up to tens of thousands of dollars. The payback of such equipment can be delayed for several years. However, a simple version of the device can be assembled independently if dosage accuracy is not a decisive factor.

Moreover, mounted and trailed spreaders require tractors with a certain power, which will depend on the weight of the equipment attached to it and on the volume of fertilizers.

Mounted models

Such mineral fertilizer spreaders are a metal or plastic hopper attached to the tractor with a special frame and brackets. They are compatible with tractors of any power, and at a relatively low price they perform their tasks perfectly.

Since there are capacity limitations, mounted fertilizer spreaders are more often used for small areas . For large areas, it is worth paying attention to trailers.

Before buying, you need to make sure that the tractor hitch is compatible with the fertilizer spreader. Modern models of tractors should not have problems. However, the old Soviet equipment was developed according to different standards, and it will require the purchase of new components for the hitch.

Mounted disc spreader

This is a metal hopper with a frame, inside of which mechanical agitators (tedders) are located to evenly distribute the contents. A grate for sifting fertilizers is attached above them.

Under the bunker there is a control for the supply of bulk solids, consisting of a restrictive and shut-off valve. The first regulates the supply of fertilizers, the second - hermetically closes the container for ease of movement around the area. The shutters have locks that do not allow them to move arbitrarily during operation.

The contents of the container, under the influence of the agitator shaft, fall onto the rotating distribution plates, bypassing the shutters. Further, the blades intercept the fertilizers in small portions and, thanks to centrifugal force, scatter them evenly on the ground.

This creates a fertilizer strip behind the tractor. There can be one or more distribution plates, and they can work both together and separately. The blades are adjustable and replaceable for different tasks.

The rotation of all parts ensures the rotation of the power take-off shaft (PTO) of the tractor. Attached to it with brackets.

Pendulum Mounted Spreader

This device differs from the disk device only in a scattering device. Instead of rotating discs, a special oscillating tube made of durable plastic is used, which throws the contents onto the ground with a quick right-left movement.

This type of mineral fertilizer spreaders is much less common than disc type spreaders and is significantly inferior in terms of its characteristics. This is due to a design limitation: the vibration frequency of the tube cannot be increased significantly, which means the contents of the hopper will not be distributed evenly enough.

Moreover, if the oscillation frequency is set incorrectly, the device will fail and all drive components of the mechanism will have to be changed . Also, the device emits a sharp noise that cannot be drowned out by anything.

Due to the low productivity of the tube, the working speed of the tractor, on which the pendulum fertilizer spreader is hung, is reduced. The spreading width reaches 8 m , and the maximum productivity of this design is only 2 ha / hour , which is clearly not enough for large areas.

Trailed spreaders

By and large, the principle of operation of this unit does not differ from mounted organic fertilizer spreaders. The only difference is that the towing devices are made in the form of a trailer on wheels, attached to the frame behind the tractor. However, the possibilities of such devices are wide.

Depending on the cost and specific model, trailed fertilizer spreaders can hold up to several tens of tons of fertilizer, and the working width extends to tens of meters.

And if the trailer has wide wheels, this allows you to work in the spring on damp soil and not depend on weather conditions. Such units significantly save mineral fertilizers, and are also often used as a manure spreader. This saves a lot of time and labor costs.

Manual models

This is the easiest and cheapest option on the market. The name speaks for itself: they have to be pushed in front of you across the field. And although uniformity and speed leave much to be desired, this type of fertilizer spreader is actively used in small areas and summer cottages.

After all, with their help, you can not only scatter fertilizers, but also sow various crops. In winter, such a unit will help scatter sand or salt on the paths.

The mechanism of the manual spreader is very simple: the disc with blades is driven from the wheels by means of a chain drive and cables. The amount of material to be spread is adjusted by a damper, which is adjusted by screws. To sift the contents, you can use the mesh while pouring the mixture into the container.

Homemade manual spreader

Any home craftsman can create a simple do-it-yourself fertilizer spreader. To do this, you need to take a suitable container, attach 2 running wheels .

In the bottom of the container, you need to make several holes and close them with homemade spreading plates with two blades each. Now it remains to attach the agitator to the container and make sure that the wheels set the whole mechanism in motion.

If you managed to find a cone, then you can cut off its top and attach it to the wheels down with a narrow part. Under the hole you need to put one disk with blades, which will rotate when moving.

As a damper, you can use a metal strip, which is fixed around the top of the cone and at the same time can change the vertical position between the cone and the disk. In this way, it is possible to adjust the width of the gap through which the contents of the cone will spill onto the disk and then onto the soil.

Overview of models from the best manufacturers

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Today on the market you can find products from both domestic and foreign manufacturers. Buyers especially like German devices. Experts advise Belarusian equipment. One of the best is the German Amazone spreader. It has a double funnel hopper. There is a special device that helps to accurately set the desired amount of fertilizer. The outlet dampers are controlled by a pair of double-acting hydraulic cylinders. This equipment is characterized by:

• quality;
• reliability;
• long operation.

The range of RUM fertilizer spreaders includes semi-trailer units, which are designed to spread granular and powder products on the fields. They can work in places where the angle of inclination does not exceed 12°C. Model "RUM 5" ("MVU-5") of Russian production with a carrying capacity of up to 5 tons refers to semi-trailer disk equipment. During operation, it can cover an area up to 20 m. The unit is designed to spread a significant amount of various dressings:

• powdered;
• granulated;
• crystalline.

It is used to fertilize the soil in spring, autumn and summer. This type of equipment is very easy to set up and easy to maintain. The unit scatters substances only in the center or in one direction.

Spreader "ROW" is designed for surface spreading:

• peat chips;
• organic fertilizers;
• compost.

It can spread top dressing up to 5 m wide in a continuous application, which is very efficient. Thanks to a convenient and fast conveyor, a spacious body is unloaded very quickly - from 3 to 5 minutes.

How to choose

To choose the best option for specific tasks, you must at least superficially know the performance characteristics.

• Capture width. This indicator indicates how wide a coverage strip will be created using a spreader. Directly affects productivity, because the wider the grip, the faster the field will be processed. Measured in meters.
• Bunker volume. The more fertilizer you can put in at once, the less often you have to interrupt work and reload the spreader. In addition, after a reboot, it will not be possible to spray fertilizer with exactly the same concentration as before.
• Weight of equipment with empty hopper.
• The speed of rotation of the discs and their number (if it is a disc spreader). European standard - 540 revolutions. All standard adjustments of modern spreaders are designed for them. Therefore, if it is different for the tractor, you will have to adjust the height rate manually. This will not be necessary if the tractor has the ability to change the PTO speed. Information about this is in passport.
• Tractor power in l. With. which is recommended for normal operation.
• Tractor models of the same brand that are ideal for the spreader. These are recommendations from the manufacturer, but it is not necessary to follow them if the tractor is already available or planned to be purchased from another brand.
• What type of fertilizer is the equipment intended for: granules, powder, sand, salt, etc.
• Manufacturer, expiration date and warranty.

All modern models have spreading systems, be it discs or a pendulum tube, made of stainless steel, and the hopper is coated with a special powder paint that does not allow fertilizers to destroy metal.

Spreader control can be manual or automatic. In the first option, during the adjustment, you will have to turn off the engine and change, for example, the position of the dampers. Of course, doing this automatically is much more convenient, but the price is also higher.

Manufacturers

Among foreign manufacturers, German brands are especially valued, where quality and reliability issues are very carefully approached. Belarus also performed well, in particular, due to the low price and at the same time quite good quality.

Amazone

This is a family-owned German company that has existed for 4 generations. Now the company has 6 plants distributed throughout Europe, including Russia. Amazone values ​​​​its reputation very much, therefore it constantly improves its products and carefully monitors the quality of components.

Video: AMAZONE machine

There are 6 items in the model range, differing from each other in size, throughput and performance.

RUM

The RUM range consists of semi-trailed mineral fertilizer spreaders designed for spreading powdered and granular fertilizers on plots with an inclination of no more than 12 degrees . The volume and performance depends on the specific device.

MVU-5 (RUM-5)

This model has been made by the Bashselmash company since 1985 in Neftekamsk. This is a disc semi-trailed mineral fertilizer spreader designed for large volumes of fertilizers with a working width of up to 20 m . The carrying capacity of RUM-5 is up to 5 tons , a tractor of traction class 1.4 is required for operation.

It is used for spreading crystalline, granular and powder fertilizers. It is most often needed for autumn and spring top dressing of the soil, although it is also capable of producing summer top dressing.

The RUM 5 mineral fertilizer spreader is easy to set up and does not require complex maintenance. It also has the ability to spread fertilizer only on one side or only in the middle. It is also possible to adjust the concentration of substances per unit area. A detailed instruction is included with the equipment, which contains data for each type of fertilizer.

Safety

When operating the equipment, a certain distance must be observed relative to the device. It is forbidden to approach the place of work closer than allowed by the instructions. Be sure to turn off the sprinkler motor when it is necessary to load fertilizer, clean mechanisms or make repairs.

Attention!

Before you start working with a mineral fertilizer spreader, you should carefully read all the recommendations from the manufacturer. This will allow you to use the equipment without fear.