Manure spreaders--which ones do you love/hate?

[Seven-up]

I think I may have killed the manure spreader for the last time (I kill it all the time but this time it may have been the big one) so I might be needing a new one soon. The one I have is similar to this one: http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_6970_200311037_200311037 but not that brand specifically. Not sure what brand, where it came from, etc. I don't know what size it is, but I pull it behind the 4-wheeler and it's about the same width, and slightly longer. I've had it for about 10 years, so it's had a good life.

I'm not crazy about the wood, so I think I'd like to go with something metal, unless there's a reason to avoid those. I'd like something about the same size or maybe a tiny bit larger, but I need to be able to pull it with a 4-wheeler. I bed with shavings, so I need something that will not choke on shavings, poop, and a bit of hay mixed in there. (I've heard the NewerSpreaders can't handle anything more than poo.)

What do you have (or wish you had) and what do you like about it? Hate?

[camohn]

Ours is wood.........its an ancient Ideal. Works great. For pulling with a 4 wheeler though sounds like you need a smaller one...I would look at Millcreeks.

[county]

I like at least a 250 bu. spreader and it has to be PTO driven , ground driven just doesn't work good on ice and snow.

[Seven-up]

Oh, yeah. No snow or ice here. But lots o' humidity. :)


ETA: Millcreeks looks cool. I really like the dolly wheel thing to move it around when it's not hooked up. That's something I hate about the one I have now. It's a PITA to move.

[dmalbone]

I've heard fairly good things about the newer spreader, but I was curious to hear from those who had them. I guess my beasts never leave a PIECE of hay so that might not be an issue.

[KPF]

I have a Fuerst M100G (I think that's right), small, galvanized ground driven spreader. I found it on craigslist last year used but in GC, I think it was $800 and we traded the sellers some hay for part of the purchase price. :D We love it... works great with our golf cart and no wood floor to rot. :) It is also very light if you have to move it around by hand.

I've seen a lot of used Newer Spreaders for sale around here, which to me means people don't like 'em. Other used models are few & far between around here... they don't stay on craigslist very long, especially the small ones.

I saw a nice looking small, ground driven one at my local Southern States that they'd ordered for a customer-- can't remember the brand but I want to say they told me it was around $1800.

[lesson junkie]

I've had 3 ground driven Mill Creek spreaders in the last 25 years. They rusted out or I killed them past repair. For the money, I feel like they should have lasted better.

I have a Newer Spreader now. It's simple-very light and few moving parts. I pull it with a 4 wheeler. I have liked using it, and it's doing a good job for me. It is small, and it doesn't like to spread much hay at all. If you have more than 2-3 stalls, or need to spread hay/straw, you won't like it.

[Zu Zu]

I do not care for Mill Creek - too flimsy for me!!! Actually a waste of $. Have two : one came with this property - now I know why! and a new one that is just always needing some repair and has trouble in muddy or snowy weather. The New Holland manure spreaders are wonderful - very sturdy and will last a life time - pull by tractor. Expensive but well worth the money!!!!

[Seven-up]

:( on the Millcreeks. I was excited about the little wheel on the front. :lol:
But that's good to know. I am pretty rough on my spreader, so I'd probably break it pretty quick.

Speaking of, I was informed this morning that I did NOT kill mine for good, the crank thing that shifts the load to the back was just slipping. (Which is good, because I have a huge pile of crap in the barn aisle that I didn't have anywhere else to put.) But keep the suggestions coming. Its final death is not too far in the future, so it would be cool to have a new one picked out by then.



*I think the issue with the Newer Spreaders was that it couldn't tolerate anything other than poop. No shavings, no hay, strictly poop. If I'm not mistaken, they were designed to grind up the poop, not just fling it out the back, so the hay would get tangled up in the grinder or something. All I know is that people were really angry with theirs.

[MunchkinsMom]

*I think the issue with the Newer Spreaders was that it couldn't tolerate anything other than poop. No shavings, no hay, strictly poop. If I'm not mistaken, they were designed to grind up the poop, not just fling it out the back, so the hay would get tangled up in the grinder or something. All I know is that people were really angry with theirs.

Nope, it can handle shavings and hay just fine! I've had mine for 5 years now, love, love, love it! They now make a bigger model, for folks that have more than 3 stalls to clean.

The one accessory that does help is the agitator inside, it is an attachment that helps churn the load, and keeps it from bridging above the drum. I got that after the second week of having to get out and poke down the load with a stick. Well worth the extra money.

I have only had to replace one part, one of the levers that you kick in to get the drum to turn got bent on mine, and it was super easy to fix.

Sometimes if you have too much long hay in the load, it can get wrapped around the agititor, and it might clog up if you have too much hay, but I have never had a problem with shavings, even when I had to use some big gigantic flake shavings (when my regular brand was sold out at the feed store).

[MunchkinsMom]

Oh, I just checked their website, shipping is half off, and the smaller model comes with the agitator standard now.

http://www.newerspreader.com/details.htm

[Char]

We've had our Newer Spreader for 4-5 years now, and it works like a charm. We bed with shavings, but the one mare like to make a nice fluffy bed out of her hay - never had any problems. We don't have the agitator, but hardly ever have problems with bridging.

I really like that it spreads so evenly, and doesn't leave big clumps all around. We spread in our yard, pastures, on the garden, everywhere. It's really sturdily built, too. Combo of aluminum, and wood at the top. No rust or degrading anywhere on it, even the bolts and such are not rusty at all. We pull ours with a very small, ancient riding lawnmower, and it has no problems whatsoever.

To park it, the thing is a snap. Just move it around with the handle on the tongue and tip it up. You can store the thing in about a 4'X5' area.

[Seven-up]

Oh, I just checked their website, shipping is half off, and the smaller model comes with the agitator standard now.

http://www.newerspreader.com/details.htm


Hmmm, interesting. All the bitching I heard about it was a few years ago, so it must have been before they added that part. What I did like about those is that they were supposed to be so easy to move by hand. But I do end up with quite a bit of hay mixed in to my junk.


And can I just say, the quote from the testimonials is freaking hilarious: "it's the best thing since canned beer!":lol::lol: Well, if you think canned beer is good, then ok!:lol:

[MunchkinsMom]

Hmmm, interesting. All the bitching I heard about it was a few years ago, so it must have been before they added that part. What I did like about those is that they were supposed to be so easy to move by hand. But I do end up with quite a bit of hay mixed in to my junk.


And can I just say, the quote from the testimonials is freaking hilarious: "it's the best thing since canned beer!":lol::lol: Well, if you think canned beer is good, then ok!:lol:

When I was feeding hay, I used to have plenty mixed in with the waste (this was coastal hay), and I didn't have any problems with it unless there was a big clump of hay. What I did was rake the waste hay into one corner, clean the stall, then take the wasted hay away in the wheel barrow, or if it more than a wheel barrow load, then load up the Newer Spreader, and use it as a dump cart. As long as the spreader levers are disengaged, you can use it as a cart and it is pretty easy to dump.

It is very easy to manuver, and no flat tires ever.

[Seven-up]

And it's fine when you strip stalls, too, and have nothing but gunky shavings in there?

[MunchkinsMom]

Probably. I don't really know because when I take out just the wet gunky shavings I put it on the fence line as mulch. Helps keep the weeds down, and any that grow are easy to pull. However, that might not work in some parts of the country (probably would make the posts rot too fast), but here in the sunny south, that is not a problem, the sun bakes them dry in less than an hour.

[Bluey]

I have the 57 Millcreek and it is working very well.
It is much more stout than those wood and light silver metal TSC and Northern and others sell.
It is pricey, but I got mine slightly used, it was a demo at the dealer.

[lesson junkie]

My Newer Spreader handles gunky heavy shavings just fine. I've had trouble with some nasty fescue hay getting wrapped around the agitator. The hay wasn't the best, and the horses wouldn't eat it. I shouldn't have fed it-serves me right to have to rake it out of the spreader!!

[WillowHill]

I had originally bought one from Tractor Supply but took it back within 2 days. The mechanics in it were so loud it drove me and the horses crazy.
I came across a Conestoga http://www.conestogadistributors.com/spreaders_wheel_driven.asp
and love it. I can strip 4 stalls in one load no problem. I just pull it down the aisle in front of the stalls and load up. It has never clogged up on me even with frozen turds in it.
Best part is the floor is a High Density Polyvinyl 3/4" T&G. It is heavy but DH is going to add the wheel to the front to pull it around when not hooked up. I oil it once a year and keep it under the overhang so it’s not in direct sunlight or weather to help the longevity.
The only beef I have is while spreading and your nearing the end of the load, the beaters tend to throw the turds at you so it’s best to drive into the wind. Mind you it’s quite entertaining when you have an unsuspecting newbie go unload it for you. They say there are shields you can get to for them so that’s one of my next hunt buys.

[Bluey]

Millcreek has a tail gate that flips over for when you are spreading, so the horse apples don't fly back at you.
I bet you can make one like that for your spreader.
You can see that black tail gate is hinged, so you can raise and set it in the spreading position, which acts as a shield.
I have the one in front, the shorter one:

http://www.millcreekspreaders.com/model57.asp

[Char]

And it's fine when you strip stalls, too, and have nothing but gunky shavings in there?

Yes, we strip once a week and it handles even the really wet yucky stuff.