Best spreader for Ag lime?

[BJE80]

I've always used Pellet lime in the past because I did not have the equipment to handle Ag lime. Now that I am getting a compact tractor and will have much larger plots I will probably want some type of spreader (drop spreader?) to handle Ag lime. Point me in the right direction.

 

[bat man]

Craigslist. EZ FLO or similar. Place a wanted to buy and expect to pay $300+.

 

[wiscwhip]

Your local coop! The thing with drop spreaders for ag lime, all of us want one, but big picture says once you get your ph where you want it, you will likely only use it once every 3 to 4 years to do maintenance lime applications. As I said everybody wants one, but having a piece of equipment that sits in the shed more years than not could be looked at as a poor investment or waste of storage space. If you really need(want) one, as batman stated, EZEE-FLOW is really good stuff, as are others that use a similar design. JD LF10 and similar models(like Gandy and IH) are very good as well. Used off CL is the way to go( just check it over good), but if you happen to be driving by a farm and see one in the weeds by the fenceline, don't be afraid to stop and ask if it is for sale, many farmers nowadays don't want to dink with spreading lime themselves and hire it out to the coop along with their fertilizer application needs.

 

[BJE80]

Great points Whip. I don't think I would be able to get an AG lime dump truck back there. Even after I fix my trails. They are just too narrow and my compact tractor will be about the max. I am also pretty far out in the sticks.

I wonder if places would rent the EZ flow?

Hmmmmmmmm

 

[bat man]

Owning a lime spreader makes you a man of repute among deer plotting locals. You want to meet the neighbors and get some traction locally $300 is a pittance.

 

[BJE80]

Do you guys just use a 3 point spreader for fertizlier then?

 

[wiscwhip]

Many coops will rent you a lime buggy when you purchase your lime, similar to the one in the pic.

 

[BJE80]

Many coops will rent you a lime buggy when you purchase your lime, similar to the one in the pic.
View attachment 3916

That would probably work if I could find a place to do that. :cool:

 

[foggy]

I've spread over 34 tons of ag-lime with my EZ Flow drop spreader. It would be nearly impossible to lime my trails and plots with the kinda equipment found at co-ops. I made my EZ Flow into a six foot wide machine by removing two sections (2 feet each) from the spreader. I pull mine with my 4 wheeler and load it with my tractors loader. Buy it by the trailer load......as you will pay almost as much for 20 tons as for 10 tons of lime. Its all about the trucking costs.

 

[foggy]

Do you guys just use a 3 point spreader for fertizlier then?

I've read that a few guys have had some limited success with a 3-point, cone style spreader. But most folks report clogging and bridging problems and all sorts of mayhem when used with ah-lime. You can spread pell lime and fertilizer with 'em.......I do this all the time......but ag-lime is kinda like ground up dirt......and it will not flow thru most cone spreaders. Some sort of HD agitator is needed to keep ag-lime flowing......therefore the EZ Flow drop spreader is the low-cost solution for many of us. I paid $100 for mine (shown above) and spent another $300 or so in new tires, paint and modifications to reduce the width to a sixer.

 

[BJE80]

I guess what I was asking Foggy if you don't use spread lime with your equipment and only need a spreader for fertilizer then what do people use. I'm well aware you can't use a broadcaster with AG lime.

 

[BJE80]

Foggy,


Sweet set-up. I'm jealous.

 

[EOB]

We used the Antigo coop for our lime spreading. We are located about 20 miles out of town. 12 tons of ag lime per truck load and they spread it. They can get in there as long is you don't have a soft road. We had one soft spot but they made it through. If you can't drive pickup truck into your plot then this won't work. The Antigo coop also has a 6 ton buggy, pto driven, but it only spreads pellet lime.

 

[BJE80]

So what "keywords" would you suggest I type in on Craigslist? "Drop Spreader"? "EZ flow"? I get everything from the wagons to hand carts people use on their lawn. Need to refine my search better.

 

[BJE80]

We used the Antigo coop for our lime spreading. We are located about 20 miles out of town. 12 tons of ag lime per truck load and they spread it. They can get in there as long is you don't have a soft road. We had one soft spot but they made it through. If you can't drive pickup truck into your plot then this won't work. The Antigo coop also has a 6 ton buggy, pto driven, but it only spreads pellet lime.

It is going to be tough EOB. I doubt getting a pickup back there will be an option once everything is done with the logging and trails fixed. Don't know yet for sure. I think I need to plan on it not working.

 

[BJE80]

I wonder if I could take a frame like this and rig it up to pull it behind the ATV.


http://milwaukee.craigslist.org/grd/4840906249.html

 

[foggy]

I guess what I was asking Foggy if you don't use spread lime with your equipment and only need a spreader for fertilizer then what do people use. I'm well aware you can't use a broadcaster with AG lime.

OK. Yep, lots of folks will spread pell lime on their plots with a cone spreader. But the cost does get to be much more. I haven't done the math recently......but IIRC pell lime is gonna cost about 8x of that of Ag-lime. In small doses Pell lime is fine.....but cost prohibitive for the amount I have spread.

 

[BJE80]

OK. Yep, lots of folks will spread pell lime on their plots with a cone spreader. But the cost does get to be much more. I haven't done the math recently......but IIRC pell lime is gonna cost about 8x of that of Ag-lime. In small doses Pell lime is fine.....but cost prohibitive for the amount I have spread.

That is where I am going to be at now. I am going from 0.50 acre total of plots where I have done all the work with the ATV including spreading lots of pellet lime to now going to ~4 acres of plots and getting a compact tractor. Total different ball game.

 

[BJE80]

This was me last summmer pulling out of tractor supply. I think it was 1200 lbs of pellet lime. :D

 

[foggy]

There was recently an EZ Flow drop spreader for sale near lake Mil Lacs. I guess it sold. They are getting hard to find. You will need to do some looking.....but they are still out there.