Spreader recommendations?

[Dukslayr]

I have moved from 1 acre of food plots in previous years to around 15 acres of plots this year. About 10 acres of that is beans in two different plots. My plan is to overseed my beans with a mix of rye, crimson clover, rape, PTT and radishes this fall. I have good Solo chest mounted spreader that has done a great job for me in years past. That being said, I didn’t have 10+ acres to broadcast. I’ve been looking online at the reviews for ATV mounted spreaders and it doesn’t seem like any are ideally setup for use remotely on an ATV and/for seeding small seeds like clover.

For those of you who have to broadcast small seed for over seeding purposes, what are you using? I’m not looking for the cheapest solution here as I’d like to have something that’ll last for years and work properly. A buddy of mine has another 10 acres that I might help him out with using the same mixture I’m using...so there’s the potential for needing to broadcast 20 acres worth of smaller seed per year. Obviously going to have to seed the wheat and the mix separately.

One of the key things for me will be the ability to open and close the gate from the seat of my UTV, which has a cab. I’m open to using my tractor or a different ATV/UTV if needed but being able to easily open or close the seed gate is pretty important. Don’t laugh at me, but based off the stuff I’ve seen online I’m almost tempted to have my buddy sit in the bed if my UTV with my solo chest spreader and spread as I go. That would put a my work fine but take forever and require two people to make work.

Ay suggestions?

 

[TreeDaddy]

I’m almost tempted to have my buddy sit in the bed if my UTV with my solo chest spreader and spread as I go.

........Are you sure that you're not in east texas?

bill

 

[Dukslayr]

........Are you sure that you're not in east texas?

bill

That ain’t half as redneck as we get around here. But I can promise you he’d also be drinking a Busch light...not sure what they drink out in Tyler and Longview

 

[Bill]

I’ve done it. Sat on the back with a bag seeder. :). Takes to many stops for rye to refill the bag.

I now have a fimco 12 v seeder. It holds about 1 bag of rye at a time. If memory serves me setting 3 or 4 is just right for rye. I’ve never done a mix. With small seed I just crack it open and go over things twice if I need to. Seed leaks out around the bottom where the tub meets the broadcaster but duck tape has been holding that for a few years.

You can’t close the gate from inside the cab but you can shut off the electric broadcast paddle which gives you time to hop out and shut it.

I ended up mounting it to a 2X10 that sits across the bed rails of my side by side. 2” hole saw and some pipe to make pins that go into the holes in bed sides to stabilize the 2X10 and some ratchet straps as extra hold downs.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/FIMCO-AT...MIu9DBx9aO4wIVE77ACh1s1wpJEAQYAyABEgKjafD_BwE

 

[Mortenson]

........Are you sure that you're not in east texas?

bill

Haha, reminds me of a guy we know in the neighborhood. He farms probably 5,000 ac of corn, beans, and wheat. Has a lot tied up in machinery, but to spray his fences and lines he drives his Gator and has his hired hand spray from it with a backpack sprayer.

 

[yoderjac]

I have a landpride but mine is 3-pt so you would need a tractor. I also could not recommend it because after several years of use, the spinner broke. The metal just wore out. It cost almost as much as a new one to have it fixed. I asked if there was something that had not been greased properly. JD told me there is no place to grease that. It holds about 200 lbs of seed which is about right for the acreage you are talking about. Most inexpensive 3-pt broadcast spreaders (and likely UTV spreaders) are fine for large high seeding rate seed like Winter Rye. They are not good at delivering small, low seed rate, seed like PTT.

There are two options that I know of. I use the cheap method. I always ensure I have a seed like WR as a carrier. I mix the small seed with the WR in the exact amounts I want given the acreage of a specific field. I then open the seed door just enough that the large seed broadcasts well. This means making multiple passes, but that is easy with the tractor moving a fairly high speed. There is an agitator in mine that keeps the seed mixed. If I, for some reason, need to broadcast a small seed like brassica by itself, I pull out my solo and seed the field by hand.

The second option is to buy a precision broadcast seeder. I don't have one, but everyone says Herd is the best. I believe Kasco bought them, but it does not look like they have changed the design. Some of their seeders let you broadcast small seed as low as 2 lbs/ac. They make both tractor and UTV mounted units. They are not inexpensive.

Thanks,

Jack

 

[Dukslayr]

I think that Herd/Kasco might be the way to go Jack. Thanks for the tip. I don’t mind paying up for something that will serve me well for years (well, and it’s tax deductible).

Anyone have thoughts on driving a tractor versus a side by side through standing beans in late summer? Trying to think through the issues I’m going to have trying to broadcast into these standing beans. They were planted late so I’m assuming they’re still going to be fairly green and tall at the time I’m needing to plant my cover crops. This will be my first time planting into standing beans so not sure exactly what to expect. The beans were no till drilled on 7.5” centers so the rows are not exactly wide.

 

[yoderjac]

I don't think planting time is the driver for when beans yellow. It is maturity group and the daylight I believe. When you broadcast into standing beans, it should be done when beans begin to yellow. You want your cover crop to fall through the beans and then the beans to drop their leaves to act as a mulch and let light into the germinated cover crop. If you picked the right maturity group for your area and planted at the right time, your beans should have pods when you broadcast. I think the key is having the broadcaster high enough and using one with enough throw so you don't have to make too many passes. My tires mat down beans as I drive through with the tractor. I don't know if a UTV would have any different impact as long as the spreader is mounted high enough and has enough through. Height may be less important if you are not using beans that grow tall. I generally mix a little corn in with my beans, so I lift the spreader as high as possible with the hitch on my tractor.

Thanks,

Jack

 

[Dukslayr]

I don't think planting time is the driver for when beans yellow. It is maturity group and the daylight I believe. When you broadcast into standing beans, it should be done when beans begin to yellow. You want your cover crop to fall through the beans and then the beans to drop their leaves to act as a mulch and let light into the germinated cover crop. If you picked the right maturity group for your area and planted at the right time, your beans should have pods when you broadcast. I think the key is having the broadcaster high enough and using one with enough throw so you don't have to make too many passes. My tires mat down beans as I drive through with the tractor. I don't know if a UTV would have any different impact as long as the spreader is mounted high enough and has enough through. Height may be less important if you are not using beans that grow tall. I generally mix a little corn in with my beans, so I lift the spreader as high as possible with the hitch on my tractor.

Thanks,

Jack

The beans are the correct maturity for my area, but they got in the ground later than I wanted because of the insanely wet spring we had in the Midwest. I would have liked them to be planted in early to mid May but they didn’t get into the ground till 6/6. I’ve got 4 acres of Midwest version of Eagle Managers mix which actually gave 4 different maturity dates. If they do well then I don’t know that I’ll even be able to drive through them as tall and tangled as they get. The other beans I planted have multiple maturity dates from 4-5.4 which is probably going to push me later than I wanted before they yellow. I guess only time will tell but I might miss my ideal planting window this year.

 

[Mortenson]

We are going to plant some beans for the deer this year, but are hoping to wait at least another week before doing so, and then shortly thereafter, spread turnips and radishes in with the Herd on the utv. The beans will be planted on 30" rows, so it should work pretty nice to ride down the rows when they're just emerged or still very small. Maybe they can all coexist well together. Putting the beans in in early July, on wide rows, I don't expect them to fully canopy. Should leave some nice daylight for the brassicas.

 

[yoderjac]

The beans are the correct maturity for my area, but they got in the ground later than I wanted because of the insanely wet spring we had in the Midwest. I would have liked them to be planted in early to mid May but they didn’t get into the ground till 6/6. I’ve got 4 acres of Midwest version of Eagle Managers mix which actually gave 4 different maturity dates. If they do well then I don’t know that I’ll even be able to drive through them as tall and tangled as they get. The other beans I planted have multiple maturity dates from 4-5.4 which is probably going to push me later than I wanted before they yellow. I guess only time will tell but I might miss my ideal planting window this year.

I'm certainly no expert when it comes to beans. What I was trying to say was that I think the time when most beans yellow is based on maturity group regardless of when they are planted. If you plant too late, they may not have time to produce pods, but I don't think that affects when they yellow and stop growing. Someone that has a better understanding of both determinate and indeterminate beans might have a better answer.

Thanks,

Jack

 

[Dukslayr]

I'm certainly no expert when it comes to beans. What I was trying to say was that I think the time when most beans yellow is based on maturity group regardless of when they are planted. If you plant too late, they may not have time to produce pods, but I don't think that affects when they yellow and stop growing. Someone that has a better understanding of both determinate and indeterminate beans might have a better answer.

Thanks,

Jack

Ahhh, I gotcha. Guess I wasn’t aware that’s how that worked...I always thought it was a specific number of days post planting that determined maturity (like my sunflowers say 100-105 days to maturity). Guess a career in farming is probably not in the mix for me.

 

[yoderjac]

Ahhh, I gotcha. Guess I wasn’t aware that’s how that worked...I always thought it was a specific number of days post planting that determined maturity (like my sunflowers say 100-105 days to maturity). Guess a career in farming is probably not in the mix for me.

I can't say I have a full understanding of this in detail myself. I just remember from discussing it with some others, that it is more complex than planting earlier or later to control when they yellow. Hopefully someone will chime in with the details.

Thanks,

Jack

 

[Mortenson]

I can't say I have a full understanding of this in detail myself. I just remember from discussing it with some others, that it is more complex than planting earlier or later to control when they yellow. Hopefully someone will chime in with the details.

Thanks,

Jack

For the most part that's true, but if planted relatively late, it'll still push a bean back some. It's not like the daylight will make the same 3.0 bean ripen on the same day every year. Most beans I'm familiar with are indeterminate, whereas most beans in the south I think are more determinate. Those are probably like 5's and beyond. Beans utilized around here have already started flowering if they were planted by mid May, even though they're only boot high. I'd expect those to still enjoy the long July and grow a lot more vegetation and keep flowering all summer. This isn't iron-clad, but maybe roughly the same bean, here anyway, planted a month later, might only ripen a week later.

 

[SwampCat]

I have one of the 400 lb capacity poly 3 pt spreaders I use for fertilizer and seed. It is nearing the end of its life due to fertilizer use - but when I do small seed, I mix with fertilizer. I have no idea how you would open it with a cab tractor without getting off the tractor. A three pt spreader can be lifted pretty high for distributing, but I have had eagle seed beans that have been five feet tall and it would not have spread well. Usually, though, the beans are not but about three feet and I can easily spread over the top of them.

 

[TreeDaddy]

Have you tried tightening the top link to angle the direction of spreading upward?

bill

 

[Tree Spud]

I've used bag & chest psreaders to walk the 10 acres with small seed like clover, did 21 acres of switch grss that way 2 years ago.

Have been trying the Fimco seeder below for overseeding. Does a good job of spreading and you can adjust the speed of the spreading wheel to vary spreading distance. Biggest issue is gate control, opens with a lever with no spring control so it can open when closed, and close when using. Have used it on seed as small as rape & PTT, but not clover.

I have it attached to an old Kawasaki 300 and leave it there. Wheels small enough to maneuver rows.

Fimco Seeder

 

[WeedyJ]

http://tarterusa.com/tarter-products/5-bushel-pull-behind-spreadertrail-feeder

This is what I pull behind my ATV. It's been a beast, well constructed and does well on heavy terrain. Never done pure clover, always mixed with oats. You'd need to rig something on the gate lever to reach from the UTV cab. If their 3 pt version is same quality, you'd be set. I have gotten a bit fast with it loaded with 300lbs of lime and bounced a wheel off of a stump. It flipped to a 45 degree angle and the tow bar and hitch did not bend or twist, but held it from turning over and rode on 1 wheel. Gate has numerous settings that you secure with a hitch clip. Will open wider if you don't secure, but never had it close by itself.

 

[yoderjac]

Wow... That is expensive for that type of seeder.

Here is a link to a company that sells Herd/Kasco that posts prices publically. I'm not recommending the company, just thought it would give a pricing ballpark: http://www.beavervalleysupply.com/sectionb/herd.htm

I checked out the I92 when they told me how much it would cost to fix my JD. As I recall, it has a remote control that you can wire into the cab of a UTV. What impresses me with the Herd is the fineness of the seed metering system for small seed. There are many cases where I don't want to have to use a large/volume large/seed as a carrier. Keep in mind that you won't get the same level of control that you get with a tractor. Unless a seeding system has a ground driven metering (most small broadcast seeders don't), consistent speed of the vehicle is important. It is much easier to keep a tractor at a consistent speed than it is to keep a UTV at a consistent speed.

Thanks,

Jack

 

[WeedyJ]

Wow... That is expensive for that type of seeder.

Here is a link to a company that sells Herd/Kasco that posts prices publically. I'm not recommending the company, just thought it would give a pricing ballpark: http://www.beavervalleysupply.com/sectionb/herd.htm

I checked out the I92 when they told me how much it would cost to fix my JD. As I recall, it has a remote control that you can wire into the cab of a UTV. What impresses me with the Herd is the fineness of the seed metering system for small seed. There are many cases where I don't want to have to use a large/volume large/seed as a carrier. Keep in mind that you won't get the same level of control that you get with a tractor. Unless a seeding system has a ground driven metering (most small broadcast seeders don't), consistent speed of the vehicle is important. It is much easier to keep a tractor at a consistent speed than it is to keep a UTV at a consistent speed.

Thanks,

Jack

It is definitely expensive but is as solid as they come. Not to mention I like the ability to load 300 lbs of fertilizer or lime which reduces my refill stops.