A uniform, even spread of manure eliminates strips of high and low fertility in a field and also prevents vegetation from being choked out when it’s buried under the deep stuff.
But how do you achieve that uniform manure depth without a lot of extra tillage? As fuel prices rise, each cultivator pass becomes more expensive.
The traditional manure spreader design places the beater horizontally at the back of the box. Because this leaves a lumpy strip of manure behind the spreader, it’s necessary to burn more diesel fuel to get the uniform spread farmers want.
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To solve the problem and reduce the number of field operations, manufacturers have recently introduced vertical spreaders to the high end of their implement lineup. The European design first appeared in Canada about four years ago.
Beater spreaders mounted in the up-down position toss the manure to the sides rather than straight behind the machine. The logic is that a wide spread not only reduces the need for further incorporation passes, it also cuts the number of initial passes to apply the manure.
The new vertical Silver Spreaders from Leon Manufacturing are capable of spreading manure over a maximum 40 foot wide swath. Side deflectors let the operator adjust for a narrower spread if needed.
If these vertical spreaders are called upon to cover more ground, it’s understandable that they need to do a lot more work than conventional horizontal spreaders. With this in mind, Leon makes the Silver Spreader replaceable paddles out of ½ inch steel.
Rather than mount the drive gearbox at the bottom where it collects corrosive liquids and can impede the flow of manure, Leon put it at the top of the beater shafts. The beaters are balanced and synchronized so the machine runs smoothly.
The push gate is powered by two hydraulic cylinders that are staged so they can push manure from the front of the box to the back, said Leon engineer Lawrence Grodecki.
He says a push gate can present minor problems when loading loose manure that has a lot of straw. Loose manure compresses, so a full load might be pushed by the gate for some distance before it starts moving out the back.
Grodecki said that when loading loose manure, it’s best to try packing it down with the loader bucket. Heavy manure behaves better in a push gate spreader.
Autogate is a standard feature on Silver Spreaders. Leon has arranged the hydraulic sequencing so the end gate must be open before the push gate will move.
“If you have two separate controls, an operator might inadvertently activate the push gate while the end gate is still closed,” Grodecki said.
“If that happens, the push gate has enough hydraulic power to bend the end gate and even force it into the beaters. That can be an expensive mistake. Autogate prevents it from happening.”
The Silver Spreaders convert to material trailers in about 30 minutes by taking off the beater assembly. This involves removing the drive chain from the top and taking out six bolts. With that done, the beaters lift out with a front-end loader.
The frame is mainly ¼ inch structural steel that is welded together. There are no bolted connections in the chassis.
“We build it this way to help reduce corrosion,” said Grodecki.
“The entire uniframe is one solid, welded piece of steel when it goes for the baked powder paint finish. The paint seals everything up tight so liquids don’t get into the joints.”
The box lining is also designed to resist corrosion. It’s made of solid one by six inch tongue and groove poly boards that carry a 10 year warranty. The poly boards bolt to the frame and are easily replaced.
The slurry pan is designed so it can be installed or removed quickly. To keep the wheels rolling longer, the spreader is built with triple lip sealed bearings.
The 575 model spreader has a capacity of 575 bushels, which equates to 720 cubic feet or 35,750 pounds. Suggested retail price on the 575 is $45,712 at the dealership.
Grodecki said there is one basic problem inherent in any vertical spreader design. Rocks can hurt the twin beaters.
“With the traditional horizontal spreader, rocks are thrown over the top. They’re gone and out of the way. But in a vertical design, all that manure has to go between the beater paddles. They’ll take a six- or eight-inch rock without much trouble, but a bigger rock can do a lot of damage.”
Contact Leon Manufacturing at 306-786-2600 or visit www.Leonsmfg.com.
