FARGO, N.D. – Twenty-eight cubic yards of feedlot manure weighs 28 tons. That’s the volume and weight the Degelman M28 manure spreader handles, spreading it across a 75 foot swath in 90 seconds.
The typical feedlot custom cleaner takes the number 28 and multiplies it by the thousands each year. It’s a lot of material to move out of the yards and spread on the ground, says Degelman factory rep Mike Ushey.
“Manure management equipment is growing, just like all ag equipment,” Ushey said at the recent Big Iron Show in Fargo.
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He said the M28 is designed specifically for large feedlot operators and custom feedlot cleaners who can keep the big machine moving.
Standing next to the spreader, Ushey said, “this is almost the biggest spreader in the world. I believe Bunning (an English manufacturer) makes one that’s just slightly larger.
“And right now, the M28 you see here is the only one in existence. We’ll start production in 2009.”
Inside width of the cart is 78 inches, inside length is 240 inches, loading height is 102 inches and dry weight is 19,500 pounds.
The strategy behind the M28 extends beyond the mammoth capacity. Typically, manure spreaders throw their product only slightly wider than the width of the machine itself, thus requiring followup tillage and harrowing.
Degelman’s engineers decided that a wide, uniform spread could eliminate secondary operations and save money.
Ushey said building a giant spreader isn’t simply a matter of enlarging previous designs. The engineering process started from scratch with every component a fresh design.
“The undercarriage, hitch, delivery chain, beaters, everything. If we want it to handle that large volume continuously, then we had to start with a fresh piece of paper.”
He said the M28 was two years in development and 18 months in field testing.
The concept of the new machine is similar to conventional spreaders. The end gate seals the manure in the cart until the operator is at the correct position in the field. The operator then raises the end gate hydraulically and turns on the spreading mechanism. But that’s where the similarity stops.
The front wall of the cart is made of perforated steel to give the operator a full view of what’s happening inside the cart. The main cart body was designed with vertical sidewalls to help eliminate bridging and compression of the manure down the centre.
Underneath, the M28 has a unique suspension system to reduce shock loading to the tractor drawbar and to the spreader.
The first dampener is a rubber-suspended floating A-frame at the front with rubber doughnut sandwiches located at the two front corners where the cart meets the four by12 inch frame. The other suspension component is the tandem walking wheels.
The floor drive is hydraulically powered. A 12 volt potentiometer controls the flow of oil to the floor drive gearbox, giving the operator an infinite speed control of the drag chain.
The drag chains are made of ¾ inch prestretched, rust resistant links with a breaking strength of 113,200 lb. Chain tighteners are located outside the machine for easy access and lubrication.
The floor drive pulls the manure to the back of the cart. This eliminates the manure compression caused by pushoff designs.
The entire floor is made of one inch poly sheets held in place without fasteners.
They eliminate steel-to-steel wear points and reduce icing problems. The steel drag slats are two by four inch steel and can be replaced without tools by loosening the chain tighteners.
The gate frame is smooth and free of obstructions so material can flow without getting hung up.
Flighting is built with ½ and ¾ inch steel and is dynamically balanced to reduce vibrations.
The spring steel tines are ¾ of an inch thick by two inches wide and are reversible. Each tine is attached to a wraparound protection holder for better longevity.
“At the highest feed rate, the unload time is less than two minutes. Heavy stuff can take a little longer,” Ushey said.
In order to handle such a high volume and spread it over a 75 foot swath, the beaters required special attention.
“These new beaters are unique. They corkscrew one direction on the lower part. Then halfway up, they change direction and corkscrew the opposite direction.
“The top half of the beaters grab the manure directly and spread it out to the surface. The bottom half drives the manure down into the paddles or flails.”
The four, free-swinging flails create the wider spread pattern. The heavier, crumbled material drops to these flails.
The drive and auger system can be lifted off quickly by removing a few bolts to simplify maintenance and allow the cart to be used for other commodities.
Degelman put special emphasis on strengthening the components that might experience rock damage.
For example, the Berma gearboxes have heat-treated splined shafts and gear sets and include clutches for extra protection.
The M28 can spread slightly wider than 75 feet, but Degelman recommends a spread of 55 to 60 feet for a uniform pattern. At the recommended spread, the depth of the manure is about a half inch.
The M28 requires two hydraulic circuits. The major demand is the power to run the drag chain.
The other circuit is for the end gate. Ushey said the combined demand is about 20 gallons per minute.
The beaters are driven by the tractor p.t.o. Minimum recommended tractor rating is 150 horsepower. The M28 will sell for about $90,000.
For more information, contact Mike Ushey at 306-543-4447, or visit www.degelman.com.
