# Electric Spreader



## aegt5000 (Feb 22, 2004)

Anybody ever try one of these ?

I have a bad foot, so I try to use the tractor whenever I can.
I have an agrifab pull behind spreader, but there are spots that
require a push spreader. When I cut the lawn, my nephew does
the hand mower trimming, but I hate to bother him for every
little thing so I figured I would try this to do the spots that we
would normally use the push spreader on. It’s an Earthway M20
(about $125.00) the hopper holds just short of a 15,000 sq ft bag
of Scotts turfbuilder. They advertise it as an ATV spreader but I
figured it would work just as well on my GT. Turns out it worked
so well I did the whole lawn with it and in less time than the pull
behind spreader. My only regret is I didn’t get the larger one (M30)
because I’ll never use the tow behind spreader again.

I made a vertical bracket (15” piece of 2” angle iron, on top of 10”
piece of 1” pipe, on top of 4” piece of 2” angle iron) then welded 2
pieces of 3/4 “ pipe on top of the 15” piece of angle. (don’t make 
fun of my welds) These 2 pipes accept the 2 pieces of 3/4 “ solid rod 
that I made to support the spreader. This vertical support bolts right 
on top of the tow bar extension that I made as part of my still 
uncompleted vac-cart project. I used the 12 volt connector for my 
winter cab to power the spreader, it comes with a rocker switch that I 
mounted to one of the original tubes that came with the spreader. 
I’ll leave the vertical bracket on the tractor but the spreader comes off 
by pulling 2 pins and the 12 volt connector. 

<img src=http://img51.photobucket.com/albums/v155/aegt5000/Spread1.jpg>

The spreader in place.

<img src=http://img51.photobucket.com/albums/v155/aegt5000/Spread2.jpg>

The vertical mounting bracket, the 2 pieces of 3/4 “ solid bars

<img src=http://img51.photobucket.com/albums/v155/aegt5000/Spread3.jpg>

The tow bar extension supporting everything.


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## ducati996 (Dec 27, 2003)

Nice Job !! You are slick with making things !! I hope the fertilizer is not being thrown on your machine ( I see some pellets)
You will not believe how corrosive fertilizer can be...always wash it right away (I'm sure you do and know about fert and probably have a fix) 

Duc


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## MowHoward2210 (Nov 2, 2003)

Nice job. :thumbsup:


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## Live Oak (Dec 22, 2003)

Very nice installation! :thumbsup: Looks like it will be very handy for fertilizer, pelletized lime, and even salt or urea for melting ice. How much juice does the spreader draw? That plastic hopper is a real nice feature otherwise you will have to thoroughly clean the hopper up after each use and spray a corrosion prevention compound on it. I have to do this with my 500 lb. capacity pto spreader.


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## aegt5000 (Feb 22, 2004)

Duc...

:ditto: 
on the fertilizer being very corrosive. After I took the spreader
off I hosed down the tractor. It wasn’t that bad, not really any 
more than I get with the tow behind. I’ll make an apron that I 
can just slip the 2 solid rods through to catch any drifting fertilizer
before I use it again.


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## aegt5000 (Feb 22, 2004)

Chief...

One of the things I really liked about it was that everything is made
of plastic. The motor draws about 3-1/2 to 4 amps so power is not
a problem.


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## Chris (Sep 15, 2003)

Do it use a winch or an actuator? 

:furious: :furious: :furious: :furious: :furious:


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## MowHoward2210 (Nov 2, 2003)

> _Originally posted by admin _
> *Do it use a winch or an actuator?
> 
> :furious: :furious: :furious: :furious: :furious: *


Somehow, I knew that was coming....


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## memmurphy (Sep 18, 2003)

That is a neat set up. Good job!

Since the rotor speed is not connected to ground speed, to they give a recommended travel speed to match the drop setting?

Mark


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## REDGT (Mar 26, 2004)

Ya know, I think I like this spreader more than the wheeled tow behind models...It looks to me like this one wouldn't bounce around as much....only thing is, I may build a mount for it that will attatch to my sleeve hitch. Nice job on yours. Thanks for posting this!


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## REDGT (Mar 26, 2004)

As a follow on to memmurphy's question...does this spreader have an adjustable gate to regulate how much mcterial is spread or do you rely on adjusting tractor speed?


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## Chipmaker (Sep 16, 2003)

Nice job on your adapting it to the tractor. I like home brew ideas that work well.........You can add a potentiometer easily to the circuit so you can increase or decrease the motors rpms that turns the disk pretty easy. I had built an electric spreader a few years ago using a stainless steel duct I scrounged that was 16 inches in diameter for the hopper. I adapted it to a steel dished plate, cut in a drop door with adjustable gate and powered the thing with an automotive heater motor with a potentiometer. The spreading disk was nothing more than a stainless steel disk with baffles / wings on it, and you could vary the spread by dialing in the potentiometer from a very narrow spread to a better than 30 foot spread very easy right from the drivers seat. Odds are the speed control that Harbor Freight sells will work fine if you opt to add a potentiometer to your setup, or even a heater fan control from a car or truck could be used. You may even be able to get buy with a light dimmer, since it does not draw all that many amps. Just cut it in the positive feed wire. 

As others stated, make sure you wash it thouroughly after use. It does not take much fertilizer etc to make things rust really quick.


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## aegt5000 (Feb 22, 2004)

murphy and redgt…

Unlike the tow behind, there is no relationship between the tractors 
speed and the amount of material being spread. The motor on this
model spins at a constant speed and that speed gives you about a 
10 – 12 foot wide spreading width. The spreader does have a calibrated 
flow gate that you adjust to regulate the amount of material leaving the 
hopper and you also use this lever to shut off the flow of material. 
Earthway has a calibration chart on their web site that lists hundreds of
fertilizer’s and the appropriate setting for each. Like chipmaker said 
you could use a potentiometer to regulate the speed of the motor, that
would change the spreading width. Earthway does offer a potentiometer 
on their larger electric spreader models, but I really didn’t miss that 
feature. redgt, you are right, this spreader does not bounce around 
nearly as much as the tow behind.


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## jodyand (Sep 16, 2003)

Looks good aegt5000 now you can get places you couldnt with the pull behind:thumbsup:


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## REDGT (Mar 26, 2004)

Coo-ul. I see that Northern Tool carries it...been in the market for a spreader...will include it next order and thanks...


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