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First-Of-Its-Kind Compost Spreader
When a landscaper told Daniel Ellsaesser that he needed a spreader that would work with compost, Ellsaesser set out to build one. Eight months later he had a 3 cu. ft. prototype that spread compost as thick or as thinly as desired. It worked equally well with granulated or pelletized material as with traditional compos
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First-Of-Its-Kind Compost Spreader FARM HOME Miscellaneous 31-3-16 When a landscaper told Daniel Ellsaesser that he needed a spreader that would work with compost, Ellsaesser set out to build one. Eight months later he had a 3 cu. ft. prototype that spread compost as thick or as thinly as desired. It worked equally well with granulated or pelletized material as with traditional compost, as long as the material was no more than 25 percent moisture.
"Compost will bridge in a regular fertilizer spreader and clog up the holes, but our machines have an agitator that shifts material back and forth," says son Richard Ellsaesser, vice president of marketing for Knee Deep, Inc., maker of the Bull line of compost spreaders. "They'll spread compost 1/4 in. to 3 in. deep. With their 2-ft. width, they'll cover 360 sq. ft., 1/2 in. deep in 45 seconds."
The Ellsaessers quickly realized the original 3-cu. ft. Little Bull Push spreader ($975) would empty too quickly for commercial operators. They added a 6-cu. ft. Motorized Little Bull ($2,950), walk-behind 10 cu. ft. Little Bull Pull Model ($2,150), and 30 cu. ft. Big Bull Pull Model ($3,850). All are shipped direct from the factory in the Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas area.
Landscapers tell the Ellsaessers it normally takes four men four hours to spread compost by hand on an average lawn. With a Big Bull they can do the same amount of work with two men in one hour.
"People we've dealt with see a good profit if they can get the job done that quickly," says Richard.
The Ellsaessers introduced their compost spreaders at the right time in their home state of Texas. The city of San Antonio offers homeowners and others a discount on their water bills if they use organic products on their lawns because lawns treated with compost instead of synthetic fertilizers generally need significantly less water.
"In our neck of the woods, things are going organic," says Richard. "The city of Austin is going green, too, and a lot of lawn care customers are calling for organics."
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Daniel Ellsaesser, Knee Deep, Inc., 6833 Old Mill Rd., Fort Worth, Texas 76180 (ph 817 658-6615; fax 817 281-4831; kneedeepinc@ yahoo.com; www. bull spreader.com).
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