Side-Mounted Granular FertilizerApplicator

Side-Mounted Granular FertilizerApplicator FERTILIZER APPLICATION “This photo shows the one-row battery-operated granular fertilizer applicator I made out of an old 50-lb metal barrel I use it to fertilize garden crops while digging a seed trench at the same time ” says Mack Myers Kirbyville Texas Myers side-mounted the applicator on his Farmall 140 27 hp tractor which is equipped with a hydraulic-operated 6-in wide belly-mounted plow to dig the seed trench The barrel sets on a metal bracket bolted to the side of the tractor Myers screwed a homemade metal ring onto the barrel and then attached a metal box to one side of the ring The box protects a 12-volt motor and gearbox unit with the motor wired to the tractor’s battery He cut a hole in the bottom of the barrel then installed a homemade knife gate valve to adjust the flow The motor drives a shaft connected to a foot bearing which causes a pair of paddles to agitate the fertilizer Opening the valve causes the fertilizer to fall into a vacuum cleaner hose which is attached to a metal fertilizer tube that inserts the fertilizer about 4 in deep and 2 in to the side of the row Myers uses a switch mounted next to the steering wheel to engage the motor “It works much better than I ever thought it would ” says Myers “I turn the switch on to open the valve and when I get to the end of the row I turn it off to avoid wasting fertilizer It’s built mostly from scrap material so it didn’t cost much to build The motor and gearbox are off an old camper slide-out I bought the barrel which was filled with paint brushes and rollers for $13 at an auction If I want I can also use it to sidedress fertilizer after the plants start growing “I use it on my 2-acre garden where I grow crops of sweet corn beans squash and peas I came up with the idea because I’m almost 72 years old and got tired of walking on plowed ground while carrying a bucket of fertilizer Last spring a friend filled the barrel for me every time it ran empty so I didn’t even have to get off the tractor ” Myers says it only takes about 5 min to put the bracket on and by unbolting the ring he can quickly remove the motor and gearbox for access to the paddles and gate valve He mounted a battery bracket on the other side of the tractor in case he ever needs to use the tractor’s battery for something else Myers bought the Farmall 140 new in 1962 “It’s a great tractor and is probably worth more now than when I bought it I installed an electric starter and put LED lights on at the front and back to modernize it ” he says Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Mack Myers 2942 CR 474 Kirbyville Texas 75956 ph 409 988-8327; mackwmyers@gmail com

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