2 In 1 Spreader Mounts On Dump Truck, Trailer

2 In 1 Spreader Mounts On Dump Truck, Trailer FERTILIZER APPLICATION Fertilizer Application (58f) 13-5-33 When Earl and Daryl Martin needed an over-the-road truck spreader to carry manure to distant farms, they decided to make use of a tri-axle dump truck they already owned. The Ephrata, Penn., farmers bought a 24-ft. long, 5,000-gal. tanker fitted with inside baffles. They equipped the tank with a 24-in. spreader fan, an 8-in. gate valve, and a 24-in. top fill lid Rails attach to the bottom of the tank so it sits upright on the floor of the dump truck. They put two 2-way hydraulic valves on the truck, one for the truck hoist and one for operation of the tank. Oil is pumped to three electric solenoids on the tank, activated by toggle switches in the cab, to control the fan, lid and outlet valve. Since there's no vacuum pressure in the tank, the operator just raises the bed a couple feet for fast clean-out when the tank's 2/3's empty. The tank is held in place by three chains wrapped over the top of the tank and chained to the inside of the bed. The Mar-tins also weld 1-in. lengths of 1-in. sq. rod to the bed of the truck on either side of the tank to keep it from sliding sideways. "Two years ago our pull-type tank spreader, which we used around the farm, wore out and we wanted to replace it with a large tank spreader. Since we already had this manure tank on our truck spreader, we decided to make a pull-type chassis for it so we could use it both ways," says Daryl. They needed a strong chassis since, when full, the spreader weighs 20 tons. "We mounted a 5th wheel on a pair of truck axles and then bought an old dump trailer, minus the bed, and hooked it up to the 5th wheel `dolly'. We then took the 5,000 gal. spreader tank off our dump truck and mounted it on the new chassis. We've got a chain hoist in our shop that lets us make the switch from truck-mounted to pull-type in about 15 min. using three hydraulic connections and four spring-loaded pins. "We pull the spreader with a Deere 4450 or 4840, hooking the tractor hydraulics up to the tank. We modified the air brakes on the trailer chassis, installing two hydraulic cylinders for each axle. They work so well we don't even use the brakes on the tractor. After we started using the rig we realized it could get tipsy on hills because it's 12 ft. tall and pivots on the 5th wheel, sb we welded 4-in. spacers to the outside wheels so we could mount a third wheel on each, making a total of 24 wheels altogether. "The big spreader floats over wet and rough terrain like a Cadillac on the high-way. About the only problem we've had has been some breakage on the frame where it hooks up to the 5th wheel, but we finally got it strong enough. "The 2-in-1 spreader lets us handle all our manure spreading chores, both close in and far away. We wouldn't do anything different if we built another one," says Daryl. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Earl and Daryl Martin, 626 Millway Rd., Lititz, Penn. 17543 (ph 717 733-4516).

To read the rest of this story, download this issue below or click here to register with your account number.