Today was a big day. We used our new
ABI 50 cu. ft. Classic Manure Spreader for the first time. It was
delivered back in March and sat on the remnants of its packing crate for awhile until Herb could get the cotter pin he needed to hitch it to the tractor. Then he moved it into the barnyard.
For the last few weeks, we've been gradually been filling the manure spreader, catching up on picking up manure as we can. The spreader is small and maneuverable enough that Herb just parked it in the barnyard. The chickens love it; they spend all afternoon under its shade.
A lot of this manure has been scratched through by the chickens, but there are still dry lumps. It's been rained on, too, so there are soggy lumps. And lots of hay. We're throwing everything at it at once!
The ABI salesman recommended the Classic for us because it can handle both horse and cow manure, whereas the smaller Elite is made to handle only horse manure. Let's see what our Classic can do.
Here's the pasture that needs the most help. This strip between me and the tractor is where we tend to get floods when the creek overflows. (It's been a while since that happened!) The floods wash rock and gravel across the ground and wash topsoil away. It may not look too bad from here, but take a closer look . . .
Oh, yeah, it needs some help!
Two levers to pull down, the left-hand one determining how fast the manure will be spread. Herb opened that one all the way this time to see what it would do.
Lights, camera . . .
Action!
This is so fascinating, I just had to keep taking pictures!
And a side view. You can already see how the pile of manure has moved toward the back, thanks to the nice chain mechanism inside.
This is SUCH a satisfying sight!
I just had to get in for a close-up, which would explain the flecks of dry manure on my shirt afterwards.
The spreader is almost empty, and this is what the ground looks like behind it.
Here's a close-up. Herb decided this was thicker than he needed it, so he decided to try Notch 2 instead of Notch 4 on the regulator (which should put out half as much).
The spreader was empty in the time it took Herb to drive a loop with the tractor, so he headed back up to the barnyard for a second load. Oh, yeah, those horses are Manure Manufacturing Machines!
Conclusion: We LOVE our
ABI Classic Manure Spreader! Herb was actually excited about going back up to the barnyard to shovel up more manure so he could use the spreader again!
Now if only we could train the horses to back up to it and dump it right in the spreader . . .
And here I thought a "CLASSIC" manure spreader meant an old-fashioned one--in other words, a pitch fork! Ha, ha!
ReplyDeleteBarbara
Too funny, Barbara! You remind me of the guy who got a job as a "stable pilot." You know, "I pile it here and I pile it there." :)
ReplyDeleteHappy new year, Eden farm is doing well. We have our chalenges 20 below nights. Have had water freeze several times but reworking insulation & walls has helped. We have been working hard on house it coming along. I have ordered a wood furnace from Tennesse can't wait for it to get here. That will solve our heating problem. We are all well here. just wanted to let you know. Having internet troubles seen each storm upsets my satlite untill it thaws out. Take care will post soon have so many new photos of progress.
ReplyDeleteGod Bless take care.
Mark & Bev
I just received an ABI 50 cu ft classic PTO spreader. Works great just like yours. However and just a FYI, I found many grease fittings not greased and/or not correctly from factory (some gobbed with grease on outside of grease fitting, no grease made it inside of bearing/shaft). Found the wheel spindle bearings not greased (paint still covering tip of zerk fitting) and way too tight. Had to back off the bearing nut 2-3 flats to allow hub (with tire off) to spin with minimal effort by hand. If I had not closely inspected my ABI prior to use, my related bearings/shafts/etc would have prematurely wore out with normal use. Mine must have been built on a Monday. You may want to check yours with a fine tooth comb as well. Good Luck.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your input. We've been using our ABI manure spreader for 4 years now, and it works great! We do keep it greased, but it was obviously done properly to start with.
DeleteOne tip I could share is that if you are trying to spread a heavy load of wet manure and hay, contrary to what one might think, it works best to put it on the slowest setting. Trying to move a heavy wet load through too fast can lead to it jamming. Better yet, if a lot of rain is predicted, get it emptied beforehand, even if it's not full.