I’m looking into buying a manure spreader. I have four horses and bed with straw. I also want it to be able to spread my compost. I have a tractor, but would rather pull with the lawn mower. What brands/size do you recommend? I saw a Fuerst on Craigslist.
I have thought of this also. Assume you know that it would have to be one of the ground-driven ones if pulling with your lawn tractor. But in my area the vets are recommending composting, not spreading…so I make compost piles in unused pasture areas.
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My friend had a Newer spreader that you could pull with just about anything. But it clogged up if you put hay in it so I am sure straw bedding would not work unless you composted it first. I have an old ground driven Millcreek spreader that handles hay just fine. I pull it with a 22 HP tractor and I doubt a lawn mower would work. I have a 25 HP garden tractor /mower and I doubt it would pull it.
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I know my Newer spreader can’t handle straw, and I doubt any other rotary-style, ground-driven unit would be able to.
I think you’re 1) looking at a PTO model to get the job done, or , 2) compost and then spread or 3) rethink your bedding choices.
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I have a ground driven Conestoga brand that handles hay or straw just fine. I have pulled it with my garden tractor, but that won’t work well if the ground is very rough or slippery (mud or wet grass) unless you change to farm type tires that will tear up the lawn when you mow. Currently I use an smaller, ancient farm tractor to pull it (1940 Allis Chalmers B). Alternatively, if you don’t want a bigger tractor but can spend some on an extra smaller tractor you can use a ATV or get a cheap used lawn tractor (ones without a mower deck are usually pretty cheap and fine for this purpose) and put better tires on it just for this.
Also, not sure where you are. but small ground driven spreaders generally do now work well in more than a couple of inches of snow. The gears get clogged up and frozen.
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Our ABI 50 ground driven handles any bedding and other just fine.
Our previous Millcreek 57, also ground driven, was the same.
Most manure spreaders with an apron chain and paddles in the back will handle any you put in there, other than when frozen solid.
The ones that can’t handle any kind of straw or hay or twigs are the drum spreaders, they clog up badly with other than horse apples that will churn into very small pieces.
If you don’t use a spreader much, TSC has a real cheapy ground driven one that is ok for light use.
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Forget the newer spreader…i have one made by country mfg…dmfg…dors not handle straw/hay well even though they told me it would…here is,a hint; if you have hay in your manure spreader then your horses are not eating said hay and you are wasting your $… (2) are you beddong wth straw? (3) watch craigslist for one of the IH or NH etc older spreaders…many are ground driven…and just use your traactor to pull ot…why not?
