About Manure Spreaders
Manure spreaders, also called “muck spreaders” or “honey wagons,” come in two basic types: dry or liquid. Spreaders for dry manure typically use some type of trailer either mounted on a truck or, more commonly, towed behind a tractor. A chain or auger and PTO-driven rotating mechanism move the manure through the trailer, which is then discharged out the side or back and spread throughout a field with the help of spinners or beaters. Liquid manure spreaders typically use a tank wagon with some type of attachment to either broadcast the liquid or, through the use of aerators or cultivators, directly inject liquid into the soil.
KUHN Knight SL 100 Slinger Manure Spreader
A Brief History
J.S. Kemp Manufacturing is credited with building the first successful automated manure spreader in 1875; the company eventually sold the design to International Harvester. Joseph Oppenheim and his New Idea company (now part of AGCO) built the first manure spreaders that used paddles to throw manure in a wide pattern behind the spreader. Many of the first manure spreaders were ground-driven, and those types of spreaders are still produced today, although they’re most often used for smaller operations.
Dry & Solid Systems
Dry manure (consisting of 20% or more of solids) is typically applied before tillage to better incorporate the manure into the soil and conserve the fertilizer value. In a no-till farm, producers might use manure to provide more nutrients to cover crops. Manufacturers offer a wide variety of trailer-mounted options, such as wide-body designs to optimize capacity, narrow-body models that can reach confined spaces, and lightweight models to minimize compaction. Box spreaders might also be truck-mounted for easy road travel between fields. Some new dry manure spreaders feature real-time weight displacement technology to indicate how much manure is being applied in real-time, and when combined with a rate controller on the manure spreader, farmers can adjust the system to vary application rates as needed within the field.
Liquid Spreaders
Liquid manure spreaders cover a wide range of application techniques, mirroring the application methods available from liquid fertilizer systems. Direct, vertical injection systems have gained popularity in recent years because the system reduces nutrient loss, as well as the potential for runoff and odor. Manufacturers offer direct injection capabilities using aerators, cultivators, or discs. The ability to deliver liquid manure closer to the ground is also possible with tanker attachments, such as spray booms or drop hoses with spray nozzles, that can evenly distribute liquid manure and reduce runoff. Distribution systems may also work with a drag hose, instead of a tanker, where liquid manure is pumped directly from a slurry pond.
You’ll find new and used manure spreaders for sale on TractorHouse.com from manufacturers such as Artex, H & S, KUHN Knight, Meyer's, New Holland, New Idea, Nuhn, Tubeline, and others.
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