5,100-Gal Manre Soreader Designed For Custom Work

2003 - Volume #27, Issue #2, Page #03

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After he couldn't find what he wanted on the market, Darrell Zimmerman built his own heavy duty manure spreader - a hydraulic-driven, tandem axle model that unloads out the back. It has a capacity of 5,100 gal., or 70,000 lbs.
  "We designed it specifically to handle manure that has a lot of sand in it," says Zimmerman. "We operate a custom manure hauling business, and more and more of our dairy customers are using sand for bedding."
  The spreader has sloping sides that measure 9 ft. wide at the top and 5 ft. wide at the bottom and is 22 ft. long. The undercarriage, wheels and axles were purchased from Houle Mfg. The sides are made from 1/4-in. thick steel reinforced with vertical tubing. A heavy duty, 5-ft. wide apron chain at the bottom delivers manure under a gate and to a beater on back, which spreads the manure in a pattern about as wide as the wheels.
  "We finished building it last December and have used it so far to haul about 30 loads. It works good," says Zimmerman. "I use my Case MX 240 front wheel assist tractor to pull it. I got the idea from another local farmer who built a spreader about twice as big as ours (Hess Farms, Bad Axe, Mich.). As far as I know, the biggest commercial model on the market designed for sand handles only 4,000 gal. My brother, who works at a welding shop, did most of the work.
  "I paid $10,000 for the undercarriage, wheels, and tires. My total cost to build it was around $27,000, which is about the same as what you'd pay for a 4,000-gal. commercial model. However, custom manure hauling is a seasonal business and when you're hauling hundreds of loads a year, the extra capacity makes a big difference. Also, it costs more to haul sand manure because you have to use a payloader to load the manure which is a lot slower than using a pump."
  Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Darrell and Regina Zimmerman, 2407 Decker Rd., Decker, Mich. 48426 (ph 810 672-8148).

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5,100-Gal Manre Soreader Designed For Custom Work MANURE HANDLING Equipment 27-2-3 After he couldn't find what he wanted on the market, Darrell Zimmerman built his own heavy duty manure spreader - a hydraulic-driven, tandem axle model that unloads out the back. It has a capacity of 5,100 gal., or 70,000 lbs. "We designed it specifically to handle manure that has a lot of sand in it," says Zimmerman. "We operate a custom manure hauling business, and more and more of our dairy customers are using sand for bedding." The spreader has sloping sides that measure 9 ft. wide at the top and 5 ft. wide at the bottom and is 22 ft. long. The undercarriage, wheels and axles were purchased from Houle Mfg. The sides are made from 1/4-in. thick steel reinforced with vertical tubing. A heavy duty, 5-ft. wide apron chain at the bottom delivers manure under a gate and to a beater on back, which spreads the manure in a pattern about as wide as the wheels. "We finished building it last December and have used it so far to haul about 30 loads. It works good," says Zimmerman. "I use my Case MX 240 front wheel assist tractor to pull it. I got the idea from another local farmer who built a spreader about twice as big as ours (Hess Farms, Bad Axe, Mich.). As far as I know, the biggest commercial model on the market designed for sand handles only 4,000 gal. My brother, who works at a welding shop, did most of the work. "I paid $10,000 for the undercarriage, wheels, and tires. My total cost to build it was around $27,000, which is about the same as what you'd pay for a 4,000-gal. commercial model. However, custom manure hauling is a seasonal business and when you're hauling hundreds of loads a year, the extra capacity makes a big difference. Also, it costs more to haul sand manure because you have to use a payloader to load the manure which is a lot slower than using a pump." Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Darrell and Regina Zimmerman, 2407 Decker Rd., Decker, Mich. 48426 (ph 810 672-8148).

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