I use a pull behind spreader/seeder behind the 4wheeler. You can mix your lime and fertilizer together and spread it all at once to save time. I talked to the farmer that does our family farm. I thought I should spread the lime and then wait a bit to put the fertilizer on, but he told me it doesn't make a difference. Happy planting Dan
Currently, a tough deal. I can't bring myself to buy a drop spreader, which would make it much more enjoyable. I spread 2120 lbs of it this past weekend......with a shovel. The problem is unless you find something used at a farm machinery place, the best you can find is an Agri Fab 40 inch wide pull behind for 229.00. IN a perfect world, I'd pay 250 for a decent 5 or 6 footer.
We have one too and use it for pelletized lime, but ag lime won't flow through it. It clumps up too much.
I found a 36" drop spreader on Craigslist for $65, but 36" would take awhile and would have to be refilled quite often. It may work on some of the small plots though. I have a nephew and cousin that are much younger than me, so maybe I can drive around the plots while they stand in the trailer and shovel it out. :D
I have the drop spreader that's for sale @ Northern Tool. I think I spent around $225 for it. I've spread close to 10 tons through that thing, works great. You do have to crack the bottom open the whole way though to get the type of coverage you want with lime.
You can also get an AC/DC converter, and plug a shop vac into it then fill the back of the truck with lime and blow it out. It's real messy and you don't want to do on a windy day but it will work.
Ag lime has always been a pain in the a$$ for me.... It obviously has alot of benefits over pelletized but for the hassle that comes with it kind of sucks. I mainly use pelletize now but using a drop spreader is the only thing ive got to work half way decent. You do have to leave it almost all the way open to get a good lime coat. I mainly went to pelletized for this purpose but have to go over the plots every year now.
I've seen videos of people spreading it with a leaf blower. Too messy for me. :D The hassle doesn't bother me as much, if I don't have to do it as often as with pelletized. This year we will have about 2-2.5 acres of plots total and more in the future. The less we can spend on lime the better, as we also have 16 acres of field that we need to plant and fertilize too.
how big of an area are you trying to fertilize? We spread ag lime on all our crop fields and use a side slinger manure spreader which works better than just a normal spreader. Ag lime clumps and sticks to just about everything and it keeps it from covering the tractor cab. If you have a big enough tractor that can run one its worth it. Ours is way older than the one in the picture and more beat up but it's the same concept. We got it at an auction for $75 just for spreading our lime. Didn't notice that you posted the acreage. But if you can get a tractor and side slinger back there it's the way to go.
Not to steal the thread but how do you guys put down the pellet lime? I'm going to try to create some food plots on a lease. Just a bunch 8' x 40' strips.
This. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIPztisBv8g Really affordable, even on small properties, if you can get them to come out.
We have had our big fields limed this way and will again. I'm looking for something to get back off the fields and into our smaller plots that are an acre or less.
I use a broadcast spreader similar to this. http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200379215_200379215
