xt776h4cq13p https://exploreuk.uky.edu/dipstest/xt776h4cq13p/data/mets.xml   Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station.  journals kaes_circulars_004_564 English Lexington : The Service, 1913-1958. Contact the Special Collections Research Center for information regarding rights and use of this collection. Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station Circular (Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station) n. 564 text Circular (Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station) n. 564   2014 true xt776h4cq13p section xt776h4cq13p he _ OSE of PQTG lng 9
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Si- i PULL-TYPE THREE-HOPPER
in-
  A FERTILIZER SPREADER
By HAROLD G. WALKUP und JOE E. FUQUA
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It rc CIRCULAR 564
ltuog (Filing Code: II)
Acts _
Emu »
COOPERATIVE EXTENSION SERVICE
ERSITY OF KENTUCKY
AGRICULTURE AND HOME ECONOMICS

 l Cl
SUMMARYC wil
tur
1. When a three-hopper fertilizer spreader is used, equivalent Of
amounts of plant nutrients can usually be bought in straight materials _ ho,
for less money than in mixed fertilizers. 0p*
2. The three-hopper fertilizer spreader provides a convenient fer
method for applying three straight fertilizer materials in appropriate y mg
ratios and amounts at one time. l im
er
  Farmers with large acreages to fertilize each year can apply dw
their plow-down and topdressed plant nutrient needs at a lower cost a {
with the three-hopper spreader and straight fertilizer materials than um
_ with a single-hopper spreader and mixed fertilizers.
4. Custom service of the three-hopper spreader is particularly
adapted to use by farmers wanting small acreages topdressed or appli
cations made for plow—down. .
5. Custom service with the three-hopper spreader has the short- · Th
comings of most field operating custom services, such as sometimes ph
being unavailable when needed and being vulnerable to bad weather. is .
ph
‘ the
f mz
2.5
sm
 _ <·ul
lIl(’

 . Cost of Operating the Pull-Type Three-
 s Hopper Fertilizer Spreader
. By HAROLD G. WVALKUP and ]OE E. FUQUA°
 A Farmers usually can buy the nitrogen, phosphate, and potash their
soils need for less money in straight fertilizer materials than in mix-
tures. Ammonium nitrate, concentrated superphosphate, and muriate
~’3l€¤i i of potash are examples of straight fertilizer materials. Until recently,
i€U3l$ however, a convenient method was not available for applying in one
 ’ operation several straight materials to a field. To meet their mixed
Bmem A fertilizer needs, some farmers used straight fertilizer materials by mix-
prim ing them with a shovel. A few years ago a three-hopper fertilizer
spreader was developed to meet the need for spreading three straight
fertilizer materials at the same time. These spreaders have been intro-
KPPIY , duced in Kentucky and are now being used by custom operators and
T @5*   a few farmer owners. Costs of operation, as well as custom operator
9 than and farmer experience, are reported in this publication.
gulmly A THE THREE-HOPPER SPREADER
appli`  _ Sizes
I The three—hopper spreaders are made in 8-foot and 10-foot widths.
short- t They have three separate hoppers—one each for the nitrogen, phos-
etimes , phate, and potash fertilizer. The flow of materials from each hopper
eather. is adjusted individually before spreading so that any nitrogen, phos-
i phate, potash ratio may be spread. Three hand levers, operated from
  the tractor seat, are used to start and stop the flow of fertilizers.
 T Capacity .
Each hopper of the 8—foot spreader holds 600 to 700 pounds of
material——about 1 ton per filling. The 10-foot spreader takes about
p 2,500 pounds per filling.
0 Power Needed
The three-hopper spreader is pulled by a light farm tractor and in
some cases has been pulled by a jeep.
A Wicultural Economist, Agricultural Economics Branch, Division of Agri-
, cultural Relations, Tennessee Valley Authority; and Assistant Economist, Depart-
lll(*Tlt of AgI`lCllltllI`2\l ECODO1]Tl(‘S, UHl\'9TSlt)’ of K€DtllCl(V. I`€S])€‘(`tlV(°ly.
0 3

 Work Accomplishment my
Spreader width, spreading speed, and filling time required deter-  I on t
mine the number of acres that can be fertilized in any given amount in '
of time. Spreading speed depends on field conditions such as softness l
of the ground, soil moisture, slope, and turns required. The operators mu<
ability to handle the spreader and refill it rapidly also affects the work per
accomplished. I/Vith an 8-foot spreader traveling an average of 4 miles inst
per hour-refilling steps included—30 acres can be fertilized in an hop
8-hour day. For each additional mile per hour, acreages covered with $2.E
the 8-foot spreader increase about 7.5 acres per day. A 10-foot $28
spreader covers about one-fourth more acres than the 8-foot spreader cost
for any given speed. for
COSTS OF SINGLE-HOPPER AND THREE-HOPPER
SPREADERS COMPARED
Purchase Price , wt]
An 8-foot three-hopper spreader costs about $800, and an 8-foot me
single-hopper spreader costs about $260. A 10-foot three-hopper _ nm
spreader costs about $880, and the 10-foot single-hopper spreader
costs about $300. These prices are for new fertilizer spreaders.
- Overhead Costs _
Owners of fertilizer spreaders have some costs whether their T
spreaders are used or not. These overhead or fixed costs include cost
depreciation, interest on investment, insurance, and local taxes. An- T-
nual depreciation costs are the average portion of value used each year l-lll?
of the estimated life of the spreaders-—one-sixteenth for the single- ’  
hopper spreaders and one-tenth for three-hopper spreaders (Table 1). Hq;
The interest cost each year is 5 percent of one-half the new spreader
Table l.- Annual Overhead Costs of Single-Hopper and Three-Hopper Spreaders,
- Kentucky, 1957.
TT 8-Foot IU-Foot ¥  
Single- Three- Single- Three- _ ,·
Cost Item Hopper Hopper Hopper Hopper Sm
Depreciation .................................. $16.56 $80.50 $18.44 $88.00 fhf
Interest .......................................... 6.62 20.12 7.38 22.00 . lor
Insurance ...................................... 4.50 13,50 4.50 13.50 · ncl
Local Taxes .................................... .32 .97 ,35 1.00 lar
hpiotal .......... . ........................... $28.00 $115.09 $30.67   mt
price, which is the average value of the spreader during its life. Annual SFI
inszrruncc costs vary by type of insurance carried. A comprehenSi\'¢‘ `  
type suited particularly to custom operators, needs is used here. l.Ul‘rll K)
4

 taxes vary from place to place, and a 3-mill tax rate is used in this case
.eter— — on 40 percent of the cost price. These overhead costs are presented
rount in Table 1.
tness _ Total annual overhead costs for the single—hopper spreaders are
1tor’s  . much less than for the three-hopper spreaders. The overhead costs
work per acre of fertilizer spread decreases as more acres are spread. For
miles instance, if 50 acres were fertilized annually with the 8-foot three-
n an _ hopper spreader, the overhead cost per acre would be $115.09 + 50 :
with . $2.30. VVith an 8-foot single—hopper spreader, per acre cost would he
)-foot $28.00 + 50 : 56 cents. If 200 acres were fertilized, the overhead
eader · costs per acre for the three-hopper spreader would be 58 cents, and
 ° for the single—hopper spreader, 14 cents. _
V Operating Costs
, Costs directly connected with fertilizer spreaders are labor, lubri—
V cation, pulling power, and repairs. As shown in Table 2, these costs
${00, are nefarlylcogstant on a per acre basis regardless of the number of
Opper   acres ertrrze .
eader
V Table 2.- Operating Costs Per Acre for Single-Hopper and Three-Hopper
Spreaders, Kentucky, l957.
thm    
1ClLl(l(’ j Cost Item Hopper Hopper Hopper Hopper
· All' (cents) (cents)
ll ygm Lill)Ol` ..: ........................................ .. .............     18  
. Lubrication ................................................ 01 01 01 01
lmgw Pulling power .............................................. 35 40 30 35
>le 1). Repairs ........................................................ 10 16 09 14
reader Total .................................................... 66 82 58 72
ders,
 , Combined Overhead and Operating Costs _
; » Usually, combined overhead and operating costs are lower for
$2;;;- 0 SiHgle—hopper spreaders than for three-hopper spreaders. For example,
  , illese combined costs for 50 acres are $2.30 —l— 0.82 : $3.12 per acre
22.00 Q tor the 8—foot three-hopper spreader, and 0.56 —{— 0.66 : $1.22 per
   A fwre for the 8-foot single hopper spreader—a difference of $1.90. For
$12456 larger acreages the combined overhead and operating costs per acre
#2 fire reduced, and this cost is reduced more for the three-hopper
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