Gps controller fertiliser spreaders

Blackwater boy

Moderator
For those of ye that have a weigh cell/section control fertiliser spreader, what would you think the savings in tonnes or % wise over a manual one. I’d be hearing figures of 10% but I can’t see how it would be that bad. I’d like to think I am pretty accurate currently but trying to figure out the savings I could make. I’m on 24M and roughly 50% grass 50% tillage. Plenty paddocks being spread all shapes and sizes. Thanks
 
It's the shapes and sizes bit that saves you on the bells and whistles spreaders.
Headland controll and altering widths in a narrow bout and so on.

Where you can save I think is if the fert is inconsistent. You can set for one load and the next be different. Or if you get a damp bag etc.
 
For those of ye that have a weigh cell/section control fertiliser spreader, what would you think the savings in tonnes or % wise over a manual one. I’d be hearing figures of 10% but I can’t see how it would be that bad. I’d like to think I am pretty accurate currently but trying to figure out the savings I could make. I’m on 24M and roughly 50% grass 50% tillage. Plenty paddocks being spread all shapes and sizes. Thanks
We have the settings of our bog standard spreader recorded so when we go out to spread 2 bags to the acre across a 40 acre field we end up spreading 4 tonne as planned. Would a section controlled spreader apply less fertiliser? Because I wouldn't want it to. Obviously it would spread more uniformly which may improve yields but I wouldn't like it to spread less fertiliser.
 
We have the settings of our bog standard spreader recorded so when we go out to spread 2 bags to the acre across a 40 acre field we end up spreading 4 tonne as planned. Would a section controlled spreader apply less fertiliser? Because I wouldn't want it to. Obviously it would spread more uniformly which may improve yields but I wouldn't like it to spread less fertiliser.
5% savings as said above across 4T is only 200kgs which is not much but it’s approx €145 tho. I suppose the savings would be a lot more on 8-10 acre fields with awkward corners and small paddocks of grass maybe.
I edited the error I made!!!!
 
5% savings as said above across 4T is only 200kgs which is not much but it’s approx €145 tho. I suppose the savings would be a lot more on 8-10 acre fields with awkward corners and small paddocks of grass maybe.
I edited the error I made!!!!
but is it a saving ? if you applied too much fertiliser surely it will grow more grass or corn , too little and you,ve saved some money but yield will suffer a bit. all these spreaders are doing is adjusting the rate to suit the area its covered so instead of hopping down with the lump hammer and adjusting the rate the computer is doing it electronically, GPS systems would be a much better way to help farmers if they would include them in TAMS
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but is it a saving ? if you applied too much fertiliser surely it will grow more grass or corn , too little and you,ve saved some money but yield will suffer a bit. all these spreaders are doing is adjusting the rate to suit the area its covered so instead of hopping down with the lump hammer and adjusting the rate the computer is doing it electronically, GPS systems would be a much better way to help farmers if they would include them in TAMS
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The gps system for the spreader is included in the tams. If I intended to spread 30 units and at 24m in paddocks I was doing a lot of over lapping or else leaving skips and in places maybe putting out 40-50 units by mistake then I don’t think that this area grows any more grass tho or does it? If I was spreading 200 units per year but places are getting 300 units then I really doubt I’m getting the value out the extra bit if you get me.
 
The gps system for the spreader is included in the tams. If I intended to spread 30 units and at 24m in paddocks I was doing a lot of over lapping or else leaving skips and in places maybe putting out 40-50 units by mistake then I don’t think that this area grows any more grass tho or does it? If I was spreading 200 units per year but places are getting 300 units then I really doubt I’m getting the value out the extra bit if you get me.
but you have to buy the spreader to get the GPS i think that the gps should be a stand alone item
in a tillage situation there is a greater need for accuracy to avoid lodging and striping but on grassland where 40 units would be the max i can,t see a decently set up spreader being out more than 5 units max , i get the silage ground spread with a contractor using a state of the art set up and if he was spreading beside a roadway it would be covered with fertiliser, same with any of the contract spreaders friends of mine that walk on the roads say they,ll be hit by grains any time the headlands are being spread, in my opinion its not possible to fire fert 24 mtrs and not have some of it in the ditch, but if lads have the money and reckon its worth spending 30 k on a spreader i,ve no problem with it but i think their worth is over hyped
 
It's all about spreading it evenly over the whole field. No areas over applied which possibly won't produce any more and in cereals may do worse if it goes flat. No under applied areas which definitely will benefit from have that bit extra. If you want 4t on 40 acres that's what you will get, 100kg on every acre not 90 on some and 110 on others.
 
but you have to buy the spreader to get the GPS i think that the gps should be a stand alone item
in a tillage situation there is a greater need for accuracy to avoid lodging and striping but on grassland where 40 units would be the max i can,t see a decently set up spreader being out more than 5 units max , i get the silage ground spread with a contractor using a state of the art set up and if he was spreading beside a roadway it would be covered with fertiliser, same with any of the contract spreaders friends of mine that walk on the roads say they,ll be hit by grains any time the headlands are being spread, in my opinion its not possible to fire fert 24 mtrs and not have some of it in the ditch, but if lads have the money and reckon its worth spending 30 k on a spreader i,ve no problem with it but i think their worth is over hyped
Well his "state of the art" spreader or operator isn't doing the job right then. The old chaps bog standard spreader with headland setting will drop the fert at the edge of the field, it's 2 rows in the be exact. That's at 21m.
 
It's all about spreading it evenly over the whole field. No areas over applied which possibly won't produce any more and in cereals may do worse if it goes flat. No under applied areas which definitely will benefit from have that bit extra. If you want 4t on 40 acres that's what you will get, 100kg on every acre not 90 on some and 110 on others.
but doesn,t the spreader adjust itself while spreading ? if the rate is too low when there,s x amount of acres spread does the computer up the rate so that it will match the amount needed or have i read some of the posts wrong, i,ve never driven one so i,m only going on whats been said
 
Well his "state of the art" spreader or operator isn't doing the job right then. The old chaps bog standard spreader with headland setting will drop the fert at the edge of the field, it's 2 rows in the be exact. That's at 21m.
not only my lad but any of them in this area, bredal spreaders self steering tractors all the bells and whistles, its not a huge amount of fert but its still there
 
but doesn,t the spreader adjust itself while spreading ? if the rate is too low when there,s x amount of acres spread does the computer up the rate so that it will match the amount needed or have i read some of the posts wrong, i,ve never driven one so i,m only going on whats been said
Don't know the ins & outs of them, only what I've read and heard but gather the adjustments are fairly rapid and continuous.
 
not only my lad but any of them in this area, bredal spreaders self steering tractors all the bells and whistles, its not a huge amount of fert but its still there
Are they guessing the first round by any chance as in not using the guidance if they don't have a map saved of that field?
A friend of mine gets all his spread with a similar system and there isn't anything worth taking about out of place ever and his driveway borders a lot of paddocks
 
We don’t have the gps linking or section control just a weighing spreader and I’d find it hard to go back from it even just for the simple thing that once you’ve the rate set you can do what you like, as in if the field is rough slow down a bit, smooth drive on. Same when you hit a steep hill if you die back your not suddenly throwing out a heavier rate on it.
If in some of the paddocks here I’m going through a spot where the cows always lie which tends to get a bit rank later in the year I can cut the rate back a bit. As I said I don’t have section control but on grass if I’m coming into a bit of short ground sometimes I’ll steer off the straight line and head towards the point of what’s covered and manually drop the rate as I get further into the point,
 
We don’t have the gps linking or section control just a weighing spreader and I’d find it hard to go back from it even just for the simple thing that once you’ve the rate set you can do what you like, as in if the field is rough slow down a bit, smooth drive on. Same when you hit a steep hill if you die back your not suddenly throwing out a heavier rate on it.
If in some of the paddocks here I’m going through a spot where the cows always lie which tends to get a bit rank later in the year I can cut the rate back a bit. As I said I don’t have section control but on grass if I’m coming into a bit of short ground sometimes I’ll steer off the straight line and head towards the point of what’s covered and manually drop the rate as I get further into the point,
There must be speed sensing of forward speed then?
 
There must be speed sensing of forward speed then?
Yep it’s plugged into the tractors iso socket, the one that does theoretical and radar speed, along with lift and a few other bits. I think I’m running off theoretical(gearbox speed) as we were warned radar can get thrown off a bit if crop height changes.

If I need to though I can set it to a fixed speed in the box to run it on other tractors.

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but you have to buy the spreader to get the GPS i think that the gps should be a stand alone item
in a tillage situation there is a greater need for accuracy to avoid lodging and striping but on grassland where 40 units would be the max i can,t see a decently set up spreader being out more than 5 units max , i get the silage ground spread with a contractor using a state of the art set up and if he was spreading beside a roadway it would be covered with fertiliser, same with any of the contract spreaders friends of mine that walk on the roads say they,ll be hit by grains any time the headlands are being spread, in my opinion its not possible to fire fert 24 mtrs and not have some of it in the ditch, but if lads have the money and reckon its worth spending 30 k on a spreader i,ve no problem with it but i think their worth is over hyped
Bredals are well known for being very poor at headlands and often striping fields. I’m talking about a mounted spreader.
What width do you spread at? I think if I was spreading at 12m then it might not make any sence at all. The salesman made no effort to try and tell me how good they were or how much I would save as I wasn’t entertaining that conversation. I’m asking here for user experience of these type machines to see what lads think. The price would be less than half of the figure you mentioned.
 
Few lads in our locality gone with liquid fert in the summer. Using gps on bare ground. Nothing on the ditches or road. Asked 1 lad, he said about same cost as granules but i dont have to spread it. Havent tried it myself yet but wonder how price compares this year between liquid and granules, are they both tied ?
 
Bredals are well known for being very poor at headlands and often striping fields. I’m talking about a mounted spreader.
What width do you spread at? I think if I was spreading at 12m then it might not make any sence at all. The salesman made no effort to try and tell me how good they were or how much I would save as I wasn’t entertaining that conversation. I’m asking here for user experience of these type machines to see what lads think. The price would be less than half of the figure you mentioned.
I don’t think I’ve saved huge amounts of fertiliser, but its definitely spread more evenly with less lodging in short ground and in and outs. I think the biggest advantages I see with my spreader are its so easy to adjust spreading rate between fields and it adjusts itself for changes in fert flow rate between different bags of fert. Also being able to click up a couple gears in flat smooth fields and then down again for steep or rough ground actually saves quite a bit of time. I suppose to summarise I think the time savings are more significant to me than fertiliser savings. If buying a weigh cell type machine you may as well add the gps control as well once you’ve gone so far
 
It’s also very handy to know what’s left in the spreader when you are nearly finished as you can adjust the spread rate to stretch out what’s left to spread a full paddock and just top it up the next day your spreading.
 
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