RTV 2" receiver mounted broadcast spreader

Smilingreen

Smilingreen

Well-known member
Here is my dilemma: I got fire ants. I need to broadcast some fire ant bait over about 7 acres of grassland. I have found a electric broadcast spreader with a 2" receiver mount with a variable speed electric motor for the impeller. I am going to mount it on the back of my Kubota RTV X1100C to spread the bait. One problem. The gate lever is manual, not remote controlled. The impeller has a variable speed controller for broadcast distance. Has anyone out there found a electric broadcast spreader that has a remote slide gate control on it also? I want to be able to control the slide gate remotely from the inside of the cab so I can shut off the flow with the flip of a switch. This is the unit I am looking at. If someone knows of a better unit for broadcasting granular's, let me know.

 
I have a similar spreader and the same issue. I thought of ropes and pulleys so I could close the gate from the drivers seat but never really gave it a go.
I changed my approach using 2 different solutions.
Probably can't do this with the RTV but I use my ATV and use something like this. Mine isn't this one but similar. I added a piece of PVC to the handle so I can reach it from the seat. Push or pull the handle to stop & start the flow.
iu
 
My second solution was to go with a liquid fertilizer sprayer, something like this.
I pulled the wires and wand sprayer to the driver's location. With this, I can start/stop the flow with the toggle switch as well as spot spray with the wand if/when needed.

iu
 
If going with a liquid fire ant chemical is a possible solution, consider getting something with a bigger boom. I know @bordercollie has used larger boom sprayers which are much more efficient on larger acreage.
 
I thought about adapting a 12vdc solenoid to the slide gate and manufacturing a mounting plate and linkage to operate the slide gate. Not sure what the solenoid throw would need to be and if you could adjust the throw with a turn buckle?
 
Can you go with a liquid solution? Seems like it would be easier. My previous post about the liquid sprayer works well.
 
Do you have access to an ATV? A spreader like what I posted in post 2 may work well for you. Pretty sure the one I have holds at least 200 pounds. If your terrain is relatively flat, I'd guess it would take 4 hours to do 7 acres.
 
one of the reasons I chose that model is it could broadcast up to a 45' wide path. Most I looked at were a 12' -15' path. I have an old atv, but I haven't used it in years.
 
Thanks Zoom. On the 300 g sprayer that I use with my little Kioti tractor, (PTO driven) I run the water line going to the boom less nozzle that has a 28 ft reach, from the tank up to my seat . I put in a brass water cut off with a lever and have it tied up there by my seat. The liquid recirculates until I cut the lever back on.
Back when I first started spraying, almost 20 years ago , I used a similar method with my 25 g rig and 10 ft boom in the back of my RTV .


On the big stainless fertilizer that the farm supply brings us ammonia nitrate on , It is hydraulic dispenser driven. The driver bar raises up and down on the tires so that is what turns the dispenser plate. When the hydraulic lever is activated up , from the JD's cab, it quits turning the dispenser plate since its not touching the tire any longer but the door remains open. However, only a little with fall out of the door and onto the plate, unless the dispenser plate is moving.
 
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In talking to the county extension guy on Wednesday, he explained what the bait was and why it had to be broadcast spread. The bait is EXPENSIVE. So you want to precisely meter it out to 1 to 1.5 pounds per acre. Most general broadcasters are not precision and would be prone to clogs attempting to spread the bait. The brand that most of the universities are using is Herd, which is what our county extension office recommends, also. You can get specialized metering plates made exclusively for fire ant bait. The also have a electric remote open/shut plate actuator you can get for them. So, I figure since I am going to have to buy something to spread the bait, I might as well buy something that was designed for doing this and it should last a very long time with general maintenance after using it.

 
By chance, is a spreader something you can borrow or rent?
I have "most" implements but I just ask a neighbor or friend when I have a specialized need.
 
bczoom said:
By chance, is a spreader something you can borrow or rent?
I have "most" implements but I just ask a neighbor or friend when I have a specialized need.
Click to expand...
Good question. North Carolina County Extension offices do have a rental program for those spreaders. Unfortunately, Tennessee County Extension offices does not.
I just noticed the first fire ant hills on my farm last fall. So, in our neck of the woods, this is all new. I may be the first one around here to buy a Herd spreader, so I may be the one everyone comes to to borrow from?

Seeing this will be an ongoing issue and not just a freak one-off type of invasion like the Asian Lady Beetle infestation was a few years ago, I think I will invest in the equipment up front. After a bunch of reading and studying the different baits, I am going to start out with Amdro Pro. I'll be in contact with the county extension office and see if they want to use my one field as a local test plot.

Be lucky you live up North where there is no fire ants. 5 years ago, my county I live in is the very Northern county that had any issues with fire ants. The county just north of me had no infestations. Within 5 years, just about every county in the state now has a Ag Product quarantine due to fire ants. It seems the Queen fire ant liked my one field for some reason last Summer. I dunno......

2018IFAQuarantinemap.jpg

View attachment Quarantine-003-Jnauary-1-2024.jpg
 
bczoom said:
We get those Asian Lady Beetle's pretty much every year. Some years really bad.
Click to expand...
We had them bad for a couple of years back in like 2017 & 2018, especially in the fall. But they kind of went away after that. You can thank Uncle Sam for introducing them into North America. They were trying to control aphids with them, but it kind of back fired on them.......kind of like kudzu did.....

I sprayed the outside of my house with Talstar. Took care of the problem completely.
 
My neighbor turned me on to Talstar. He has a 5000 sq. ft. log home, sitting on top of a large hill and literally had millions of the Asian Lady Beetles covering every single building he had. He sprayed the Talstar on every building, every window, overhang, doorways, anywhere the beetles could find a way into his home. Instant knock down power and it had a durable longevity. He had dead Asian Lady Beetles around his foundation literally several inches deep where they died and fell off. He shoveled the dead mounds of beetles and buried them with his tractor. He had to shovel them another 3 times that fall.

I bought some concentrate, mixed it up in one of my large electric sprayers and treated the outside of my house, all of my out buildings and my remote cabin back in my woods. It definitely worked. If I remember correctly, a single application is good for 6+ months.

I believe this is where I bought my concentrate. A little bit goes a long ways.

www.domyown.com

Talstar P Professional Insecticide

Talstar P Professional Insecticide
www.domyown.com www.domyown.com
 
I bought a cruise control (CC) and had my Kubota dealership install it on our RTV. The CC has a sprayer function that allows me to turn the sprayer on/off with a toggle switch in the cab. I can also set it to auto which activates the sprayer when I set or resume the CC. It turns the sprayer off when the CC is disengaged. The CC also regulates the speed so that the proper amount of product is being applied. The CC is not cheap but works great for those of us who spray often.
 
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