Scraper vs Loader and dump truck

[determined]

Just looking for ideas.

Currently I have a Case W26B and a Ford L8000 tandem dump.
I have about 5000 yards of well rotted manure I need to move about 500-1000 feet, level off and seed.
Would a motor scraper do the job faster and more efficiently than what I have?
I could either hire one or buy an older one.
My body is dreading the thought of climbing in and out of the loader and dump truck 300+ times.
Onsite I can move about 15 yards per load with what I have.

 

[Tones]

It shouldn't take a good scraper operator more than 1 minute to load a evaluator bowl so on the haul distance at least 8- 10 loads per hour against about 3-4 with a loader and truck but then you still have to spread out the truck loads.
To my fuzzy brain the maths are simple.

 

[Bls repair]

In my experience pans don’t like slippery surfaces

 

[Bls repair]

What do you figure your cost to be with loader and truck. Hire another truck and a driver for your truck ?

 

[skyking1]

Yeah that's the question mark is whether or not you could actually load yourself in that stuff. I'm a fan of scrapers but they need to be on good material where they can get some traction, or get loaded by an excavator I've done that before LOL.

 

[Welder Dave]

Just get a driver and 1 or 2 more trucks so the loader can keep loading. Rotted manure should be pretty light so you can heap the trucks full without worry. The other thing you might consider being in farm country is hiring some truck mounted manure spreaders (coral cleaners) that can dump and spread at the same time saving you a lot of work. They'd probably carry almost twice the cubic yards.

Manure Spreader R2024 - Art's Way Manufacturing Co., Inc. (artsway-ag.com)

 

[determined]

It shouldn't take a good scraper operator more than 1 minute to load a evaluator bowl so on the haul distance at least 8- 10 loads per hour against about 3-4 with a loader and truck but then you still have to spread out the truck loads.
To my fuzzy brain the maths are simple.

Thanks Tones those are the numbers I was looking for, this pile took me 6 years to build so I can either divide the cost of hiring it done by 6 years every 5-6 years and stomach that or put the funds towards equipment that I can put to other uses as well.

In my opinion old half beat to death iron when only used for a few weeks a year still pencils out.

 

[determined]

In my experience pans don’t like slippery surfaces

The stuff I am working with has already rotted down to half it's original size, looks like nice rich black topsoil so traction shouldn't be a problem.

Cost wise everything is paid for so other than fuel and a pail of hydraulic oil every other day, the wear and tear on it and my body are the only other expenses.
If I spread it or hire it spreaded I am limited to a few weeks in the spring and fall.
If I dedicate 20 or so acres to add 6 inches or so to then I have all summer to get it done.

 

[determined]

Just get a driver and 1 or 2 more trucks so the loader can keep loading. Rotted manure should be pretty light so you can heap the trucks full without worry. The other thing you might consider being in farm country is hiring some truck mounted manure spreaders (coral cleaners) that can dump and spread at the same time saving you a lot of work. They'd probably carry almost twice the cubic yards.

Manure Spreader R2024 - Art's Way Manufacturing Co., Inc. (artsway-ag.com)

Welder Dave
Not a bad idea if I could find a few more trucks and drivers in the area.
This whole exercise started when I had enough of writing an ugly cheque to the corral cleaners every year if I could actually get them out here when needed.
Last time I had them out it was something like $100 hour per truck x 3 trucks for 2 days plus $300 per hour for the loader and I had to supply the diesel.

I am not complaining people need to make a living and pay for equipment.
Me I have the time so if I can save a few dollars and end up with equipment I can use for other things then it is a win win for me.

I have been in the market for a used tandem spreader for a while now then got to thinking about the option of a scraper instead which brought me to this question today.

 

[Welder Dave]

You could also sell the rotted manure. It can bring more than topsoil ($100+/tandem load). People love it for their gardens.

 

[determined]

You could also sell the rotted manure. It can bring more than topsoil ($100+/tandem load). People love it for their gardens.

I put a few loads on our garden every year and yes it is great stuff, I have given a few loads to neighbor's as well but being that we are about an hour from the nearest city of any size there's not much of a local market for it.
It will grow some real nice hay, this is why the field right next to it is my intended target.

 

[Bls repair]

Old machines have a tendency to break down ,so make sure parts are available.

 

[Oldcatpusher]

We clean ponds out haul and spread the mud out in fields with 621 scrapers. Load them with trackhoe. Just start farthest away from your pile or pond and work your way back incase your material gets slick and spread downhill if possible. If we can do slimy pond mud that way I'm sure can do your manure pile also. My opinion of running dump trucks off road isn't great. Slow and you have to still spread the material. Plus a dump truck driver never dumps in the correct spot.

 

[Bls repair]

I’ve figured out how to get them to dump where you want it every time

I tell them “I don’t care where you dump but whatever you do don’t dump it here “ ,when I come back guess where it’s at ,perfect

 

[Delmer]

Why do you only get a few weeks in the spring and fall? Not allowed to spread on frozen ground at all? even composted? Do you own/operate the crop ground to spread it on? The P and K must be worth something, and I don't think you'd be allowed to spread it six inches deep here.

I can't imagine a scraper would be the way to go. Even being composted and dry, it's going to be fluffy and soft and easy to sink into. That's a lot to spread, but maybe you need to hire a few locals with big tractor drawn manure spreaders and you load them. Or buy a decent sized tractor or truck spreader and plan to do two years worth every year for the next six years until you get caught up. If it's the steps that kill you, build a platform and park both the loader and the truck or tractor next to the platform. Nice gentle slope of compost from one door to the other.

 

[Truck Shop]

This is where a antique cross gate belly dump comes in handy. JMO

 

[Welder Dave]

I would think it's worth a coral cleaning company's time just sending a couple manure spreader trucks that you load. They will drastically speed the job up.

 

[lantraxco]

Paddle wheel scraper bang that right out.

 

[determined]

Why do you only get a few weeks in the spring and fall? Not allowed to spread on frozen ground at all? even composted? Do you own/operate the crop ground to spread it on? The P and K must be worth something, and I don't think you'd be allowed to spread it six inches deep here.

I can't imagine a scraper would be the way to go. Even being composted and dry, it's going to be fluffy and soft and easy to sink into. That's a lot to spread, but maybe you need to hire a few locals with big tractor drawn manure spreaders and you load them. Or buy a decent sized tractor or truck spreader and plan to do two years worth every year for the next six years until you get caught up. If it's the steps that kill you, build a platform and park both the loader and the truck or tractor next to the platform. Nice gentle slope of compost from one door to the other.

Yes I own the land I want it spread on.
It's a hayfield adjacent to the stockpile.
Oct - May typically either frozen solid or too sloppy to do anything.
May - Cows and calves are on the field until pasture is ready.
June - July hay is growing.
August - I am cutting, baling and hauling bales off the field.
September - If I am not off baling or hauling straw and greenfeed I have some time for spreading.

I am still looking for a decent sized spreader.
I started to entertain the thought of using a scraper as I could move and level off the pile in the summertime then re-seed the area the following spring.
I have hauled many loads to cover over areas too rocky to do much else with and it sure does a nice job of improving productivity.
Just find it is a very slow process, load, haul and dump 20 loads, come back with loader to level off, come back with cultivator, harrows etc.

In reality the steps getting in and out of the equipment won't kill me, we just tend to whine more the older we get.

 

[colson04]

Manure spreader and loader. We stockpile manure on the edge of different fields every summer with a dump truck. After harvest, we take the spreader (large Meyer Industrial) and our Komatsu WA-180 loader and spend a day or two spreading. We have between 1000 to 1,500 cubic yards to deal with between different fields that we stockpiled. The loader handles the stockpile area well, even if it gets slick and rained on. After the spreader is done, we're done. No leveling, no grading, etc. We'll send a guy out with a disc after all fields are spread to incorporate it in to the soil. Also, this is usually done as a one man show as we only have one spreader, and it doesn't save enough time to pay for a dedicated loader operator in this situation.

Even with 5000 yards of manure, a loader and spreader would be hard to beat.