Classic Manure Spreader

All ABI Classic manure spreaders are fully welded for long life and made of COR-TEN steel to resist rust and corrosion. Unlike standard mild steel that competitors use, COR-TEN steel is a "weathering" steel originally engineered as a corrosion resistant steel for the construction industry. This steel may be exposed to the elements, even unpainted, and not rust through for many many years. (ABI manure spreaders are painted black for cosmetic purposes however.) Most competitors bolt together many components of their spreaders. Not here! ABI Classic manure spreaders are fully welded to take on the most punishing situations for many years. These manure spreaders are the toughest most durable spreaders we know of. In fact, ABI classic manure spreaders weigh about 1/3 more than most competitors! Now that is a quality difference you can feel!

Unlike most competitors, the hitch of the ABI Classic manure spreader is an "A" frame style pin hitch and is welded directly to the frame for added strength. This design directs the strain and torque of the tow vehicle and rough terrain directly to the strongest component of the manure spreader, the main frame. Many competitors use a single piece of tube steel or other bolt-on style hitches that can fail under pressure and shorten the life of the manure spreader.

ABI Classic Manure Spreaders have two levers at the front of the spreader that control the unit. These easy to use levers control the engagement of the apron chain (conveyer) and the beaters. As you look from the front to the back of the manure spreader the left lever engages the apron chain and has 4 web speed settings and the right lever controls the beater engagement.

All ABI Classic Manure spreaders feature the ability to control the flow rate of manure being applied to the ground. Both the PTO and ground drive units have 4 different speed settings that are controlled by the lever (ground drive units) or pull rope (PTO units). Flow control is accomplished by speeding up or slowing down the apron chain (or conveyor) that feeds manure to the back beaters. You now have a choice of emptying the manure spreader as fast as possible or applying controlled amounts of manure to specific areas to maximize the nutrient fertilizer value of the manure and minimize negative environmental issue such as run-off into water supply. Variable flow control also enables this spreader to handle a very wide range of manure. Let's face it, a manure load can change depending bedding material, stages of decomposition and weather. Many spreaders are unable to handle this variable and only work well when manure consistency is just right. The Classic spreader however can handle just about any horse manure type. Variable flow control enables the user to slow down how fast the manure is being pushed to the back for spreading. This prevents damage and unneeded wear and tear on the spreader components.

To virtually eliminate drive chain slip when engaging and disengaging the drive chain, ABI Classic Manure spreaders utilize a mechanism that gradually lifts the chain off the sprocket one tooth at a time to disengage. To reengage, this mechanism then gently lays the chain back on the sprocket seating the chain on each tooth of the sprocket. This process keeps the chain and sprocket in alignment and reduces the possibility the chain will slip or fall off the sprocket causing unneeded repair, wear and tear and breakage. This mechanism is controlled by the front right operating lever (as you are looking toward the back of the spreader). Most competitor engagement mechanisms do not keep the chain and sprocket in alignment and do not assist in the reseating of the chain on each sprocket tooth. (excludes 15 cu / ft model)

A "T-Rod" Apron Chain is the linkage that makes up the apron web or conveyer that gradually feeds the manure to the beater bars for spreading. "T-Rod" style linkage is much heavier and nearly 4 times stronger than the steel detachable linkage that some competitors use. T-Rod virtually eliminates chain stretch and breakage under normal and designed use. It also helps to keep the apron chain from slipping and/or falling off the sprockets on either side of the box. This reduces down time and the frustration of the apron chain breaking under a full load in which the operator would then need to dig the manure out of the box to repair the chain. The tension on this chain may be adjusted for optimal efficiency at the front of the spreader. Each side has independent adjustment controls.

Unlike many ground drive systems all ABI Classic Ground Drive Manure Spreaders incorporate a sophisticated system that enables better ground traction and provides constant power to the apron chain and beater bars. As you look from the front to the back of the spreader the left wheel primarily drives the apron chain (conveyer) and the right wheel primarily drives the beater bars, however both wheels also work in unison to maximize traction and prevent the apron and beater from running at different speeds. This works similar in concept to a locking differential on a truck which is designed to "lock" both wheels on an axle together as if on a common shaft. This forces both wheels to turn in unison, regardless of the traction (or lack thereof) available to either wheel individually. This eliminates slipping and binding of the moving parts and reduces wear and tear and breakage to the chains, sprockets & gears. But that is not all! The hubs on the ABI manure spreaders have a ratcheting override when moving in reverse or taking sharp corners. This allows the wheels to move independently when taking sharp corners or moving in reverse even while engaged. This smart design make maneuverability a breeze and protects moving parts from damage.

If your tractor has a 540 RPM PTO (Power Take Off) than the ABI Classic PTO models can provide an even higher level of performance. Ideal for extremely heavy loads where extra power may be needed or on terrain that is not conducive to good ground traction. (Such as extremely rough or hilly terrain, snow and ice or very soft or wet land) PTO manure spreaders also tread lightly on pastures as they do not use ag traction tires under pressure. The operator may also control the speed of the beaters and apron chain to control material flow rate all from the seat of the tractor. The apron web (conveyor) has 4 speed settings controlled by a pull rope. Not available on 25 cu ft unit.

Unlike most manure spreaders that use one beater bar to spread material, ABI Classic manure spreaders use 2 or 3 beaters depending on the unit size. On 15, 25 & 50 cu ft units ABI Classic manure spreaders have one shredder beater that shreds the manure and bedding (hay and straw) into smaller pieces before the manure is passed through to the wide spread paddles and thrown from the spreader. This additional shredding process breaks down the material for quick decomposition which promotes a healthy pasture. On 85 - 130 cu ft units ABI Classic manure spreaders have 2 shredder beaters. One small beater at the top of the spreader to shred the top of mounded material and a large shredder beater just in front of the wide spread beater. The shredder beaters are geared slower than the wide spread beater to maximize shredding power. The 25 & 50 cu ft units feature 32 shredder blades, the 85 cu ft units feature 100 shredder blades, 110 & 130 cu ft units feature 120 shredder blades. The top shredder bar also help to deflect flying material away from the operator and tow vehicle.

The component that actually throws the manure from the manure spreader is the wide spreader beater. These beaters are expertly designed to further break down the manure and evenly distribute it on the ground. The 25 cu ft manure spreaders have 8 paddles, the 50 cu ft manure spreaders have 10 paddles, the 85 cu ft manure spreaders have 8 larger paddles and the 110, & 130 cu ft manure spreaders have 10 larger paddles.

A rear safety bar is now standard equipment on ALL ABI Classic manure spreaders. This bar adds yet another safety feature and makes it harder for horses, or anything else, to come in contact with the rear beater bars. This bar also works great as a rear bumper to help protect the spreader when backing into an equipment shed or barn.

The moving components of ABI Classic Manure Spreaders are built tough for long worry free service life. These components include HD bronze bearings, HD T-Rob Web, HD CA550 Roller Chain & HD gearing.

The box on the ABI classic manure spreaders are very different from most competitors. The ABI box is not bolted together, it is fully welded and made of 12 gauge COR-TEN steel. This is thicker gauge steel than any other spreader, in this class, that we know of. ABI has chosen not to use galvanized steel as it is toxic to weld, therefore most competitors that use galvanized steel have resorted to bolt together construction. With the corrosion resistance of COR-TEN steel and the ability to have a fully welded box we feel our design is the best of both worlds. The box has flared sides to maximize capacity, lower the loading height and aid in keeping heaping loads of manure in the box when in transit. These flared side also add further structural strength to the box.

To further prevent corrosion and rust the inside of the box is sprayed with a Coal Tar Epoxy box liner. This box liner is not a traditional truck bed plastic insert liner that can cause corrosion under it and it is not a soft rubbery material that can rip. This box liner is ideally suited for the unique demands of a manure spreader. Coal Tar Epoxy offers great "flex" so it is perfectly suited to expand & contract with climate and can handle the abrasion and acidity of manure flowing through the spreader. Coal Tar Epoxies are famous for protection from moisture and are commonly used on garage floors, underground pipelines/tanks even the hulls of barges.

The floor of the ABI Classic Manure Spreader box is not steel and it is not wood. It is plastic! The floor is constructed of a tongue and groove poly lumber so it will never rot or rust. Even better yet the "tongue and groove" construction prohibits the individual poly boards that make up the floor from warping that would cause the apron web to get caught and bind on the flooring. This is a premium maintenance free flooring that will last and comes with a limited lifetime warranty.

The shredder hood and spray shield serves two unique purposes. The first is that it directs all manure into the shredder beater to ensure that no manure can pass over the top of the shredder. The second purpose is that it acts as a shield to eliminate front spray off the wide spread beater. This is ideal for "clean" spreading and not having manure thrown toward the operator or tow vehicle!

The optional end gate is design to close off the back end of the manure spreader to prohibit material from falling out the back during transport and loading. This option is ideal for those that plan to load the spreader to the maximum capacity before spreading. The 25 - 50 cu / ft manure spreaders offer a manual lift end gate option. The 85 - 130 cu / ft manure spreaders offer a hydraulically controlled end gate option due to size and weight. These end gates also serve to help further deflect flying manure away from the operator and tow vehicle while spreading.

ABI classic ground drive manure spreader tires are designed with ag tread for consistent grip to drive the apron chain and beater bars. The PTO manure spreaders use either a ribbed implement tire or a standard large truck tire for less impact on the land. These tires tread lightly on pastures as then do not have ag traction and are wide enough to not rut up pastures.

Corrosion and rust resistance is one of the top concerns customer have in buying manure spreaders. ABI does not take this concern lightly. To ensure our Classic Manure Spreaders will last for many many years to come we have implemented a suite of measures to prevent corrosion and rust.

1. We start with corrosion resistant COR-TEN steel.
2. All steel components are sand blasted before painting. This cleans the impurities off the steel and opens the pores to absorb the paint for the best bond.
3. Rust-Oleum "Stops-Rust" paint is applied. This paint is easy to repair and touch up and unlike powder coating moisture cannot get behind the paint to rust from the underside.
4. Coal Tar Epoxy box liner is applied inside the box.
5. Tongue and groove poly (plastic lumber) floor will not rust, corrode or rot. This floor has a Limited Lifetime Warranty.