Colt Case Ingersoll Garden Tractors

I bought my Brinley tow behind spreader 8 years ago and it's never really met expectations in two areas.

The first area is the spreader has a large flat bottom area which makes it difficult to finish up the product being dispensed. I've got some polypropylene sheets and I'll address this another time when I'm really bored...

The second area is the poor control of the amount of product being dispensed. It's got a scale from 1 to 10 and I typically use a setting of 2-3 depending on the product being dispensed. I keep records of what settings worked. Anyways a difference of +0.5 in the setting means I run out early and -0.5 means I'm out there another 20 minutes spreading product (I'm covering 60,000 square feet).

For years I've wanted to modify how much the spreader opens for a given handle movement and I finally did it. I really only use settings around 2 for fertilizer/lime and around 3 for grass seed. My plan was to lower the control rod position in the control handle lower toward the pivot point. The rod was 4" from the pivot. I drilled holes at 3" and 2" and ended up using the 2" position. The control rod had to be lengthened with about 2" of 1/4-20 threaded rod. This also allowed me to slide the control handle assembly about an inch closer to the tractor.

Before and after measurements were taken on how far the spreader opens for a given handle position.
Spreader settings (approximate)
Old setting = dimensions opened = new setting
1.0 = 0.068" = 1.5
1.5 = 0.175" = 2.5
2.0 = 0.3" = 3.75
2.5 = 0.425" = 4.5
3.0 = 0.525" = 5.625
3.5 = 0.625" = 6.5
4.0 = 0.750" = 7.5
Not measured = .850 = 8.5
Not measured = 1.05" = 10

Opening the spreader now requires more movement but leaves more adjustment range. It's also easier to reach the control handle from the tractor seat. TBD if it was actually worth the effort.

When making a purchase of drill bits, always say to the store staff, "Where are the real drill bits, I don't want want the ones that look like drill bits. I want real drill bits."

Well I went to use this piece of crap today and the spreader wasn't opening at low settings. It also wasn't reliably opening to the set amount the other day when I used it. Turns out to be user error as the bolts holding the handle bracket weren't tight enough which let the handle assembly slide back (slotted mounting holes) and forth as I moved the handle. With that corrected, the spreader door opens but has poor opening control at low settings. Some of the poor control may be from the oversized rod mounting hole in the spreader door's plastic. Basically I'm either wasting time not applying enough product or I'm applying too much product and I run out. It works ok for fertilizer at higher settings but its almost useless for applying products like Ortho Bug-B-Gon (fine granules).

Time for something else that works... someday. I'm doing 60,000 square feet and I really don't want to do that with a walk behind spreader.

Matt, here is another option. I have put a linear actuator on my Brinly Spreader model BS36BH 175 lb. It saves me from turning around and reaching, but a downside is that the actuator is slower than working the Open/Close lever by hand, but I've gotten used to it. I can still use the original adjustable setting knob for the settings.

nice setup Bob .

Nice setup Bob. I've had similar ideas especially when spreading with my hydravac attached but its just low on the project list. If I'm spreading with my hydravac attached, I keep a 15" flat crowbar in the hydravac housing. I can grab the crowbar ahead of time and reach the spreader lever.

Very nice application Bob. Thanks for sharing your project with pics. Harry

I changed up the linkage to have nuts on each side of the threaded couplers which took a lot of play out of the linkage. Feels much tighter now.