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Showing results for tags 'Food plot seeder'.
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IT'S ALIVE!!!! I have created a monster! I have used the small hand crank seeders for ever to seed my food plots. I really wanted something bigger that holds more seed and can spread seed farther. One of the nice ATV seeder/spreaders would have been great to have, but not in the budget for this season. So I looked on Ebay and found an auction for a used walk behind lawn seeder that needed to be fixed. I won the bid at $20 with shipping. When I got it UPS, I fixed the seed amount adjuster cable and now it was ready for use, so I thought. This spring while planting a small 1 acre food plot, I brought the newly fixed seeder to try it out. First thing I noticed was the drive wheel didn't turn very well in loosened soil, second I noticed that even when adjusted to a very small opening the seed would just fall out the front unless you sprinted across the plot. I don't know about you, but I save my sprinting for emergencies only. So, out came the hand cranker seeder to finish for the day. I spent the last few months, on and off, thinking about what I could do with this seeder that just plain wont work. So this is what I decided to do. I took the frame and wheels off, leaving the spreader paddle thing and the seed tub. I had a very expensive 12 volt air pump for a rubber raft that quit producing air pressure years ago. I pulled the pump from the "don't throw it away pile" in the shop and took it apart. After taking some measurements, I built with leftover hardwood flooring a small frame to attach the pump. I affixed the paddle spreader to the electric motor, attached the frame to the seed tub, then enclosed around the motor/spreader so I wouldn't take a seed in the eye. I salvaged an old rheostat head light switch from an old van and mounted in in the side of the spreader to control the speed of the spreader wheel. I had an old 12 volt ciggy lighter plug in spot light that the switch didn't work, it was also in the "don't throw away pile". I used the cord from the spot light so I could plug into my ATV. Where the shaft from the top of the spreader wheel goes into the seed tub, I attached a zip tie so when it spins it will stir the seed. I put the seeder machine on the front of my ATV and use the winch cable to hold it down so it doesn't fall. REBIRTH OF THE FRANKENSEEDER! I have used it 3 times now. It works great with all sizes of seed. I can still control the amount of seed that falls with the original adjuster cable lever mounted temporarily on the handle bars. I does not work for packy material like lime or very small grain fertilizer as it compacts from the vibration of the ATV.