screening compost and using pull behind spreader guage wide open and and something like large deap socket on face tire works for me but got to be dry compost socket brakeup bridging in tub never use to sockets but would help. I screen with 1/2 rabbit wire are welded wire. you can modtify the adjitater with a piece of cold roll and short pieces of chain that want hit sides tub.

I screen then spread with my pull behind fertilizer spreader.
I do this before I till. I suppose you could top dress this way if that is what you are looking for.

Good luck

biglumber - What kind of spreader do you have and does your spreader open far enough to do top dressing? I've been looking for something for years that's cheap enough for a homeowner and I'm getting too old to shovel that stuff all around a 12k yard.

Jimtnc,

The Bull Spreaders are interesting products. They have several models but they are probably all out of your price range. You would have to call or email for current pricing.

I spread my compost manually with a fork or shovel from a wheelbarrow.

MM

P.S. I am not connected with Knee Deep or Bull Spreader.

maineman - thanks for the info. Yeah, that's just a tad bit more than I wanted to spend...and probably wouldn't have anywhere to store it anyway.

I'm really hoping that someone (like AgriFab, etc) will come out with some kind of spread that will accomodate commercial compost for the regular homeowner. Trust me, they will make a friggin' mint if they do.

this link give lot chat about spreading compost

Here is a link that might be useful: compost spreaders

I use a pull behind broadcast spreader. It is a jd BST-35JD. 200 bucks at home depot. Don't think it is really made for top dressing but I use it for that in the springtime. Mostly for soil fill into turf.

The secret is with the screening. I have a 4 x 8 sifter with chicken wire as the screen and that wire is doubled up in a way to get more fines to pass than chunks.

12k is a lot to do by hand.
Peace

Jimtnc,

The link that gator_rider provided contained some interesting links itself, including the Newer Spreaders, some of which aren't too far out of your price range.

MM

{{gwi:294119}}

Jimtnc,

Also from gator_rider's link, the Walk Behind Spyker Mulch-n-More Spreader. Spyker makes a whole line of spreaders.

MM

Aberdeen Supply Co.
201 N. Sycamore Street
Aberdeen, NC 28315
910-944-1422
Pittsboro Feed
1103 East Street
Pittsboro, NC 27312
919-542-2454
couple dealers close by for spreaders

Yeah, that Newerspreader looks to be the right one with the agitator, but I'd be looking for a divorce attorney if I paid $675 + $80 shipping for that thing. I do believe the wife would have me locked up after that. :) It's a shame they can't make something like that just a little cheaper for us poor folks. Dadgum, that's close to $800. Whew!!

If it were cheaper, it wouldn't last more than one season.

For 12K square feet, you're talking about 12 cubic yards of compost. That's a whole bunch of material to run through a small homeowner grade spreader. I doubt any residential spreader sees 12 cu yds run through it in its lifetime let alone in one day.

Perhaps look into compost tea.

I understand the rolling drum style top dresser wasn't being considered but they don't work all that bad. I built one to test and it does a fairly good job.

Filling to 2/3rds or so (60 liters) it puts down a nice, thin, even spread. I did a guys front yard around 1500 sq. ft. in about 30 minutes using about 1/2 CY of compost. I know that is kinda thin but that's what it worked out to. A person could go cross pattern to apply more if they wanted to I suppose but that would increase time to apply accordingly.

The volume it holds is also quite small leading to more frequent loadings but if it were larger, the weight to push around might also become more of a factor.

All in all, not a bad little unit for a homeowner to use on a Saturday morning. Cost us about $130 or so to build not including labor. (so we built three!)

Lloyd