Handling Fertiliser Bags - 50 Kgs

pakalasa

Hurt my bad back even more handling these the other day. I had a few left over after spreading so took off trailer to put on pallet in shed. I kept back straight, bent knees and all that. In agony these last few days with it.
Any easy way of handling them. I have a loader and small bucket, but off tractor at time.
500 kg bags are not really an option, with the amount I spread. Maybe I could get a shut off valve for the 500 bags. Saw one somewhere once. Spreader has 250 kg hopper?

severeoversteer

saw my neighbour shoveling fert out of a half tonne bag into vicon wagtail one day

brian_t

Do you have any dry corner of a shed where you could store some in bulk.

Even if you opened a 500kg bag and loaded with your bucket.

Cover the remainder with a sheet of black plastic to keep the moisture out.

vanderbadger

There is a thing you can get pak, it's basically a sliding door, you can screw it into your half ton bag. So if you dont have a half ton spreader you can shut it when you have let out enough fert. You still need to hang up the big bag

agriman27

You could try using a bucket to transfer to spreader from half tonne bag:)

Conor556

If your spreader will only hold 250kg then cut the bag half way up, plenty of fellas around here do it, either because they have 250kg spreader or if they mixing 2 types of fert in a 500kg 1. Havnt seen a bag tear yet.

blue5000

I share your pain paks:(

One solution is to put the pallets up high, so you are not trying to lift the last row of bags from ground level.

Other way on a farm with only one tractor and loader is to make a gantry out of H irons and hang the 500kg bags out of it so that you can back the spreader in and cut the bag half way down for 250 kg

pakalasa

blue5000 wrote: »

..Other way on a farm with only one tractor and loader is to make a gantry out of H irons and hang the 500kg bags out of it so that you can back the spreader in and cut the bag half way down for 250 kg

I was thinking of hanging the bag on a frame alright, and use one of these valves (similar to what Vanderbadger described)
http://www.nethertontractors-shop.co.uk/big-bag-distribution-valve-i296.html

Can they be got in Ireland?

grazeaway

The back is a vey important thing Pak. Perhaps it's time get a bigger spinner so you can throw in a big bag. Try to use the big bags where possible.

Failing that try to find an old grain screw like those used for feeding meal. You could empty it into a hopper then use the screw to load your spreader.

Do you anyone who works in a powder handling industry like feed mills or pharmaceuticals? They might have an old one thrown out the back.

1chippy

buy a bigger spreader:D

moy83

Could make a hopper that you could reverse the spreader under and let out enough as you need it ? Would the delivery man mind letting them into a hopper or hanging the bags I wonder ?

grazeaway

Some thing like this, get a hopper big enough to hold a big bag and feed it in as you require.

http://www.alibaba.com/product-gs/604198976/Inclined_Screw_Conveyor_for_Silo_Cement.html

http://www.donedeal.ie/fertiliserspreaders-for-sale/vicon-fertiliser-spreaders/4664147

bob charles

I made crap of my back picking up a foot long bit of slate lat last saturday. agony for about 3 to 4 days, getting better now but its always very temperamental like myself nowadays.

those 50 bags are the work of the devil along with 50kg seed sacks :mad:

Good loser

Bucketing it in from half tonne bag is as quick as lifting in 50 kg bags.

Could open 50 kg bag on pallet and with large plastic jug feed spinner until it is light enough to lift.

kevthegaff

i have only one tractor so i yoke off the spreader everytime for 1-2 1/2 ton bags, its annoying but saves the back

Leo Demidov

http://www.scissortablesireland.com/

tismesoitis

Pak if you use the half tonne bags and open them along the side from the top down. neighbour of ours does this works a treat!

bbam

Last time we had a ton on a pallet we slung two straps through it and lifted it up onto an IBC with the front loader of the DB.
It was all downhill from there into the spreader...

The back is an awful problem for me too :mad:

locky76

They should be outlawed really on health & safety grounds, the same was done with cement going from 50kgs to 20kgs around ten years ago and despite a bit of a kerfuffle from auld boys initially it was a great move.
The industry might be resisting it as there is an increased cost to them with the extra packaging...

KatyMac

Good loser wrote: »

Bucketing it in from half tonne bag is as quick as lifting in 50 kg bags.

Could open 50 kg bag on pallet and with large plastic jug feed spinner until it is light enough to lift.

That's what I do. I cut a small corner of the bag, fill a bucket until the bag is liftable. I've a bad back from falling off horses and am female so a 50kg bag is impossible on my own.

mf240

Would it be worth waiting untill you have enough grazed to spread a half ton bag then drive to co op and get one in spreader.

Conmaicne Mara

If you were intent on using the 50kg bags you could rig up a swingable hoist like an upside down L. Put a strap around the 50kg bag, hoist it up with winch (electric or manual), swing in over spinner, run the knife on bag. Still involve some manual maneuvering of the 50kg bags I'd say.

But the raised big bag with spout looks the handiest solution from the point of view of actually handling heavy weight. Wouldn't like to see the mess if the spout became untapped though

larthehar

Assuming that you use 500kg in one occasion, leave a 500kg bag on the side of the trailer... back the spreader underneath and tie the top back to the opposite side of the trailer. Cut a slit verically from the top til thw spreader is full and off ya go!

crackcrack30

I think under health and safety they recommend (an employee) lift no more than 2 stone......your back is 'designed' to lift no more than a biro....

As humans we didn't exactly spend thousands of years lifting at any stage to condition out backs.....one of the first things invented was the wheel and for good reason.

nashmach

Cut the bag high and it is job done.

Have 400kg spreader here at the moment and that is how we do it and could spread 3t at,a time.

Have only bought 10 small bags in the past 7 years or so.

For paddocks we just bucket it out of the big bag.

1chippy

we always get the fertilizer dropped onto a bunch of pallets and then you just drag the bags to the edge and cut. saves a lot of gunthering.

Damo810

Get yourself a small one of these..



Or one of the fert spreaders with them mounted at the back, haven't seen many about though.

Rovi

[MOD]

Quit it with the juvenile schoolboy stuff! :mad:

Some posts deleted.

[/MOD]

Dampintheattic

I notice that year on year, the quality of plastic used on the small bags seems to deteriorate. Buy a pallet of fertilizer. Spread half say in one lot, with the balance used in small lots, throughout the grazing season.
Guaranteed no problems with the first lot. Find more and more bags from the remaining stuff, have water ingress, and sticking fertilizer.
Is there anything more frustrating than fertilizer gumming up in the spreader.

What would happen with a big bag, you would split and use through out the year? Grief???

Damo810

It's a queer business though. Go to your local mart and just watch where just about everyone over 55 has a limp, a bad hip or knee. Holding their back with one hand and a stick in the other.

Is there any other "business" like it? Where half the workforce is crocked by the time they become the average age of the work force?

hoseman

Bought a block and tackle a number of years ago.capacity is 2 ton,can lift 1/2 ton bags no prob,cheap and effective

Sam Kade

Damo810 wrote: »

It's a queer business though. Go to your local mart and just watch where just about everyone over 55 has a limp, a bad hip or knee. Holding their back with one hand and a stick in the other.

Is there any other "business" like it? Where half the workforce is crocked by the time they become the average age of the work force?

I know a few people that never done a decent days work in their life and they are crippled and they are a long way off 55 I think saying that almost every farmer over 55 is crippled is a bit of exaggeration.

PMU

I always had back trouble until I bought a 700kg spreader and filled it with the loader. best job ever. leave the spreader up on pallets if its not empty.no back pain now unless Im working with calves.

lakill Farm

anywhere around you that does bulk fert?

you could buy 2nd hand bulk bags and drop to local merchant and ask them when there quiet to fill a few with 250kg?

the bulk bags I get are €3 and are from food salt so must be waterproof and have emptying spout on the bottom

crackcrack30

What half tonne spreader would last a while,,, and not break the bank....any quotes lately

moy83

I see this is thread of the day , how does that happen

trabpc

My way. Next im just going to weld a hook onto rsj on shed, lift on with loader and then reverse in.

Muckit

vanderbadger

Muckit wrote: »

handy stuff Muckit, where did you get it

Muckit

pm sent

raher1

That shelving unit looks but may fall over and where do you stand? Are you dragging the bags which is not good. Get a decent trailer where you can slide the bags over to the spreader and position your body so it'd the fulcrum. I read a few posts a simple pulley system may suit. They sell an electric one in aldi or lidl from time to time. U could make a holder to hold the bag. U should life a bag og granulated lime now that's 10g heavier.

lakill Farm

raher1 wrote: »

That shelving unit looks but may fall over and where do you stand? Are you dragging the bags which is not good. Get a decent trailer where you can slide the bags over to the spreader and position your body so it'd the fulcrum. I read a few posts a simple pulley system may suit. They sell an electric one in aldi or lidl from time to time. U could make a holder to hold the bag. U should life a bag og granulated lime now that's 10g heavier.

pallet racking doesn't just fall over

lakill Farm

Muckit wrote: »

can you send me details also please

I want to do the same idea as yours but with a steel floor on where the fert is and put a rectangular diesel tank on it and put it inside in the shed.

tabby aspreme

Lads if ye have bad backs go get them sorted , mine gave me trouble for years with a bulging disk which led to siatica always kicked off at the start of lambing used to get a quick fix which would sort it for a while , eventually went to a osteopath spent 1200 over 6 months with him and have no bother for the last 5 years

locky76

Just after e mailing a letter to the farmers journal:


Can we please change to a 25kg bag for fertiliser?
Dear Sir,
An issue which has been causing me considerable physical grief over the last number of years are the 50kg fertiliser bags currently being employed by the entire fertiliser industry of Ireland. The building industry in Ireland changed from the 50kg bags of cement to a 25kg bag over ten years ago. Indeed the HSA states “Manual Handling accounts for 33% of Accidents reported to the Health and Safety Authority”. Where is the leadership being shown by people in authority to change a fundamental issue which affects 1000’s of farmers every day during the fertiliser season and ultimately will continue to have long term affects throughout their lives, you need only look around any mart or agricultural show to see the amount of farmers who are actually crippled due to hardships endured by them throughout their working life, surely there is an immediate fix by going to the 25kg bags and I for one would applaud the persons involved who can show the leadership to make this change.
Regards,
Locky76

Conmaicne Mara

Most of the older lads limping and hobbling are the ones giving out the 50kg bags are too small.

Wonder is there a connection..................................................................................

crackcrack30

I remember when the 50kg bag of cement was 5 pounds, it didn't take long for the 25kg bags to reach that price.....

Cement like fertilizer is produced , stored and transported in bulk....i'd say that the packaging process and materials make up a large part of the costs and would be readily handed down to the end user..

locky76

crackcrack30 wrote: »

I remember when the 50kg bag of cement was 5 pounds, it didn't take long for the 25kg bags to reach that price.....

Cement like fertilizer is produced , stored and transported in bulk....i'd say that the packaging process and materials make up a large part of the costs and would be readily handed down to the end user..

a mate of mine managed the 50kg to 25kg project for Irish cement, it added costs of less than 10p at the time, it was minimal. The subsequent boom was what drove the price increase, the cement industry was importing cement throughout the boom and they were squeezing the country for as much as they could on the price of cement. The 50kg bag is a back breaker and there is no safe way to manually handle it...

moy83

I was delighted when the 50kg bags of cement were halved .I didnt weigh much more than 50kg myself when I was lobbing them into the mixer .
I just finished a house the last day that took 30 tonne of sand and about another 10 tonne of skim,cement and slabs , I always try to find the easiest way to get every last shoveful into the house and onto the walls .
Lads ye cant buy new knees or shoulders in the co op so mind what ye have

moy83

locky76 wrote: »

a mate of mine managed the 50kg to 25kg project for Irish cement, it added costs of less than 10p at the time, it was minimal. The subsequent boom was what drove the price increase, the cement industry was importing cement throughout the boom and they were squeezing the country for as much as they could on the price of cement. The 50kg bag is a back breaker and there is no safe way to manually handle it...

I reckon cement is one of the cheapest of materials that you will put into a house

yellow50HX

We always had those 50 kg bags, they were fair tough going. What we did was to put the pallets into the trailer then back the spreader up against the trailer, the hopper was at trailer hight so we could drop the bags onto the floor of the trailer then cut the top and tip them in. One of the biggest benifit of buying he digger was being able to use the big bags, here is no comparison. We can spread the freltizer a lot quicker now.

If we only need part of the bag we cut a hole up the side of the bag when lifted over the spreader.

My neighbour has one tractor (ford 4610) and doesn't really have anyone to give him a hand so bought a bag lifter for his spreader. Small tractor but handles it ok. Plenty of them around. You just leave them on the spreader permently. If you don't want to change your spreader you could lift the bag over it and empty half of it at a time.

Part of the manual handling issue with the 25 kg bags is that hey are still very heavy and unless you do it right you'll still be lifting a very weight. If you bak is bad dont bother with them at all. Bite the bullet and get a bigger spreader and bag lifter.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=6W4plGu2Nss

http://www.donedeal.ie/fertiliserspreaders-for-sale/big-bag-lifter/4901183