"John Deere (Agri-Fab) 130 Pound Tow Behind Spreader - Mixer Not Turning"

By Ron Stultz

3 March 2017

Summary: Remove hopper. Allows for repair of stir shaft as well as flow plate replacement.

Background:

Bought John Deere 130 pound tow behind spreader new in 2012.

Left outside year round.

Went to use it recently and the one wheel that drives stir rod inside would not turn.

Thought perhaps plastic covered stir shaft gears needed greasing, uncovered and nope.

Also discovered that flow plate not closing automatically.

Note: Although labeled "John Deere" this spreader is actually built by Agri-Fab and parts are available from Agri-Fab but not John Deer. Parts are reasonably priced.

Remove hopper:

Not knowing better, I disassembled from the wheels up.

While some aspects of spreader are good to excellent, other aspects, not so much.

Wheels, axels, etc. all put together such that not meant to be taken apart or not easily.

After disassembly of wheels, axel and stirring gear, found that problem was where stir shaft enters hopper.

SO, do not take apart wheels, axel, just remove hopper.

Hopper Removal:

To remove hopper must first remove stir rod that goes through hole in stir shaft.

In my case, hole was very small and stir road was rusted tight.

Penetrating oil did not help and so eventually had to drill out stir rod and made bigger hole.

With stir rod removed, try to pull up the thick steel washer over the stir shaft.

In my case, was rusted to stir shaft and had to use pliers to slowly get it to turn and come loose.

Do not over crank pliers or might break green plastic bottom.

The steel washer just sits on the shaft, not threaded or anything, just rusted.

Note here, if your stir "rod" is rusted tight, might cut off ends with wire cutters or other and deal with shaft hole later.

Once stir "rod" removed, use needle nose pliers to remove cable from flow plate. Not too difficult removing but reinstalling is not easy.

Remove strap holding flow engage plate cable from bottom of hopper.

Remove 4 bolts hold hopper to frame.

Now lift hopper straight up and off the stir shaft.

If you meet heavy resistance pulling upward, back off and shoot penetrating oil around where stir shaft comes through bottom of hopper. You do not want to break the green bottom of the hopper.

The problem is that the stir shaft has rusted and is not turning easily in the small plastic, black, seal in the bottom of the hopper.

The small black plastic seal is easily removed by pulling it up and out of the hopper.

Clean the inside of the small black plastic seal and then pack with grease.

Now look at stir shaft and using sandpaper to remove all rust, other from stir shaft where it enters the hopper and extends up to stir rod.

Once you have sanded the stirring rod, coat with grease.

Flow Plate Replacement:

The flow plate is one of those areas where Agri-Fab should have sent more money. The flow plate is plastic and thin and can easily be broken.

The flow plate is held to the bottom by ridges on the plate that fit under flow guides molded into the bottom of the hopper.

The flow plate has 2 springs, in compression, that push against round stops.

The round stops are actually plastic screws that penetrate the hopper bottom.

To replace the flow plate and springs, must gently remove the 2 plastic stops from the bottom.

A flat blade screw driver can help move the screw up enough to hand screw it up and out of the hole.

Reassemble:

When you mount hopper, recommend you use ant seize compound on the threads of the bolts. My were rusted.

Once hopper is mounted to frame, going to have to use needle nose pliers to get flow cable reattached to flow plate.

This is a little tricky as have to have cable end just right to go through hole in flow plate. Be patient here.

Finally:

Obvious that spreader meant to be protected from elements, so if possible store in enclosed.

Flow control. Do not try to simply turn flow control without depressing first. The flow control is easily broken.