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| If you have a good NH dealer nearby, the NH design is not all that bad IMO. There were thousands of them made and I think most parts probably interchange between the different sizes and different models so parts will probably be available for a long, long time. For the most part, NH just slapped a new model number on and called them "new" spreaders. I have worn out a 679, then a 680, a 185 and now I am on my second 185. All those numbers are the same size, just made in different eras. Most would be hard pressed to find much of a difference in the 679 which was probably made in the 70's to the new 185 I got two years ago. I think the same would be true of the smaller spreaders, for the most part they are only shorter versions of the 185. I don't know how many horsepower a 3020 is, but I hauled many loads with an IH 706 which is probably around 80 hp? and had no problems.
The problem I have seen and experienced through the years is that a manure spreader is one of the few places it may make sense to buy new because of the crazy prices most dealers around here ask for used NH spreaders when compared to new. IMO, most of the time, a used spreader is on the lot because it was giving its previous owners fits, or they knew it was about to start giving them fits. Who trades off a perfectly good box spreader that is in good working order on a new one for no reason? Most of them I've seen on the lot, you can push a screwdriver through the side if you wanted to and they are still asking half the price of a new spreader. The spreader is 90% used up and they still want $5k+ for it when you can buy a new one for $10K?
If you shop around, I would think you could get a new 155 for maybe not a whole lot more than $5K and if you take care of it, it will last a long time for 80 loads a year.
How are the sides and beater on the one you are using? If the sides are still solid with not a whole lot of rust and the beater is not missing paddles or soon to be missing paddles, maybe you can buy it cheap, put a chain in it and away you go. From my experience a NH spreader is good for one replaced apron, meaning the rest of the spreader is pretty much shot by the time you go through two aprons. If you have to replace the apron a second time, you might as well get a new spreader because the sides, floor and beater are probably not far behind. | |
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New Holland Manure Spreader
