#
Machinery evaluation
#
Lely Centerliner SL fertiliser spreader
Kondinin Group evaluated the Centerliner SL fertiliser spreader based on a survey of 15 farmers asking them to rate the
unit’s performance and reliability.
O
wners of Lely Centerliner SL series
fertiliser spreaders rated highly
the Dutch-built unit for its application
uniformity, value for money and overall
performance.
Kondinin Group surveyed 15 owners with
all reporting the machine had met or
exceeded their expectations.
The owners had 812–1930-kilogram
capacity units that had carried an average
790 tonnes of product, mainly urea and
mono-ammonium phosphate.
Owners also applied
di-ammonium
phosphate, superphosphate, gypsum, coated
fertiliser, pasture seed and rice.
Application rates ranged from 35kg per
hectare (urea) to 1000kg/ha for coated
Hi-Fert fertiliser.
While some owners surveyed experienced
minor problems, all said they would buy the
same machine again.
The spreader was made by Lely but the new
Centerliners are manufactured by Tulip of
Luxembourg to Lely design and specifications.
The manufacturer had offered four SL series
three-point hitch models (see specifications
box) but now offers the SX series.
Hopper capacity for urea ranges from 812kg
(1600SL model), 1219kg (2400SL), 1524kg
(3000SL) to 1930kg (3800SL).
Product is spread by two 600-millimetre
diameter spinner discs.
The standard spinner drive is from the
tractor using 540 revolutions per minute
(rpm) power take-off (PTO), with optional
hydraulic drive. All owners surveyed used the
PTO drive.
The spreader has a single pin for setting
the application rate.
Most owners surveyed were happy with the
ease of calibration with 40 per cent rating it as
one of the machine’s best features.
A headland tilt hydraulic cylinder is fitted
as standard by the manufacturer. This tilts
the machine down toward the headland to
apply the full rate of fertiliser up to the edge
without wasting product.
Owners were happy with the spreader’s overall performance with all claiming they would buy the same
machine again. But 60 per cent increased the original hopper size to improve carrying capacity.
Most owners rated this as another of the
machine’s best features.
Metal hopper screens are fitted as standard
to keep foreign objects and fertiliser lumps
out of the hopper outlets.
An optional agitator reduces bridging of
product, while a single row attachment is
available for applications such as horticulture.
Manufacturer-supplied bolt-on hopper
extensions are optional. These extensions
increase capacity by about 90kg.
Frame
#####
All owners rated the frame and three-point
hitch strength as good to excellent but one
owner reported excessive rust on the lower
part of the frame.
A Tasmanian owner of a 1600SL unit who
has carried 200t of product including urea,
di-ammonium phosphate and hi-analysiscoated fertiliser claimed rust occurred under
the powder coating after two years.
Specifications
Model
1600SL
2400SL
3000SL
3800SL
Capacity — urea (kg)
812
1219
1524
1930
Filling height (m)
0.94
1.02
1.14
1.19
Unladen weight (kg)
300
324
350
379
PTO output (rpm)
540
540
540
540
Effective working width
6–36m (adjustable by power take-off change gears)
To fix the problem, he sandblasted and
repainted the complete machine.
Kondinin Group recommends the machines
are cleaned thoroughly after use to reduce rust.
Most owners were happy with the ease of
hitching to the tractor with 80% rating it as
good to excellent but 20% of owners claimed
it was average.
Hopper ####
Owners surveyed were generally pleased
with the hopper, rating its strength and ease
of cleaning as good to excellent.
But 60% of respondents were not
satisfied with the original hopper capacity.
Of these, 40% added their own home-made
extensions and 20% fitted the manufacturersupplied extension.
A New South Wales owner of a 1600SL unit
doubled his capacity to hold about 2t of urea.
This owner fabricated a 600mm extension
using galvanised sheet and ‘duragal’ angle at a
cost of about $450 for materials and one day
to fit.
The owner claimed by extending the
hopper he could spread 20–40 hectares extra
at speeds of 25–45 kilometres per hour and a
spreading width of 28–32 metres.
Another NSW owner also fitted a 300mm
stainless extension, which included a perspex
viewing window.
A Queensland owner of a 2400SL unit
also fitted his own hopper extension to carry
2t of urea.
FA R M I N G A H E A D
8
No. 142
November 2003
Lely Centerliner SL fertiliser spreader
The home-made extension cost about
$300 including labour but was not covered
by warranty.
A Tasmanian owner of a 1600SL unit
fitted 100mm x 50mm wooden boards to
the top edge of his machine to provide
small extensions.
Owners were generally pleased with the
manufacturer-supplied hopper screens with
73% rating them as good, 13% said they
were average, while one owner (7%) claimed
they were excellent for urea but poor for
superphosphate.
One owner (7%) did not respond to the
question in the survey.
Most owners (87%) praised the paint
quality of the hopper but one Tasmanian
owner rated it as poor.
Metering and spreading #####
All owners praised the metering unit for its
ability to apply high rates of product and ease
of rate adjustment.
While all owners rated uniform application
by the two 600mm diameter spinners as good
to excellent one owner reported that product
did not flow evenly inside the hopper.
A NSW owner of a 3800SL with agitator
fitted, who applied urea (50–120kg/ha) and
mono-ammonium phosphate (50kg/ha),
reported uneven distribution in the hopper.
Machinery evaluation
#
Application uniformity was rated as one of the
machine’s best features but 20 per cent of owners
rated the spinner plates as average.
The owner claimed he observed 100kg
left in one side while the other side
had emptied.
Another NSW owner said his 1600SL unit
would spread evenly up to 28–32m when
travelling at speeds of up to 40–45km/h with
a rate of 80kg/ha of urea.
A third NSW owner was impressed with
the unit’s ability to spread evenly up to 20m in
windy conditions.
Most owners (80%) rated the spinner plates
as good to excellent but 20% rated them
below average.
Ease of calibration with a single adjustment pin and
the hydraulic headland tilt were rated as two of the
machine’s best features. But one owner said the
power take-off shaft grease nipple was difficult to
grease under the PTO cover.
A NSW owner of a 1600SL unit, who
applied urea (35–120kg/ha), legume seed
(50–80kg/ha) and single phosphate
(100kg/ha), reported the first set of paddles
experienced wear quickly.
The owner fitted a second set made from
stainless steel, which he claimed improved
their life.
This space is
deliberately blank
FARMING AHEAD
No. 142
November 2003
11
#
Machinery evaluation
After applying 1000t of product, he is now
using a third set of paddles.
All owners praised the application rate
capacity, which met or exceeded their
expectations.
One Tasmanian owner of a 1600SL unit
reported spreading up to 1000kg/ha of coated
fertiliser without any problems.
All owners surveyed had the standard
PTO spinner and metering drive fitted to
their machine.
Eighty per cent rated the PTO drive as good
to excellent, while 13% rated it as average and
7% as below average.
A NSW owner who rated the PTO drive as
below average claimed the PTO shaft was
nearly impossible to grease while it was on
the machine.
The owner had to remove the shaft to
grease it, which he claimed was a difficult
procedure.
Eighty-seven per cent of owners rated the
spinner bearings as good to excellent but 13%
said they were average.
Further reading
Marshall Multispread spreader — Farming
Ahead, No. 139 page 10.
Research Report on fertiliser spreaders —
Farming Ahead, No. 65, page 21.
Lely Centerliner SL fertiliser spreader
Summary
wners generally praised the Lely
Centerliner SL series spreaders for
their application uniformity, ease of use, ease
of rate adjustment, headland tilt and overall
performance. All owners rated reliability,
performance and value for money as good to
excellent. Although eight owners rated the
operator's manual as good to excellent, five
rated it as average and two as poor. One
owner found the manual difficult to understand
as some instructions were not written in
English. Another owner did not receive a
manual with his machine. Seventy-three per
cent of owners rated dealer and manufacturer
support as good, while four claimed it was
average. For parts availability, 80% of owners
rated it as above average, 13% rated it as
average and one owner did not respond to
the question.
O
Best features
Manufacturer’s comment
Larger capacity units up to 3150L are
available in the SX range. To achieve
even distribution of product in the bin,
keep the linkage adjusted to ensure both
orifices of the spreader are open the same
distance. With any spreader, clean the
machine after use to avoid corrosion.
Buy again
Yes
No
Uncertain
100%
0%
0%
Price
Prices, based on current SX models,
range from $8652 for the SX 2000
(1200–1300L) to $12,320 for the SX
6000 (3150–3300L) model.
• Application uniformity.
• Ease of use and ease of calibration.
• Headland tilt.
Kondinin Group rating
#####
Worst feature
• Low capacity of the original hopper.
Frame
Contact
Metering and spreading #####
Lely Australia
Phone: (03) 5484 1055
Fax:
(03) 5484 1513.
####
Hopper
Number of machines surveyed
Evaluator:
15
Richard Sulman.
This space is
deliberately blank
12
FA R M I N G A H E A D
No. 142
November 2003