Custom Spreading Operation Turns to KUHN Knight Brand
Brian Eisma relies on two Kuhn Knight PSC 181 ProSpread Commercial rear-discharge spreaders to handle cattle and hog manure as well as chicken litter. The spreaders feature the AccuSpread spinner discharge which allows him to achieve a spread pattern of up to 60 feet.
Brian Eisma relies on a pair of Kuhn Knight PSC 181 ProSpread Commercial rear-discharge spreaders to successfully operate Eisma Livestock in northwestern Iowa.
“I have a custom spreading business that deals with cattle manure, hog manure and chicken litter,” says Eisma, who started his business about six years ago.
After trying several spreaders over the course of the business’ operation, Eisma has happily settled on the Kuhn Knight PSC 181. The reason he purchased this particular spreader is because of its even, consistent spread pattern.
“I have two PSC 181s for commercial spreading, mainly chicken litter, but they also work for cattle, sheep, hog manure and pretty much whatever I need, even lime if had to,” says Eisma. “It’s the best spreader I have had or experienced and I’ve probably tried five of them now. The Kuhn Knight products have been by far the best in my experience.”
Prior to purchasing the PSC 181s, Eisma had two PSC 161s.
“This is my first year with these 181s. I ran the 161s last year because I didn’t know if I had enough horsepower to pull the larger ones. I liked them so much I traded up to the 181s to haul more and try to be more efficient,” says Eisma.
The Kuhn Knight PSC 181 has a minimum requirement of 220 horsepower. According to Eisma, 250 to 300 would be the most efficient.
“Horsepower really depends on your hills, straightaways and whereabouts a person is spreading,” he says.
Capacity was another big driver in the recent upgrade for Eisma Livestock.
“I used the 161s for a year and those were good too, but I do so much spreading through eight months of the year that it was smarter to trade up for the bigger one to get more done,” says Eisma, adding, “The only difference between the 181s and the 161s is going back to the field with 20 tons rather than 15 tons like I originally had to do.”
As for capacity, he is able to carry anywhere from 15 to 22 tons of manure and chicken litter, depending on the wetness.
“The capacity depends on the day, the manure, and ultimately the tonnage per acre,” says Eisma.
The Kuhn Knight PSC 181s used on Eisma’s operation are typically set for a 60-foot spread pattern. His spreaders feature the AccuSpread spinner discharge which provides the widest and most uniform spread pattern available. It allows accurate metering and gives him the ability to consistently spread dry, flowable materials such as dry dirt compost, poultry litter and lime.
“The spread pattern is even and consistent,” says Eisma. “I feel that the 60-foot spread is the best way to do custom work for the best pattern.”
His spreaders feature the NT 460 scale option, which tells him how much manure has been applied and on which fields.
Eisma’s custom spreading season runs from harvest to planting, operating as far as 50 miles from their base in Ireton, Iowa.
“I have two full-time employees and myself, but I also have a 1,000 head, 20-acre feedlot,” says Eisma. “Two guys in the field is pretty efficient for us with the custom spreading operation.”
As far as trouble with the equipment, Eisma has only had one repair he needed to make with one of the PSC 181s.
“I snapped six bolts and the lug nuts were gone on one wheel hub, but within a day I was up and going again,” says Eisma. “In terms of serviceability and warranty work, Kuhn has been excellent to me.”
In fact, Eisma has hopes of purchasing another spreader in the future.
“I would like to get one more spare spreader to have on the farm when one of the other two are 30 or 40 miles away,” says Eisma. “It would be nice to own three so if one goes down when we are spreading then we have a spare as a backup option.”
Moving to the pair of Kuhn Knight 181s and even 161s was a simple decision for Eisma.
“The strength makes the Kuhn Knight better for me, along with the spread pattern. They’re built the strongest of the different spreaders I have tried,” he says. “The apron chain strength, the beaters, the whole works – there’s really nothing comparable on the market.”
The Kuhn Knight products will keep Eisma coming back for their quality.
“They are built tough and very strong,” says Eisma. “They’re not built to get rid of in a few years – they’re on the operation for the long haul, especially the commercial side.”