New Idea Manure Spreader - beater not engaging

Negligence · Sep 22, 2011

I bought a New Idea 3618 spreader at an auction last week. Did 2-3 loads in it and now the beater has stopped working -- at least, if there's any heavy loads in its way (large chunk of manure/hay/straw and it has trouble turning, it just quits)

Not sure if there is a slip clutch on it, but as soon as I clear the manure it will start again. Just can't figure out what to adjust to prevent this.

Any ideas?

Fritz Maurer · Sep 23, 2011

It must have some kind of driveline protection...
keep looking. Try it again, but leave the PTO
running after the beater stops. When smoke starts
billowing out that's where the slip clutch is. What
I think is wrong with it is possibly a sheared
woodruff key somewhere near the beater shaft. You
didn't state whether or not the floor chain keeps
moving. Secure the beater so it can't turn, and
stick a long bar through the PTO U-joint and have an
assistant watch the driveline while you turn it.

Negligence · Sep 23, 2011

The floor chain does keep moving. Not sure if it's a key because the beater will engage normally when not under load, so I'm certain its a slip clutch or something else -- just can't find it without tearing things apart. Was hoping someone else would know.

mkirsch · Sep 23, 2011

The old New Idea spreader we've got had a simple sliding collar arrangement.

The collar has two large square teeth that mesh with two large square teeth on the beater gearbox. You pull the rope, and it moves the collar forward, disengaging the teeth.

Unfortunately it looks like they've changed the design since the 1960's. You're going to have to start pulling shields off, so you can watch and see where things stop moving when the beater stops.

I would bet it's the release clutch for the beater. It's probably worn from a lot of use, or damaged from restarting the beater while the PTO is turning.

Negligence · Sep 23, 2011

Unfortunately the only way I can test it is when the beater is full of manure, and when I run it, it pushes all the manure back to the beater and it has nowhere to go, jamming up even more.

I don't know how I could simulate resistance on the beater without having it full of manure...

formerly ny bill · Sep 23, 2011

i had a new idea 244 (mid 70's?) spreader and the beater acted like you describe. on the 244, the shaft and end of the beater were splined, and they were worn out. i welded the shaft to the beater.
the slip clutch was on the front end of the long drive shaft on the side of the spreader.

Fritz Maurer · Sep 23, 2011

Just chain a long bar or pipe (2" or larger) to the
beater so it touches the ground behind the spreader.
Given your description of the problem it won't take
much torque to make it slip.

geoff71 · Nov 4, 2011

I have just had the beater stop turning on my 3639 spreader. The floor still moves but there is just a whining noise coming from the gear box. I tried pulling the beater cable on the gearbox in case it needed adjustment but it didn't help. I wondered if you figured out the problem with yours yet and if so, how you fixed it.

New Idea Manure Spreader - beater not engaging

Negligence

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Fritz Maurer

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Negligence

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mkirsch

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formerly ny bill

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Fritz Maurer

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geoff71

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