Kubota VS220 Pendulum Spreader and Quick Hitch 15 are not compatible

[100AkerWood]

Last year I had a buddy use a Vicon spreader to help me with my deer food plots. I was amazed at the accuracy in which the spreader seeded a field that was 1/2 oats and 1/2 clover. It was essentially a straight line of between the two seed sources. So I knew I wanted to get one in the future......When I purchased my new tractor I decided to get a pendulum spreader. Lo and behold---- Kubota bought out Vicon and I bought a new Kubota VS220 with 0% deal. It is probably 3x as expensive as a sling spreader but it is definately well-built and engineered.

Well, I finally decided it was time to spread lime and fertilizer for my food plots with my brand spanking new Kubota VS220 Pendulum (WIG-WAG) Spreader. The dealer was supposed to (grrrrr) mount the attachment and adjust the spreader to work with the QH15.

First off, I finally got the spreader to mount to the QH15 but learned that the hopper chute opening handle will not work with the QH15 as it has no clearance and touches the QH15 so the operator can not open and close the chute with the handle.

So, I removed the QH15 and adjusted the lower arms to get the VS220 mounted. It was a little tight on mounting the top link as the Spreader Chute opening handle is forked on either side of the top-link mount. On top of that it is also CAT 1-2 adaptable but the hole on one side is different from the other so a normal top-link pin will not work without a CAT 2 insert on the top-link. Guess I will drill the hole out so that both side match and make it easier to thread the hitch pin thru the implement and top-link arm.

Second, the PTO shaft was not cut for the tractor. Figured if I spent money on four implements, tractor, and trailer the dealer would make sure everything would be "Mount and Go" for the buyer (me). Not!

After mounting the implement, (I found the sliding lower link arms helpful in mounting the spreader), cutting the PTO shaft to the proper length, (making sure I lifted the implement and pushed the arms back into the locked position- before cutting the PTO shaft on both ends so the center between the U-joints/spline mount).

It is a real tight clearance between the tractor wheels and the implement to get the PTO shaft mounted to the tractor as the shaft is about 17" long between the plastic PTO shields.

The handle works and I can now open and close the spreader popper from the driver's seat with ease. When the rain stops I can't wait to see how well it works!!!

 

[NCL4701]

I have similar PTO connection issues with my chipper. By the time it’s mounted to the 3 point the clearance to get in to the PTO area is just shy of impossible to get in there to hook it to the tractor. I have the chipper on a dolly with 4 swivel casters so I now hook up the PTO first, then manually push the chipper to the 3 point to hook it to the 3 point. If I didn’t have it on the dolly, it would be a total bear to hook up. I certainly wouldn’t want to hook up the PTO and then back the tractor to the implement under power for fear of tearing something up if it ever got into a bind.

 

[Godzilla1]

Last year I had a buddy use a Vicon spreader to help me with my deer food plots. I was amazed at the accuracy in which the spreader seeded a field that was 1/2 oats and 1/2 clover. It was essentially a straight line of between the two seed sources. So I knew I wanted to get one in the future......When I purchased my new tractor I decided to get a pendulum spreader. Lo and behold---- Kubota bought out Vicon and I bought a new Kubota VS220 with 0% deal. It is probably 3x as expensive as a sling spreader but it is definately well-built and engineered.

Well, I finally decided it was time to spread lime and fertilizer for my food plots with my brand spanking new Kubota VS220 Pendulum (WIG-WAG) Spreader. The dealer was supposed to (grrrrr) mount the attachment and adjust the spreader to work with the QH15.

First off, I finally got the spreader to mount to the QH15 but learned that the hopper chute opening handle will not work with the QH15 as it has no clearance and touches the QH15 so the operator can not open and close the chute with the handle.

So, I removed the QH15 and adjusted the lower arms to get the VS220 mounted. It was a little tight on mounting the top link as the Spreader Chute opening handle is forked on either side of the top-link mount. On top of that it is also CAT 1-2 adaptable but the hole on one side is different from the other so a normal top-link pin will not work without a CAT 2 insert on the top-link. Guess I will drill the hole out so that both side match and make it easier to thread the hitch pin thru the implement and top-link arm.

Second, the PTO shaft was not cut for the tractor. Figured if I spent money on four implements, tractor, and trailer the dealer would make sure everything would be "Mount and Go" for the buyer (me). Not!

After mounting the implement, (I found the sliding lower link arms helpful in mounting the spreader), cutting the PTO shaft to the proper length, (making sure I lifted the implement and pushed the arms back into the locked position- before cutting the PTO shaft on both ends so the center between the U-joints/spline mount).

It is a real tight clearance between the tractor wheels and the implement to get the PTO shaft mounted to the tractor as the shaft is about 17" long between the plastic PTO shields.

The handle works and I can now open and close the spreader popper from the driver's seat with ease. When the rain stops I can't wait to see how well it works!!!

I am getting ready to seed a pasture with the VS 220 and I am having trouble with the seed setting. How did you set yours up to spread properly?

 

[Godzilla1]

I am getting ready to seed a pasture with the VS 220 and I am having trouble with the seed setting. How did you set yours up to spread properly?

 

[100AkerWood]

I am getting ready to seed a pasture with the VS 220 and I am having trouble with the seed setting. How did you set yours up to spread properly?

Set up involved removing PTO safety housing and QH15 hitch....Set it up directly to the three-point hitch....

The give you a seed and speed calculator in the owner's manual...for me it was trial and error as I was doing food plots with wheat, oats, and clover. I went smaller than I needed on the oats and then opened it up more after I saw my coverage. I only seeded 15 acres of food plot so oats was the wider setting, wheat was about 18# on the spindle, and clover was like 6 or 8 setting....real close setting. I got good coverage and the food plots came up well, according to the numbers of deer sighted and bucks/does harvested.

It is all trial and error. Seed size is something I played with and once I finished I took a large Sharpie and wrote down the settings on the plastic hopper so I will remember it next year....

Good luck....Bob