Frame Construction
Main Frame Rails
Main frame rails must have good strength in all directions: vertical strength for load bearing, horizontal strength to provide stability to the machine platform, and torsional strength to support the sides of the box. Hydra-Spread uses structural tubes in the frame of all models.
About Sidewall Structure
Our customers told us they wanted a machine that is strong enough to use as a trailer (beaters removed) without worrying about sidewall strength. Hydra-Spread frames are designed to support the sides of the machine without bulky horizontal members and without relying on the beaters to tie things together.
Many shapes are capable of carrying heavy loads. Only structural tubes have vertical strength to carry heavy loads and torsional strength to support the sides of the machine. Our frame is just as strong at mid-point as it is front and back.
You can actually remove the beaters from a Hydra-Spread and use it as a push-off trailer without worrying about sidewall strength, because that is the way it was designed.
Floor Supports
Strength of, and number of floor supports (cross members) are important factors in the design of a manure spreader. Floor loads run as high as 335 pounds per square foot. The impact of a load dumped from full height can be several tons. Our cross members are of a larger profile and we use more of them: fourteen cross members on model 227 and sixteen on models 277, 2277, 2414!
Cross members also provide additional torsional strength to the main frame rails, which means stronger sides. Like all Hydra-Spread structural components, the cross members are high-strength steel.
Hitch
Models 227 and 277 are designed for a 1 1/4 pin. Model 2414 uses a 2 pin. All models use a 1 1/2 thick by 4 wide top plate and a 1 thick by 3 wide bottom plate (1 by 4 for model 2414). Note how the hitch bars are connected directly into the tongue frame - with no intermediate section. Our hitch features an integral connection point for a safety chain.
Axle Frames
Axle frames are connected to the main frame with a heavy flange which spreads stresses over a large area. Flanges are designed to make a smooth transition from a concentrated load (at the axle) to an evenly dispersed load (at the main frame) virtually eliminating frame damage. An opening in the flange makes a convenient tie-down point and relieves stress - further reducing the possibility of frame damage.
Tongue (A-Frame)
The tongue serves three functions. Most obviously, it pulls the spreader. It transfers weight from the spreader to the tractor (see page 15). Perhaps the most demanding part of the tongues work is anchoring the front end of the push-off cylinder and harnessing push-off forces that can reach nearly 38,000 pounds (see page 15). The tongue of every Hydra-Spread is made from two sections of structural tube, cross braced with two additional sections of structural tube to make a very strong and extremely rigid frame.
| Models 227 | Structural Tube 6 x 4 x 0.188 |
| Model 277, 2277 | Structural Tube 6 x 4 x 0.250 |
| Models 2414 | Structural Tube 8 x 4 x 0.375 |
Hydra-Spread hitch and axle designs are engineered for stability and safe operation. Our machines have the best weight distribution in the industry. Our design accommodates the biggest tractors - even with duals. Overall machine length is similar to competitive machines of similar capacity.
Our platform combines structural tubes and brake-formed sections to achieve great strength and maintain the flexibility that is required in a large mobile frame.
Structural channels allow a modest degree of flexibility to absorb stress and prevent frame cracking.
The result is a frame that is very strong with an outstanding ability to handle the stress of heavy loads and rough terrain.
