Dillon from Broadacre Contracting yarns with Henry from Perry Farming at Goondiwindi QLD about...
Customized Spreading Bredal K135 XESC on 3m CTF
Talking Gear Tuesday
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Make sure you come back to enjoy this yarn though.
Dillon and the videography team from Broadacre Contracting are back catching up with the boys from Customized Spreading.
We had a yarn with Jayden and Harry back in Episode 4 about their business, providing precision spreading services with Ops Centre integration, but this time we are getting right into the guts of their Bredal K135 XESC spreader and their John Deere 8R 340 tractors.
Class is in session. Welcome to the Dillon education lessons.
Before we dive too deep, in ag we refer to everything by the machine number.
An example for those who do not know: a John Deere 8R 340 is referred to as the 8R, or “jump in the 340, mate.”
The numbers on the sides of machines have meanings. With John Deere tractors, the 8R is the model and the 340 is the horsepower.
With the Bredal K135 XESC, K is the series or model, and 135 refers to the base volumetric capacity of its hopper in cubic decimetres, which translates to a base capacity of around 13,500 litres.
XE stands for extended, mostly related to the wings it is running, and yes, you guessed it, SC means section control.
Customized Spreading are based out of Buckley VIC near Winchelsea but service country from the Wimmera and Mallee right through to Geelong and down south.
From here, growers around Rupanyup, Donald, Dimboola, even up through Parkes and Gilgandra in NSW and across to Tasmania have access to this spreading gear.
Warning for any growers reading this: once you see how minimal the maintenance is on these Bredal spreaders and what a proper setup looks like, you will not be able to unsee your current bloke’s linkage spreader doing 18m.
Maybe not, but I am just trying to hype it all up. Laugh out loud.
In this yarn, we are going to run through the Bredal spreader in detail, what makes the belt system superior, the tractor setup for controlled traffic, and the maintenance philosophy that keeps this gear running year after year.
So before we dive in, if you are a grower needing a hand with your spreading program, or a contractor wanting to build your reputation and attract better clients, give Dillon a buzz on 0439 300 380 from 6am to 9pm.
The Bredal K135 XESC: 12 Section Control, Wings and What It All Means
The main spreaders Customized Spreading run for broadacre clients are trailed Bredal K135 XE machines.
XE means wings, and SC means section control.
The sections on these spreaders are broken into 12 sections, meaning a 36m spread can be broken into 12 separate sections.
The team also runs flotation tyres and a rear steerable axle on both machines.
They run flotation because it is a lot better on the ground and for crop recovery.
They did look at going skinnier tyres, but after wet years, they knew those would not work.
Skinny tyres in wet country would be trenching out paddocks.
Bredal K135 XESC setup
Bredal K135 XESC
12-section control
XE wings
36m broadacre setup
Flotation tyres
Rear steerable axle
Dillon and Broadacre Contracting’s interpretation
Now, I am not here to diss any manufacturer or any software, but I am all for transparent views.
To be brutally honest, every bit of gear has a positive and a negative, and it nearly seems to be through all the same categories.
My time with spreaders, I have noticed the section control on these bigger spreaders can be rubbish when it comes to turning, headlands and so on.
The reason I bring this up is I am wondering if the Bredal system is the same deal.
I do not know. I did not ask the question with the boys.
I feel Bredal would give us a dead-honest answer.
The conversations we have had with them over the years have been really different to what we normally get, and in a good way.
Hopefully, Bredal will give us some answers.
These spreaders are proper quality, with a big price tag, but real quality gear.
By the end of it, you will see why I am saying this, and it will make sense why I am asking the question above.
I feel flotation tyres are a good move, especially for crop recovery.
Yes, they help with compaction, but we are working around that with controlled traffic, and our headlands are still copping a beating as we are constantly turning on them.
If it is wet, we do rut them up a bit, but overall, as we farm nowadays, controlled traffic has really allocated compaction’s location.
No, we have not completely got rid of compaction issues, but those issues have now somewhat been given a home.
We have solved a problem that could not be solved, pretty much.
And yeah, Jayden is right.
Not a bad idea to think skinnier tyres for compaction, but very bad overall if you are making a proper mess.
It is now 2026, and in the Donald and Birchip region they have had a huge amount of rain, actually over 100mm in one fall, and I feel around Mildura had over 160mm.
Imagine skinny tyres in that country right now.
You would be trenching paddocks left, right and centre.
Flotation Tyres, Controlled Traffic on 3m and Why They Made the Switch
Running the flotation tyres gives the team a bigger footprint.
The more you distribute the weight, the better.
For the sheer weight they are carrying, 14 tonnes of urea coupled with the weight of the machine, flotation matters.
The boys say they have never had any dramas, and crop recovery has been fine.
In wet areas, the tyres do well and disperse the mud.
Customized Spreading are heavily focused on controlled traffic.
That is half the reason they went down this track.
They needed to be out on 3m.
They previously had mostly spreader trucks, and obviously those are not out on 3m.
They were getting that feel from farmers saying, “Look, we probably need you to get on 3m. If you do not go on 3m, you will not have the work.”
Why the switch matters
3m controlled traffic
Better crop recovery
Less rutting in wet areas
Better weight distribution
Grower demand for CTF
Contractor capability lift
Dillon and Broadacre Contracting’s interpretation
As mentioned above, these spreaders carry around 14 tonnes of urea.
You can push a bit more on them, but that is close to the limit.
I feel your gypsum and lime are around that 24, possibly 25 tonnes.
Bloody handy, filling up 4 or so times a day.
Running the flotations compared to normal tyres is more needed to focus towards crop recovery and wheel ruts than compaction as a whole.
We have solved that problem with controlled traffic, but let us look at some pricing difference.
That is where I want to go here.
Rough tyre thinking
Base models may be around the 600/55-26.5 BKT flotation style, with a lower price point but less footprint.
Mid-range options like 710/50-26.5 flotations provide a larger footprint, but still with a fairly stiff sidewall.
Top-end radial flotation tyres can flex more, creating a wider footprint and allowing lower PSI.
So just say we are working on a round figure of 2.5k per tyre extra.
That is around 10k all round.
If we run these top-of-the-line flotations and they eliminate wheel rutting, we reduce the need to run a wheel track renovator over the country, just theoretically.
The next bonus is just say we have 70% crop recovery in the wheel tracks compared to standard tyres.
Now these two things, what do they add up to for you?
I cannot do these calculations.
One, I have no idea how to work it out, and two, I just cannot, because you know more than me about your country.
Where I am trying to go is this: if it makes a big difference on your country, then when you are booking in a spreading contractor like Customized Spreading, request flotation tyres.
Belt System and Impact Design: Why These Bredals Keep Going at 100,000+ Tonnes With Minimum Maintenance
The boys have seen spreaders that use impact bed rollers and are blowing rollers out all the time.
On the Bredal setup, there is a divider over the belt that takes the weight off the product as it is getting loaded in.
The gypsum is not going bang straight on the rollers and destroying them.
The main belt is still in the old machine.
It has done 100,000 tonnes of product and is still fine.
The boys can see it doing another 100,000 tonnes yet before they change it out.
Six or eight years out of a belt is a huge saving in repairs.
Bredal belt system takeaways
Product impact managed before the belt
Less roller damage
Less belt tracking drama
100,000+ tonnes through the machine
Long belt life
Reduced maintenance downtime
Dillon and Broadacre Contracting’s interpretation
Okay, this is pretty big.
As I said earlier, you will soon see why I wanted Bredal to come in and comment about the section control shutoff on headlands.
Bredal has not just built spreaders.
They seem to have built spreaders with preventative systems.
Here are some solid examples.
Impact bed rollers. The name says it: yes, they are an impact bed roller designed to take impact.
But I really do not feel they are designed to take the impact we are giving them.
I see them on rock crusher plants a lot, but the impact weight is a lot lower than what we are smashing them with.
So I am going to say safely they are not made for what we are doing.
And if they are customised and designed for it, I still feel their lifespan is very low.
Bredal have actually designed their own custom impact plates that take the grunt but then reflect the fert into the cassette in a level manner, giving it a good load spread in the bin.
What I can say from experience is I would imagine any major dealer, which there are a few in locations like Gunnedah NSW, Cummins SA, Mildura VIC and Echuca VIC, would have the impact bed rollers in stock.
I do not feel availability would be the issue, but it is the inconvenience of changing them because they are just a pain.
To the point where I have pulled the whole cassette out on a similar spreader, but different brand.
But that is not the real issue.
What is?
When you are playing with belts, rollers, head drums and tail drums, the minute one thing wears out or seizes up, it creates wear and damage all the way through.
If you get a bit of product in your bed rollers, it will block them up.
Once they block, the lagging on them will wear down square and they will no longer turn.
Then, depending on their position, they will force your belt to start tracking to one side.
Once this happens, everything starts wearing, from internal skirts to rollers, belts, the whole show.
I feel Bredal know this and realise what some people think is a small issue.
They have been proactive to fix it because they know the domino effect.
Now, to have a manufacturer do this is pretty impressive because are they selling themselves short of a lot of money made from parts?
But are they selling themselves short?
Hmmm, it is about to get bloody interesting I reckon.
Are you ready for the Dillon rabbit hole adventure?
Quality, Paintwork and the $400k Price Tag: You Get What You Pay For
The older spreader behind the boys is 4 years old and still looks sharp.
Jayden said a farmer the other day asked if they had a new spreader.
No, this one is four years old.
The paintwork has handled thousands and thousands of tonnes of gypsum, and it is only just barely wearing the paint off.
For a machine like this, you are around 400 grand just for the spreader only.
For a farmer, that is a big outlay, and it is not always justifiable.
So they may go a cheaper model, but they may not get the same lifetime out of it.
Like all things, if you pay the big money, the resale is there.
Dillon and Broadacre Contracting’s interpretation
Welcome legends to the bloody interesting “selling themselves short” section that I have really ramped up.
Nah seriously, I am so keen to dive into this right here.
We are in a world of throw-away products.
Years ago, my grandparents just had everything that had retired from the farm in a designated paddock, sitting, doing nothing.
It was clean, it was organised and it was the attitude: we do not waste, we do not lose anything.
Now a lot of the gear I see and you see nowadays is either designed to have part after part just thrown at it and replaced, or the machine just fixed and patched.
It is the perfect storm and a big money spinner.
A legal money printer.
But since Covid, sourcing parts and parts kept on hand has really reduced.
It is just so interesting to see problem piled into problem, and those problems lead to a big pile of cash built up.
Moving away from my wisdom, what we already know is this.
We are in agriculture.
We are in cropping.
We are determined by things we cannot control, to what we do and when we do it.
We have to have reliability. We have to go when we have to go. We really only get one shot.
A front is coming, urea needs to go out at 100kg/ha, and if we miss that front because of a breakdown, we miss it.
Simple. We missed that one shot.
So why is this so important?
I need to stop dribbling here and get back to what I feel is Bredal’s approach.
What is the approach?
Quality gear, preventative designs to ensure longer lifespan, reduced downtime and fewer parts.
Create a longer life product to ensure resale value is big.
But to get onto one of these machines, you pay the upfront.
It is so interesting to see this.
These guys are not working on volume in terms of selling the machine cheaper and making the real money on parts.
These guys are saying build the machine, build it properly and put a big price tag on it.
Let the reputation slowly grow, and when future customers are ready, they will come.
Unless, of course, they like to keep doing maintenance and dealing with reliability issues.
Now I am not sponsored by these guys.
I have had nothing to do with them but one conversation with a manager from Gunnedah.
I cannot even remember his name, but what I do remember is him saying something like, “Yeah, we do not push too hard with these. We have repeat customers and they just send their mates or neighbours in.”
Do not think I am backing Bredal and saying every other brand is rubbish.
That is not true.
What I am saying is their approach to business and product is so bloody impressive.
If I was wanting to buy a spreader, they would be on my list to have a gander.
Me personally, I want quality, I want reliability, I want a product that just does its job, does not need to exceed, just does its job properly, and I also want the support so when things hit the roof, I have the team and help I need.
So the question is: what do you want and need?
Is it a few darts, cold beers and a hair transplant?
Spinner Veins, Drop Point Actuator and How Section Control Works
The rear spinners are interchangeable.
The boys have enough settings now that they can adjust in the cab to bring the swaths down to 32 metres.
The drop point actuator on the spinners moves around to suit the metres, and it is all done from inside the cab.
To get the section control, the whole back end moves from side to side to pick up sections as they go across.
That is all automatic through coverage on the GPS screen.
The best spot to watch is when they are doing long gypsum runs, because you can really see the spread pattern working.
They can put in exact tonnes, the exact amount. None of this “oh, we need three extra tonne just in case.” They are on the mark 100%.
Section control and spread pattern setup
Interchangeable spinner veins
Drop point actuator
In-cab width adjustment
32m swath option
Automatic GPS coverage
Exact tonnes applied
Dillon and Broadacre Contracting’s interpretation
The boys can drop down to 32m swaths.
I would imagine most would be on the 36m CTF, but I feel these things can throw a lot further.
Like, a lot.
Most spreaders have issues being consistent on 36m.
That is not the issue here.
Everything controlled in cab is pretty standard nowadays, but to be telling us if they need to put out 30 tonne over a certain hectare and not need to order that bit more is impressive.
I think this might have answered my section control question around the headlands.
Because that is where we do lose a bit, and it all adds up over the hectares.
Especially in the smaller paddocks like the Birchip region.
It has big paddocks, do not get me wrong, but every farm here almost has a few small paddocks.
That is when you will lose those few extra tonne on the headlands.
Over in Merredin, Western Australia, that country had some runs going 2 to 3km, but then some paddocks were just wild with all the rocks.
If these Bredals have their section control aced, these would be the go-to for country like that.
Parts Availability: Emmetts Network and the Gunnedah Warehouse
Bredal parts are not cheap.
Sometimes a 5-minute roller job can take 40 minutes to an hour.
But the boys say there are always parts ready for this.
They have Emmetts, who are a major dealership for Bredal now, and at a lot of their sites.
Something more tricky will come out of Gunnedah, where the machines are brought into the country.
There is a big warehouse there, and parts can be shipped out.
The boys say they do get them next day.
They have never done a bearing, touch wood.
Probably just a couple of hoses, but that comes with fertiliser.
SOA is really abrasive and will chew through anything.
The only parts they really rip through are spinner veins.
Lime and gypsum are just wear and tear.
Parts and wear notes
Emmetts dealership support
Gunnedah warehouse support
Next-day parts mentioned
No bearings done so far
Hoses are expected wear
Spinner veins wear with lime and gypsum
Dillon and Broadacre Contracting’s interpretation
They have not done a bearing but have spread 100,000 tonnes plus a year over four years.
So when Jayden told me this onsite, I was spinning out a bit.
Especially with fert, as it just gets into the bearing race and starts pitting and chewing.
A few things were going through my head.
These boys must know how much grease to give each bearing and keep them clean somehow.
As we walked around the machine, it came to my attention that all bearings have a cover cap keeping product out.
So the only way fert can get in is if the top of the nipple is not clean when putting the grease gun on.
Overall, this is just impressive.
Bearings are not a big thing.
We replace them all the time.
It does not take long, and almost hardware shops stock a F208 housing and a UCX208 bearing.
But they still present downtime when downtime is not wanted.
To not be blowing bearings is impressive.
As Jayden said, hoses are pretty standard.
I have often wondered if it would be worth buying a crimper and setting it up in a service vehicle.
But they are not cheap.
I think around 10 odd grand, and then you need the right metric and imperial fittings.
It would be hard to use it to service clients as well, because you would need to stock 5 plus grand of fittings.
Now with some parts coming out of the Gunnedah warehouse, that is around 1,100 odd km from Birchip.
That is a fair few kilometres.
But if they are shipping overnight and you are getting them next day, that is pretty impressive for a Danish machine in rural Australia.
Just say you are a contractor working further west, around Robinvale. That is about 1,400km from Gunnedah.
If you get it sent to Horsham, Geelong or Birchip, all next day delivery, you are at an easy driving distance to go and collect.
Most European gear we are waiting a week or more for something obscure, sometimes even a month.
The John Deere 8R 340: Extended Axles, Wide Track Front and Satellite RTK on 3m Controlled Traffic
The boys are running a John Deere 8R 340.
Low hours, only around 1,000 hours.
They have extended axles on the back for 3m controlled traffic.
Big tyres all around, 710s.
In the front, they have put a wide track kit in instead of cotton reels, just to get the full extent of the suspension and the actual travel.
Cotton reels can be a bit more jarring, and for servicing, a lot of boys are blowing out wheel bearings every year.
The boys have satellite RTK, so they can move around and do not need a base station anywhere.
That is one of the biggest factors because they cannot have a base station set up throughout Australia. It just is not possible.
John Deere 8R 340 setup
John Deere 8R 340
Extended rear axles
3m controlled traffic
710 tyres
Wide track front kit
Satellite RTK
Dillon and Broadacre Contracting’s interpretation
I want to break down what wide track is and what cotton reels are.
Cotton reels are a reel-type drum that is custom made.
They look a lot like a washing machine drum.
The wheels bolt onto the cotton reel, then the cotton reel bolts onto the hub.
The inner flange bolts to the tractor’s axle hub and the outer flange replicates the original hub’s bolt pattern to accept the wheel.
You will see holes in the reels, and they are access holes.
Most reels will feature these large cut-out or access windows in the drum so you can reach the inner bolts for tightening.
The wide track kit Jayden is referring to is the 3m ILS wide track.
This is a bolt-in extension kit.
It lets your tractor’s suspension work the way it should, and it does not weaken your John Deere front hub or planetary assembly like cotton reels can.
So essentially, cotton reels are a spacer that forces everything wider but puts extra stress on your hubs and kills your suspension travel.
The wide track kit is an engineered extension that keeps your suspension working the same, if not better.
That is the key difference: wear and tear.
A lot of boys running cotton reels are blowing out front wheel bearings every year.
That is a grand or more in parts and downtime, plus the jarring ride beats up the operator and the cab over time.
But here is the real kicker.
If that failed bearing leads to a failed sun gear, planet gears and the ring gear, you could be up for a bucket load of cash.
Whether you are running country around Kadina SA or up through Dalwallinu WA, if you are on 3m controlled traffic and doing serious hours running up the road from client to client or in somewhat rough paddocks, the wide track kit pays for itself.
The satellite RTK is the other smart move.
No base station needed means these boys can work anywhere in Australia without setting up infrastructure first.
For a contractor moving between farms across different regions, that is a massive advantage.
You just turn up and go.
It is impossible to be setting up your own base stations.
Not impossible, it could actually be a good thing, but to do it, you really need that region of work guaranteed every year to invest in that type of infrastructure.
Maintenance Philosophy: 250-Hour Services, Washing Every Day and Greasing by Hand
The boys always do their services at 250 hours.
They keep right on top of it because they do not need breakdowns.
That is one of the biggest things in contracting.
You do have the chance of having a major breakdown, and they are trying to eliminate those things.
They always wash.
They fire hose these things after every day.
That is when you find stuff that might be wrong and catch it early.
Same deal with greasing.
Grease is cheap. Pins and bearings are not.
Customized Spreading maintenance approach
250-hour services
Daily washdowns
Fire hose clean-down
Grease guns used by hand
Early issue spotting
Reliability-first mindset
Dillon and Broadacre Contracting’s interpretation
250 hours are pretty standard, but going over is somewhat standard as well when away contracting.
But as Jayden said, they are onto it.
By the sounds of things, they do not let gear go over that time.
It seems like the Customized Spreading team are really focused on reliability and responsibility.
And there we have it: wash down every day with a firefighter.
I think we have just found the secret key to why the gear looks so good and looks new even 4 years later.
I was looking for this myself, questioning how the gear is so good.
It is not just quality gear. The boys are actually looking after it.
I am not sure what guns the boys are using to grease their gear, but I should have asked.
We see a lot of people go battery, then go back to the hand pump setup.
Mainly because they feel how much grease needs to go in and how much it takes, where people are firm believers we tend to over-grease with the battery setup.
Customized Spreading Are Available for Spreading Work Across the Wimmera, Mallee and Beyond
The boys love John Deere.
They would not go anything else.
They say John Deere has been good to them.
They will look to put 6,000 to 8,000 hours on their tractors, then probably turn them over.
They do around 10,000 to 11,000 hours a year in total.
Where this setup can suit growers
Wimmera
Mallee
Victoria
New South Wales
South Australia
Interstate for the right job
Dillon and Broadacre Contracting’s interpretation
More often than not, it is not the gear, it is the dealership.
If the dealership is good at getting parts to you, experienced with diagnostics, has a range of qualified staff who actually know the technical issues, as well as apprentices coming up and learning that knowledge, and staff who just do the admin right, they are going to get a loyal base of growers and contractors.
If they do not do any of this, they can try sell the best gear in market, but it just will not move as it should.
Dealerships are everything.
Now it seems these boys are saying Emmetts and Bredal are good to them.
Something to take note of.
I am not going to say anything because I do not know.
Now if you are looking for spreading contractors, do not hesitate to call us any time from 6am to 9pm.
We pride ourselves in being Australia’s most reliable Agpages.
If you want to have a yarn about finding a reliable spreading contractor, whether you are farming around Tamworth, Condobolin, St Arnaud, Bordertown or anywhere across the broadacre belt in Australia, give Dillon a call on 0439 300 380 from 6am to 9pm.
Please remember we are made by farmers for farmers.
Broadacre Contracting is here to help growers and contractors’ bottom line.
How Do You Get Customized Spreading on Your Programme?
You can view Customized Spreading’s Bredal K135 XESC and John Deere 8R 340 setup on the Broadacre Contracting website.
If you want to put out an instant alert looking for a spreading contractor, post a job through Broadacre tenders.
These resources may help growers and contractors watch the episode, view the listing, post a job or better understand the spreading gear discussed in this yarn.
Need a Spreading Contractor or Want to Get Verified?
If you are a grower looking for spreading contractors on controlled traffic in Victoria, NSW, SA, TAS, WA or across the broadacre belt, Broadacre Contracting gives you a clearer place to start.
View Customized Spreading, post a tender, or watch more Talking Gear Tuesday episodes to see how we showcase the people behind the gear.
Customized Spreading is a professional spreading contractor business based out of Buckley, VIC near Winchelsea. The team services broadacre, Wimmera, Mallee, Geelong and interstate jobs with high-capacity spreading gear.
What spreaders do Customized Spreading run?
In this Talking Gear Tuesday episode, the boys talk through their Bredal K135 XESC spreaders, including 12-section control, XE wings, flotation tyres, rear steerable axle and broadacre spreading capability.
What does K135 XESC mean?
K refers to the Bredal series or model, 135 refers to the base hopper capacity of around 13,500 litres, XE refers to the extended wing setup, and SC refers to section control.
Why does 3m controlled traffic matter for spreading?
3m controlled traffic helps growers keep machinery traffic on planned wheel tracks. For contractors, being able to match grower systems can be the difference between getting the work and missing out.
Why are flotation tyres important on spreaders?
Flotation tyres help distribute weight, support crop recovery and reduce rutting in softer paddocks. They are especially valuable when carrying heavy loads of urea, gypsum or lime.
How much product has the Bredal spreader done?
In the episode, the boys talk about the older spreader doing 100,000+ tonnes of product while still running the original main belt, which says a lot about the design and maintenance approach.
How do I find spreading contractors through Broadacre Contracting?
You can browse spreading listings, view contractors like Customized Spreading, or post a tender on Broadacre Contracting so verified contractors can see the job and contact you directly.
What is Talking Gear Tuesday?
Talking Gear Tuesday is Broadacre Contracting’s video series where we sit down with growers, contractors and ag operators to yarn about gear, businesses, risks, lessons and the real stories behind Australian agriculture.
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