Spoiled priority not working (apparently) on stack inserter

[DarkLordKelvin]

I have a stack inserter that I use to toss expiring biter eggs on my promethium ship so I don't get overrun. It is enabled by a countdown timer, and I just noticed that it doesn't respect the "spoiled first" priority that I have set (see image). No matter which options I select (including switching off the stack size limit), it always unloads the stack farthest down in the inventory list first. I was just watching it dump eggs with 15% remaining on the timer while there were eggs with only 7% remaining higher up in the inventory list.

I kinda doubt this is a bug, since someone surely would have noticed it before, but I don't think I have ever personally tested the correct operation of the spoiled first/fresh first inserter filter. I just set it and trusted that it worked correctly.

06-28-2026, 18-36-10.png (551.86 KiB) Viewed 750 times

Anyway, my questions are:
1) Am I making an obvious mistake somewhere, either in my assumptions about how the spoilage filter is supposed to work, or in the configuration shown in the attached image?
2) Has anyone else experienced a similar issue? I couldn't find anything in a forum search.

Thanks in advance for any help/advice.

-DLK

[jdrexler75]

Probably this: Re: [2.0.32] Inserter Spoiled Priority setting not respected when taking items from Cargo Landing Pad

[ichVII]

Also general advice: dont use a stack inserter for that. Even if it worked as intended, it would be left with up to 15 biter eggs in its hand as it does not swing without a full stack. There are some circuit automation to make it drop that last bit, but I dont quite know how.

[DarkLordKelvin]

Also general advice: dont use a stack inserter for that. Even if it worked as intended, it would be left with up to 15 biter eggs in its hand as it does not swing without a full stack. There are some circuit automation to make it drop that last bit, but I dont quite know how.

Thanks. Note that I have the stack size restricted to 4, so I still output full stacks on the belt, while the maximum "remainder" is 3. My legendary laser cannons can deal with 3 biters. I do know how to do the circuit trick to make it drop "remainder" items, but it involves using "set filters", so it's not appropriate for taking items from the carbo bay on a ship (I have thrown several stacks of legendary missile launchers overboard by accident while trying to make it work).

[DarkLordKelvin]

Probably this: Re: [2.0.32] Inserter Spoiled Priority setting not respected when taking items from Cargo Landing Pad

Thanks. That is the thread I was looking for .. I must have missed it while scanning the matches on my forum search.

[atarihomestar1]

I do know how to do the circuit trick to make it drop "remainder" items, but it involves using "set filters", so it's not appropriate for taking items from the carbo bay on a ship (I have thrown several stacks of legendary missile launchers overboard by accident while trying to make it work).

One method I like involves setting the hand size. So you could have a constant combinator outputting "S" with a value of 4. Then a decider combinator reading the hub and outputting -3 "S" if there are no biter eggs. That will set the stack inserter's hand size to 1, making it drop the remaining eggs.