PRODUCT FOCUS: Spreader Standards

Glen Robert, owner of The Lawn Co., Shrewsury, Mass., is one lawn care operator who understands the importance of a productive spreader. After using walk-behind spreaders for 20 years, Robert invested in riding spreaders two years ago. The decision proved to be a sound one. Robert owns 15 and has plans to purchase more. “They’re low maintenance when it comes to repairs and they make the work so much easier on my crews,” he says.
 
Productivity increased significantly. With a riding spreader, technicians can complete 18 to 20 lawns in the amount of time it took them to complete 12 to 13 lawns with a walk-behind, Robert says. “The best part is my employees are not huffing and puffing when they’re done and they want to come back to work the next day – that’s really important,” Robert says. 

Throughout the spreader’s evolution, the machine has helped lawn care companies reduce labor costs, decrease operator fatigue and increase business productivity, all while producing green, even turf.
 
“Spreader advancements have really taken the physical aspect out of the job,” says Ted Shackelford, president of C&S Turf Care Equipment, Canton, Ohio. “Lawn care companies no longer need someone in the physical condition of a high school football player to apply fertilizer, which means they have a larger labor base to choose from.”
 
Every professional lawn care company faces difficulty in finding and retaining quality lawn technicians, says Tom Jessen, president of PermaGreen Supreme, Valparaiso, Ind. “Powered spreader/sprayers reduce operator fatigue and allow older employees to turn out the required amount of work,” he says.
 
The landscape industry has traditionally been a “young man’s business,” Jessen says, with prime candidates being men in their 20s. “When technicians enter their 30s and early 40s, they begin to reach the end of useful employment in terms of manual labor because they can’t meet daily productivity quotas,” he says.
 
Riding spreader/sprayers allow employees to be productive once they become older. “I hired a great technician in his mid-30s who had 15 years of experience at another company,” Jessen says. “The work became too demanding, but because of our riding units, he was able to treat lawns for another 12 years with us.”
 
Motorized walk-behind and riding spreaders emerged in the early 1980s, and motorized riding spreader/sprayer units appeared soon after. These time-saving machines were not only multifunctional, but, unlike their predecessors, they were small, compact and ideal for urban properties.
 
“A combination unit saves labor by doing two jobs in only one trip over a lawn,” he says. “They are also smaller and less expensive than truck-mounted sprayers, which have 400- to 600-gallon tanks and cost between $10,000 and $15,000.”
 
The growth in the use of combination units has expanded steadily, a trend that will likely continue, Jessen says. “The relatively inexpensive combination machines are replacing the large, costly spray trucks that were once the industry standard,” he says. “In addition to their convenience, emerging environmental concerns and preference for granular fertilizer contributes to this trend.”

SPREADER SELECTIONS. There are two main types of spreaders: drop and rotary. Drop spreaders are usually 2 to 3 feet long and 1 foot deep and ride close to the ground, dropping material in an area approximately the width of a sidewalk directly from the bottom. Manufacturers say drop spreaders are not very popular in today's industry because their large size can make them more challenging to use and transport and their slower speeds can result in crews spending more time on a lawn than necessary.
 
The amount of operator fatigue that results from pushing a drop spreader throughout an eight to 10 hour work day is also a downfall of this type of machine. “A lot of upper body strength is needed and it really wore my guys out when we used them,” Robert says. “It’s a lot less work on a technician when he doesn’t have to push a machine all day.”
 
Drop spreaders ensure a more accurate application because the material is distributed right where it needs to go. However this direct drop leaves little room for error, which  makes it difficult to achieve an even distribution. Too much or too little material in one area leaves a blotchy, inconsistent pattern. “If an operator does not make a half-width edging pass around the boarders, this can result in only a half-rate application of product in those areas,” Jessen says.
 
Rotary spreaders are the most popular among LCOs. These machines have a propeller that throws material in a fan-shaped pattern, allowing contractors to apply more material farther, faster and more evenly. Rotary spreaders also have the ability to spread a variety of materials, such as seeds, fertilizer and mulch, with different consistencies. “Rotary spreaders allow you to cover more ground quicker, and at the same time are less likely to cause streaking,” Shackelford says. “They can also apply material with larger particle sizes better than drop spreaders, making them great for combination applications of fertilizer and weed control.”

PRODUCT PRICES. The variety of spreaders available means that most  lawn care companies can afford one of these machines. According to Jessen and Shackelford, basic walk-behind drop spreaders cost around $100 to $150, commercial-grade rotary push spreaders range from $350 to $450, self-propelled rotary spreaders can cost between $700 and $800, while riding spreader-sprayer combinations can cost anywhere from $6,000 to $10,000. “All lawn care companies have access to equipment they can justify a need for and afford,” Shackelford says. “When a company can no longer keep up with their workload using a backpack sprayer and a rotary walk-behind they have the option to upgrade to a motorized machine.”
 
According to Lawn & Landscape research, 30 percent of LCOs purchased one or more spreaders in 2006 spending an average of $991. According to the research, 20 percent of LCOs plan to purchase one or more units in 2007. Shackelford and Jessen believe future sales of spreaders will increase due to both demand and the availability of better products.
 
“The recent housing boom that we  experienced created another kind of labor issue because lawn care businesses were picking up more accounts,” Shackelford says. “Businesses needed to get work done and did it with mechanized equipment instead of larger crews.”
 
“Now that we have radically improved a sprayer design to fit a push spreader, we expect that the percentage of push spreader/sprayers will increase dramatically in the next few years,” Jessen says.
 
Once a company invests in a spreader, minimal maintenance is necessary to keep it in working condition year after year. Solid spreader maintenance begins with proper daily cleaning and lubrication of the moving parts, Jessen says.
 
Other maintenance includes engine upkeep and regular oil and air filter changes. “With preventative maintenance, a spreader should last a long time,” Shackelford says.
 
Robert requires general routine maintenance of his spreaders including gearbox and engine upkeep, necessary belt changes and general cleaning and lubrication, all of which is done in-house. “These machines require bare, basic maintenance,” he says. “There aren’t a lot of moving parts, which results in less need for repair.”
 
Shackelford also advises LCOs to drain a spreader’s fuel tank before storing it for winter to prevent the fuel from clogging carburetors and fuel lines. “Forgetting to winterize the machine is probably the biggest problem LCOs have,” he says. “But if this is done, the machine should fire up right away come spring.”

MACHINE MISTAKES. Running the machine at improper speeds is a primary way an LCO can misuse a spreader. Spreaders are meant to run at 3 to 4 mph, and anything faster or slower distorts the application with streaking and inconsistent patterns, Shackelford says. “Uneven coverage and distorted patterns can occur when LCOs try to use a spreader too quickly,” he says. “This is common for LCOs under time constraints and pressure caused by factors like missed work or uncooperative weather.”
 
While riding spreaders are best at maintaining a proper speed, most walk-behinds also have a gearing system that allows the propeller to turn at a designated pace. Regardless, LCOs should follow the manufacturer’s speed recommendations no matter what type of machine they operate.
 
“Riding spreader/sprayers apply material more accurately than walk-behinds because they can maintain a steady ground speed throughout the day,” Jessen says. “Riding units also travel faster than a person can walk and can improve production by 50 percent or more.”
 
Another mistake LCOs make is purchasing a spreader too large or too small to suit their needs. If the majority of a lawn care business’ clients are 2,000 to 3,000 square foot properties, a riding spreader would be an inappropriate investment. Similarly, if a company serves mostly half-acre or larger commercial properties, a motorized walk-behind might not be the best bet.
 
In addition, an LCO must also ensure they have a way to transport the equipment they purchase. “Many require a trailer or a larger vehicle to transport it from site to site,” Shackelford says.