Rotary and Drop Walk Behind Fertilizer Spreader Comparison

Rotary and Drop Walk Behind Fertilizer Spreader Comparison
Professor DeBacco
Walk Behind Spreader Options Questions to Ask…
Questions to ask…
Is the ground established or is it rough?
Rough ground = Rotary spreader
Turf grass established = Drop spreader
What type of fertilizer are you looking to apply?
Pelletized = Rotary
Powdered = Drop
Rotary Spreader
Throws the fertilizer well beyond the width of the spreader.
Can cover large areas quickly.
Best for products that come in a pelletize form
Drop Spreader
As the name implies the product is dropped vertically.
There is an agitator the turns when the wheels move to keep an even distribution of material.
Best in small areas when applying fine or lightweight products.
Overlapping is recommended to ensure even coverage.
Rotary Spreader Swath Measurement
Using a consistent sized and weight pelleted product you can go over some trays and collect the material after a few passes.
This will let you know what the effective swath is for your spreader.
Full Calibrating Rotary Spreaders…
PennState Extension has a full set of instructions…
extension.psu.edu/calibrating...
What it comes down to is amount of product applied over an area.
For most home owners you can read the suggestions on your spreader, calculate your observed swath and favor on the low side and make a pass with a known amount of fertilizer.
Check to see how much area was covered per pound and factor this up for your area.
This will help ensure you are not over applying fertilizer for a given area.
Calibrating a Drop Spreader
Since the swath is know (depends on the width of your drop spreader) the same concept for determining fertilizer applied per area as a rotary spreader can be followed.
They key again is to favor on the low side as it is easier to make another pass or increase the drop rate.
Keep in-mind that you should be making two passes to ensure even coverage.
Suggested Starting Point for Reference
Suggested Pattern of Application
Crossing grid pattern to reduce the chance of skipping over an area
If You only get one…
Rotary Spreader is more universal
It can spread powdered forms of fertilizer, but it will be messy and it will clog easily, but it can be done.
This is the design that large operations use… for a reason.
Field Side Comparison
Here is a field side look for two Scott Brand fertilizer spreaders…
Link to Lecture Slides: drive.google.com/file/d/1NSPN...
*Due to the description character limit the full work cited for "Rotary and Drop Walk Behind Fertilizer Spreader Comparison" can be viewed at... docs.google.com/document/d/1C...

[@reddxiii5931]

thanks professor! great info as always

[@DeBaccoUniversity]

You are welcome!

[@bafgr]

Interesting 💚🌲

[@DeBaccoUniversity]

Thanks for watching and commenting.

[@chuckbailey6835]

I put lawn in for a guy that insisted on a spreader after i had 20 by 20ft spot done by hand. I told him i didnt own one they dont work good he was worried about even coverage so he went and got a spreader he used 2 times the seed that was needed and then a couple weeks later he had he had strips of grass growing across the front yard. I said to him your right i could have never planted a pattern like that by hand. He looked at the spot i did by had and just said i see what you mean about the spreaders .

[@DeBaccoUniversity]

Hand eye coordination is key.

[@heartstronggarden5134]

💕✌🏼🌱 good to know

[@DeBaccoUniversity]

Thanks!

[@tonis2u]

Hi. Is that a Jorn Deere Model M?

[@DeBaccoUniversity]

Good eye, it is a 1949 John Deere Model M utility. Great for hilling potatoes due to the ground clearance.

[@freedom_born]

Cool topic man. I have both but prefer to grind and powderize my pellets for the dropper instead. That way I don’t overdo doses, or waste more pellets than necessary. I’ve tried using the spreader for my powdered pellets but it clogs up and doesn’t spread as even as I’d like. Ofc if i was larger scale I’d use the spreader, but for home application the dropper seems more precise. A tad more laborious, but nonetheless, a little more efficient.

[@DeBaccoUniversity]

You have the "best" option... both;-)