DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Everything Else... How long will a Scott's fertilizer spreader last?

A pull behind fertilizer spreader, that is.

Apparently, 18 years. Because tonight, year 19 for it, I loaded 50 lbs of fertilizer in it, and made it about 100 feet before the tongue collapsed, spilled some 48 or so pounds of fertilizer in 1 spot in the yard. Tongue was rusted out. I found that out.

I just stared for a bit. I've accidentally spilled fertilizer before, and it will kill the spot for a long time.

I decided to get my shop vac, and vacuum up the fertilizer. Yes, I shop vacced the spill. Problem was, when I started, shop vac didn't suck. Then I remembered my daughter telling me about a week ago "Dad, something's wrong with the shop vac. I was cleaning my car, and it quit having suction."

So, I open the shop vac, check the filter. Oh. A sock. A sock in the filter.

Now, what I just typed was "A sock in the filter." I want to make sure you all understand what I was saying: There was a SOCK in the filter of the shop vac. No wonder it didn't have suction.

I removed the sock, AND the filter, and proceeded to shop vac my grass in the spot the fert. piled up on/in.

If I have time tomorrow, I'll be buying a new spreader.

Sad thing is, and I even checked with my neighbors, none of them have a pull behind spreader. 1 had a push spreader, but no, I'm not pushing a spreader over 2 acres.

And as I'm typing this, the perfect rain is falling for settling in the fertilizer.

My friend... you're dangerously close to being immortalized (for a year anyway) in my signature.

As long as it's in a good way, I guess.


I guess the positives are: 1, found out I need a new spreader. 2. Everything dropped in 1 small area so the 'vacuuming the yard' thing just a 3X3 foot area, 3. I don't need a new shop vac, and 4. Sooga attempted to clean her car.

"There was a SOCK in the filter of the shop vac."

That is a question I’ve never seen here, until now.

Now you know.

There's always a bright side!

If it lasts longer than 4hrs, you should call the doctor.

lmao

I don't know? Since you only use them once maybe every 3-4 years, a pretty long time

I have a push fertilizer. I'd argue that thing doesn't last after a single season. Good grief I was struggling to use that thing after taking it down for the winter.

Why Can't you just take it to a local shop and have the tongue repaired/welded back on and reinforced. easy to do really.
would be a lot cheaper to boot.

I don't know. Does Scott take good care of it?

It was actually a light hearted jab at myself, and the circumstance/s. While 100% true, I thought it worth a laugh.

Me, with a shop vac, in my yard.....people driving by wondering 'what is he DOING??"

It's not just the tongue, it's the whole metal framework that is rusted out, and I didn't make that clear. Sorry.

I USED to use it 4 times a year, and in fact, more if in the winter we had ice - spreading salt on our drive. (and yes, when I spread salt with it, I'd hose it down).


It served it's purpose quite well, no doubt. 18 years. It was, again, a poke at me and the circumstance I found myself in last night. An attempt at light hearted, ironic humor.


Last July, we needed to buy a new mower. The sales guy asked why. I explained to him that, after 18 years, the mower deck had rusted out - beyond repair. Only place I could find the same deck was in Wisconsin. He asked what kind of mower we had and I told him. It was a rider with a 'stamped' deck. He was amazed a stamped deck mower could last 18 years. And, the tractor, yes, I did take care of it. Still have it for plowing, and hauling a trailer around.

But, while a failure on my part, my original post was supposed to be a tongue in cheek, irony post.

(oh, back to the 'repaired or welded" comment - it would require the whole framework to be redone. Welders don't charge $20 an hour, with fabrication on top of that.)

j/c:

Just a heads-up to anyone who might not be aware of this, but lawn fertilizer is highly corrosive. It has magnesium, sulfur, iron, and other ingredients that corrode materials. It can rust cement, metals, etc.

Thus, it is always important to remove the fertilizer from your cement and equipment, whether it be a spreader or lawn tractor. Obviously, a lot of lawn fertilizers are applied when the grass has dew on it. Moisture triggers rust, as we all well know.

Some folks say not to use water to rinse them off because of what I said in the previous paragraph. However, I have had success by using a hose to remove all the fertilizer from my equipment, driveway, and sidewalks. I use a blower before rinsing them off. I then completely dry the spreader and tractor. I then apply a thin coat of oil on the metal parts. No need to worry about he plastic parts. I am no expert, but have had very good success w/this strategy.

I feel 18 years out of a spreader is fair.

I do, too.

I was not questioning that. Just passing along information to the board. Is that okay?