Scott’s is a popular company that manufactures many different lawn care products. Founded in 1868, Scott’s produces weed killers, fertilizers, plant food, and other miscellaneous products under many well- known trademark names like Ortho, Roundup, Hyponex, Miraclegro, and others.

Most people associate Scott’s with its popular lawn care fertilizers and weed killer, but the company also produces the hardware necessary to apply the products to your lawn. The subject of this review is Scott’s SpeedyGreen 2000, a broadcast spreader.

Basic Facts of This Product:

Scott’s SpeedyGreen broadcast spreaders come in three sizes: 1000, 2000, and 3000. The 1000 model is the smallest, 3000 is the largest, and the 2000 model is medium- sized.

The SpeedyGreen 2000 has a capacity of 1,670 cubic inches which translates into 29 quarts of space. Filled to capacity, this spreader holds enough fertilizer to cover 8,500 square feet of yard space.

To prepare the spreader, you need to check the package of the product you are applying to your yard to see what setting is appropriate for this type of spreader. If you’re using another Scott’s product (Turf Builder, Scott’s grass seed, etc.), the setting to use will be clearly indicated on the package. With others, you will need to see what setting to use for a broadcast spreader. You then turn the micrometer until the correct setting appears. To start spreading, you just grip the handle and squeeze the control lever. This will open up the broadcast spreader and the product will start to dispense. You need to be moving, in order for it to activate and spread properly.

Using the Spreader:

SpeedyGreen 2000 is fairly simple to use. I purchased mine preassembled, so all I had to do was raise the handle, tighten the plastic wing nuts, and I was ready to go.

Broadcast spreaders operate by slowing dispensing the product onto a rotating disk. The disk spins as you push the spreader and it “flings” the particles off to the front and side, and onto the yard. This particular spreader features a small, plastic disk that catches the particles of fertilizer, seed, weed killer, etc., and then flings them around in a semi- circle fashion. The area covered, if you’re pushing quickly enough, is about a five- foot diameter. To keep the particles flowing, a small metal rod rotates inside the spreader, close to the opening.

The plastic wing nuts that connect the top half of the handle to the base are designed to make the unit easier to store. You can quickly loosen the wing nuts by hand and then fold the handle bar down, making it more compact for storage.

Final Thoughts:

Scott’s SpeedyGreen 2000 broadcast spreader is an ok piece of equipment to use for lawn improvement. I purchased mine along with weed killer, grass seed, and other lawn improvement items. I needed a spreader and, given my complete and total disinterest in yard work, I decided to purchase this spreader because it was less expensive than Scott’s drop- type spreaders. I didn’t anticipate using this any more than I had to, so it didn’t make any sense to me to spend extra money for a drop spreader.

This spreader covers a five- foot wide path, which is a good amount of space and it makes the process of spreading a little faster. But one problem is that the spreading will be uneven if you don’t push the piece of equipment at a steady pace. If you slow down, the particles are dispersed at a much slower rate, which means they might cover only a two- foot path. This will make the process take much longer. Unfortunately for me, my yard is bumpy, so the spreading process was not smooth. It was a stop and go effort, and I had to look around the yard for missed areas for more applications.

Another problem that I experienced is with the plastic wing nuts. These are tightened and loosened by hand and I found that, even when they were tightened very snugly, they still loosened up as I used the spreader, causing the handle to move back and forth. That, combined with my uneven yard, made the process more frustrating. Each time I would hit a bump, the wing nuts would give a little, the handle would loosen, and I would have to back up, retighten them, and push forward again. I ended up with uneven coverage and I finally just got sick of the whole process and started pushing the spreader all over the place, in no particular pattern, to make sure everything was covered.

Yet another flaw with this spreader is in the design. Since broadcast spreaders release the particles from the center, the dry fertilizer needs to be moving in that direction to properly dispense. But the inside of this spreader isn’t cone- shaped, to direct the fertilizer in that direction. So, as you use it, you have to stop periodically and shake the hopper back and forth to get the fertilizer into the center, closer to the opening.

It’s very important that you thoroughly clean this spreader after each use. It’s very easy to forget to do this. Since the material that you place into the spreader is dry, it can easily lead you to believe that it can’t be a problem and that you can easily clean it out the next time you use it. But the fact is, if you leave the container full of fertilizer or other lawn care material for a long period of time, it will stick to the metal rod and if there is any moisture present, it can cause some parts to rust. I have destroyed broadcast spreaders in the past by neglecting to clean them. You need to start by turning the spreader over, on your driveway or some other place away from the yard, and shaking out any excess particles. Then, you should run water through the spreader to clean it out as thoroughly as possible and then turn it upside down inside your garage or storage shed to dry. If you fail to clean, over time the spreader will be ruined.

Broadcast spreaders are less expensive than drop spreaders, and there are good reasons for this. They don’t spread as evenly as a drop spreader and while they might cover a larger area (if you push fast enough), they often leave some parts of the lawn uncovered forcing you to go back over the yard again and again. With a drop spreader, the particles fall straight down, so you know what’s getting covered and what isn’t. Scott’s SpeedyGreen 2000 is ok for an occasional small amount of yard work, but I wouldn’t recommended it for those who take pride in their yard and plan to use their spreader on a frequent basis. It’s more frustration than it’s worth.



Be Sure to Click the Links Below to Read More Reviews of Related Products:

Roundup Weed and Grass Killer
Scott’s SpeedyGreen 2000
Scott’s Turf Builder
Spectrum Sta- Green Lawn Weed Control



Recommended: No