13
LP69910 (12/07/2020) 3 CU FT GATOR FERTILIZER SPREADER
Operation
Fertilizer Spreader Calibration
It is the responsibility of the person using this equip-
ment to make sure that every type of material is properly
calibrated to perform as expected. To achieve a safe
and accurate reading for proper material distribution,
calibration must take place on a solid at surface away
from drains and livestock areas. Failure to do so causes
an over or under application that damages turf areas or
gives an ineffective pest control treatment. Any calibration
charts contained in this manual are given as a reference
point only and must not be used as an absolute condition.
Spending a few extra minutes to calibrate not only saves
on wasted materials and time, but also protects turf and
other vegetation. Be aware of the following points before
operating your spreader in the eld.
Flow Rates
Flow rates of materials change for many reasons:
• Formulations vary within the same brand or even
between brands.
• Formulations vary between batches or dates of
manufacture.
• Humidity causes the material to clump and ow poorly.
• Poor spreader maintenance causes ow changes.
• Slide stop has moved or has been calibrated to
another type of material.
• Human error causes rate miscalculation.
Items Needed for Calibration
• A way to catch the material for weighing.
• A device to measure distance.
• A scale to weigh your product.
• A stop watch or other device to measure time.
Conversion
To convert pounds per 1000 sq. ft. to pounds per acre,
multiply your rate by 43.6. To convert miles-per-hour to
feet-per-minute, multiply miles-per-hour by 88.
Other Important Information:
1 acre is equal to 43,560 sq. ft. Ground speed is import-
ant to keep in mind when doing calculations, convert
miles-per-hour to feet-per-minute.
Calibration
NOTE: To change the spread pattern, adjust the
spinner ns.
To calibrate the spreader, use a level, open area of pave-
ment. Set the gate stop in the middle as a starting point.
Fill the hopper with the material desired. Turn on the
spreader. To achieve desired spread width, adjust spinner
speed. Record the spinner speed setting and the resulting
spread width. Determine the driving speed while spread-
ing (in feet-per-minute). Determine desired application
rate (converted to pounds-per-square-foot). To determine
the pounds-per-minute that the gate setting must allow,
use the following equation.
Desired Application Rate (pounds-per-square-foot) x
Spread Width (feet) x Speed (feet-per-minute) = Pounds-
per-minute.
Open the gate. The spinner must be operating during this
step. Put a bucket or other means of catching material
at the back of the spreader. Leave the gate open for one
minute. Brush off all excess from the spinner and motor
enclosure into the bucket. Weigh the bucket with material.
Subtract the weight of the bucket when empty and record.
To achieve the required “pounds-per-minute” rate, adjust
the gate based on the result. Once the setting is estab-
lished, you are ready to spread. Record for future use
on the notes page of this manual (example record: when
spreading Material XYZ... Spinner speed 50% (width=14
ft.), Drive 3.5 mph (308 fpm), Gate = 13 in.).
Begin spreading with the vehicle speed, gate setting, and
spinner speed used in your calculations.
To Next Page
Loading...