Scott's is a popular company that manufactures many different lawn care products and it is one of the first names that come to mind when I think of lawns. So, when I discovered that I needed a spreader for my lawn fertilizer and weed killer, Scott's is what I purchased. And the product I bought was **Scott's SpeedyGreen 2000**, a broadcast spreader. **Spreader Commentary:** 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. **Bottom Line:** 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.

Bryan-Carey

Houston, TX