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How to Calibrate a Scotts Drop Spreader

Bob White

Scotts produces lawn-care products for residential use, the sports turf industry and commercial agriculture. Their Turf Builder line of lawn fertilizers combines nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium; Scotts drop spreaders are often used to distribute these fertilizers.

Adjust the calibration every spring to keep the spreader working well.

  1. Turn the adjustment mechanism to the number 6. This mechanism is located along the vertical metal shaft for the handlebars.

  2. Turn the spreader over so that the handle is on the ground. Hold the spreader with both hands, tire side up.

  3. Engage the black plastic trigger on the handlebars with your foot to open the gate. When the trigger is fully depressed, it is parallel to the handlebars. The leading edge of the shutoff bar should be aligned with the calibration line engraved into the bottom of the hopper. The hopper is the bucket where the fertilizer is carried, located above the spreader's wheels.

  4. Adjust the alignment by turning the black calibration screw at the lower edge of the control wire with a wrench. The control wire is the cable that runs from the trigger on the handlebars to the gate at the bottom of the hopper. Adjust the screw until the leading edge of the shutoff bar is aligned with the calibration line.