# Worth it to rent a self propelled top dresser



## DeliveryMan

So getting prepped to ready my yard for my first levelling

This is the 3rd growing season (1st season with manual push reel -- then 2nd season with Tru-Cut -- ready to really kick it up a couple levels with a good level yard this year) and I have learned alot from you guys..

I have about 3000 sq feet and am planning on just sand..

BUT..... there is a supersod store in town that will rent me a gas powered top dresser if I get their "Level" mix which is 70% sand and 30% compost.. Honestly I am a bit worried about the amount of work required to spread 3 tons of sand by myself with hand tools (my boys are 5 and 2 years old and will be no help at all -- my wife thinks I am crazy to spend this much time worrying about our yard cause to her "it is already the best yard on the street")..

So questions: 
1 -- is the self propelled spreader worth it or will 3K of yard not take me that long anyway
2 -- will the 70% sand level mix from supersod just break down in time and leave me with a bumpy yard anyway and I should just stay with sand

Thanks in advance for any replies


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## TN Hawkeye

Is it one ton per thousand square feet? I've always heard it referred to as a yard of sand per thousand square feet. Does a ton equal a yard?


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## Kballen11

I would be more worried about the debris in the 30% of the compost. When I buy compost from big box stores it generally has material that would not be good for your reel or bedknife. Are you able to go take a look at the material? Can they not rent the spreader to you if you just pay the difference between just using all sand and their price for their "Level" mix, assuming it is more than just sand?


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## twolf

I am not an expert, but here are my 2 cents.

I am planning to level with ~10 cu yards with a yard cart and a shovel, so I do hope you should be fine with 3K. 

It looks like a topdresser is used to distribute material evenly, which is not what I am looking for - I want to fill the dips, so some places will receive much more sand then others.

That being said I am still contemplating to use some sort of a mix with sand and organic material (topsoil), because the dips are too deep, so I think adding some OM will benefit. And yes, it will decompose, so next leveling will be pure sand.


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## SGrabs33

@DeliveryMan is most of your yard one large plot or lots of little areas? The spreader is probably best for large lawns with open areas. I'd say doing it by hand would probably be easier. Another negative to the spreader is that you still have to shovel it into there to spread it out. So mainly I think the spreader would save you some raking after it is all out on your lawn. With all that being said... I would love to rent one of those to try and I only have 4500 sq ft. Haha

Did they tell you how much the rental is? And for how long? They would pick it back up?

The big negative for me is that a bag costs almost 200 bucks. You can get a yard of sand for 20-30 bucks around here plus a delivery charge. Most people say get 3 yards for 3k sq ft and the super sod bag isn't a while yard, is it?

If you do it I'll be sure to drop by for moral support :thumbup: I'll most likely be taking care of our 4 month old.

FYI they told me once they used to rent them out without a bag purchase but people were running product with rocks in it damaging the spreader :roll:


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## Austinite

Top dressing and leveling are 2 very different things. Top dressing is no where near a sq. yard per 1000, not even a 1/4 of that.

If you are leveling, I wouldn't worry about a top-dresser. But yes, it is a lot of work any way you look at it. I did 3500 sq. ft manually and it kicked me in the gonads. But I'm also not in great shape either. I plan on doing it again this year, but NOT without a 4-wheeler to tow the wagon of sand and to pull the drag. My front yard is small, about 1000 sq ft, and even that is a lot of work for me, but that's the only area I am willing to tackle without any power gear.


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## tcorbitt20

I'd pass on the top dresser. It's hard work, but it's not terrible. Just go ahead and do it yourself, but be prepared to be tired.


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## dpainter68

I've rented a top dressing machine before and I wouldn't do it again for the purpose of leveling. It broke on me right after I started, but I'm kinda glad it did. It's higher off the ground than a wheelbarrow so it was actually more work to fill. I ended up borrowing a neighbors riding mower and dump trailer and just dumped piles of sand throughout the yard. I then took a pallet (a good one that had full length 4x4's down the side), pulled it behind the mower and just did figure 8's over the whole yard until it was smooth, then finished it off with my drag mat. Worked like a charm.


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## DeliveryMan

Alright,

So what I am hearing is to forego the spreader and just suck it up.. I am gonna make sure I aerate and collect the cores first.. Then laydown a yard of sand per 1k and level as best I can with a dragmat from Ebay. Gonna wait till likely late may/early june to make sure the yard is growing well..

May post before and after pictures if I think of it


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## Kballen11

DeliveryMan said:


> Alright,
> 
> So what I am hearing is to forego the spreader and just suck it up.. I am gonna make sure I aerate and collect the cores first.. Then laydown a yard of sand per 1k and level as best I can with a dragmat from Ebay. Gonna wait till likely late may/early june to make sure the yard is growing well..
> 
> May post before and after pictures if I think of it


This was my approach last year. The mistake I made was not scalping before. I still had good results but I believe most say to scalp to help the sand get as low as it can.


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## JRS 9572

DeliveryMan said:


> So getting prepped to ready my yard for my first levelling
> 
> This is the 3rd growing season (1st season with manual push reel -- then 2nd season with Tru-Cut -- ready to really kick it up a couple levels with a good level yard this year) and I have learned alot from you guys..
> 
> I have about 3000 sq feet and am planning on just sand..
> 
> BUT..... there is a supersod store in town that will rent me a gas powered top dresser if I get their "Level" mix which is 70% sand and 30% compost.. Honestly I am a bit worried about the amount of work required to spread 3 tons of sand by myself with hand tools (my boys are 5 and 2 years old and will be no help at all -- my wife thinks I am crazy to spend this much time worrying about our yard cause to her "it is already the best yard on the street")..
> 
> So questions:
> 1 -- is the self propelled spreader worth it or will 3K of yard not take me that long anyway
> 2 -- will the 70% sand level mix from supersod just break down in time and leave me with a bumpy yard anyway and I should just stay with sand
> 
> Thanks in advance for any replies


I've used the "level mix" for 4 years, and probably again this year. Awesome stuff. Never rented the motorized spreader due to the price, and the pain of getting it back 18 miles away to return it.

I use a compost spreader that looks like a lawn roller that's perforated on the drum. Works awesome. You just need a strap to cover the door where you place the level mix inside. The latch is flimsy and will open on you unexpectedly.

Here''s what I bought from Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/Seymour-85755-Compost-Spreader-24/dp/B00G8RB1MU/ref=sr_1_5?keywords=compost+spreader&qid=1554324077&s=gateway&sr=8-5

Here's what I mean by the straps over the door:

https://www.amazon.com/Erickson-06610-Multiple-Length-Rubber/dp/B0055DQ830/ref=sr_1_4?keywords=rubber+straps+with+hooks&qid=1554324138&s=gateway&sr=8-4

Here's some pics of it being done last year. Doesn't hurt to hire a couple of neighborhood kids to do it along with my son. We did 6 bags and almost 8000 over most of a Friday and Saturday on Memorial Day Weekend.


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## JWAY

TN Hawkeye said:


> Is it one ton per thousand square feet? I've always heard it referred to as a yard of sand per thousand square feet. Does a ton equal a yard?


Dry sand is around 2500 lb/yd3.


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## TN Hawkeye

JWAY said:


> TN Hawkeye said:
> 
> 
> 
> Is it one ton per thousand square feet? I've always heard it referred to as a yard of sand per thousand square feet. Does a ton equal a yard?
> 
> 
> 
> Dry sand is around 2500 lb/yd3.
Click to expand...

Thanks for explanation. I haven't leveled my lawn but it's good to know that should I decide to.


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## MrMeaner

The spreader would be awesome!! It should have the ability to open the chute and spread material as thick or thin as you would like. Good points made are getting the material into the unit will be a pain unless you have a tall truck your unloading from.

I did my yard several years back with a pull behind model from a golf course, I had all the sand dumped in the street and my neighbor had a skid steer to load the sand.


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## NWGALawn706

I'm sorry n NWGA and cannot find a place to rent a top dressing machine. I've got a fescue backyard Reno/overseed to do next month


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## sirwired

NWGALawn706 said:


> I'm sorry n NWGA and cannot find a place to rent a top dressing machine. I've got a fescue backyard Reno/overseed to do next month


With a lawn of only 4,500, a compost/peat roller should be sufficient.


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## adgattoni

I did 12 yards of sand (it was also wet when I got it) this spring with a gorilla cart, shovel, rake, and drag mat. It was exhausting but worth it. 3 tons (~2 yards) would be a walk in the park. I think it would be a waste to rent a machine for that little sand.


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## NWGALawn706

sirwired said:


> NWGALawn706 said:
> 
> 
> 
> I'm sorry n NWGA and cannot find a place to rent a top dressing machine. I've got a fescue backyard Reno/overseed to do next month
> 
> 
> 
> With a lawn of only 4,500, a compost/peat roller should be sufficient.
Click to expand...

You would do a mixture of compost/peat vs sand/top soil?


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## LandR

The top dresser will help to get material down in an even fashion.

I plan on using one in the early spring next year for my 44k of Zoysia. No way to easily spread that much sand/compost to get it smooth. Dumping bucketfuls with the tractor makes leveling harder and a 1/2 spread or even more with the top dresser will make smoothing easier.

I'd say go for it


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## Coolseason7b

DeliveryMan said:


> So getting prepped to ready my yard for my first levelling
> 
> This is the 3rd growing season (1st season with manual push reel -- then 2nd season with Tru-Cut -- ready to really kick it up a couple levels with a good level yard this year) and I have learned alot from you guys..
> 
> I have about 3000 sq feet and am planning on just sand..
> 
> BUT..... there is a supersod store in town that will rent me a gas powered top dresser if I get their "Level" mix which is 70% sand and 30% compost.. Honestly I am a bit worried about the amount of work required to spread 3 tons of sand by myself with hand tools (my boys are 5 and 2 years old and will be no help at all -- my wife thinks I am crazy to spend this much time worrying about our yard cause to her "it is already the best yard on the street")..
> 
> So questions:
> 1 -- is the self propelled spreader worth it or will 3K of yard not take me that long anyway
> 2 -- will the 70% sand level mix from supersod just break down in time and leave me with a bumpy yard anyway and I should just stay with sand
> 
> Thanks in advance for any replies


So how did this turn out?? I'm going to be taking on a similar project here soon. Thanks!


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## deanius

Did any of you ever find a place to rent a self-propelled top dresser in the Raleigh area?


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