# Sprayers and Spreaders and Sprinklers, oh my!



## Mehilovich (4 mo ago)

Hello,

I'm in the starting phases of a full lawn renovation at my newer home and am hoping for some advice! Long story short, the builder did a horrible job grading and didn't bother bringing in fresh topsoil (or it all eroded away in the ~2 years since the home was built), so I'm having the whole yard killed, tilled, regraded and then sodded (we went with sod vs seed for several reasons I'm happy to discuss).

My question today revolves around new equipment I'd like to purchase, as my current equipment is old or too small (moving from ~2-3k sq ft to 10k sq ft). I know I'm covering a lot of categories, so any and all advice or recommendations are appreciated!

_It's important to note that I'm on a ~quarter-acre *corner lot*, so there is a lot of sidewalk, driveway, garden, and fencing to contend with._

Here's the equipment I'm currently considering but *am always open to suggestions*!

Spreaders

Echo RB-60 - includes an edge guard, which should be nice for all my edging
Concerns:
a.	Agitator seems small and complaints of churning up prills instead of pushing them out the holes
b.	Complaints of tires going flat but could address with "Slime"
c.	Complaints of weak shutoff return spring, but could address with new spring
d.	Hopper design means you have to perform the classic "bounce" maneuver to get the last few pounds of material out
e.	Cheap cord connecting (riveted) handle to the hopper. Seems expected, given the price point​


Lesco (50lb new, or 80lb on Marketplace for the same price)
Concerns:
a.	Powder coating - at this price, many seem to think it's a waste not to go with a stainless-steel option (like the 80lb I can get on Marketplace for the same price). Apparently, it rusts easily.
b.	No edge guard/complaints with the deflector kit. From what I'm reading, it's not as simple as installing the deflector kit, but you then want to close the third hole, which is another kit (and it seems they've moved away from the remote option). Added cost, complication, and headache.
c.	Marketplace option either doesn't come with the deflector kit, or they just never attached it/removed it (not in the picture)​


Spyker P20-5010 50lb Light Duty
Concerns:
a.	Seems most don't come with the Accuway system, and heavily favors left if you don't install one yourself
b.	Like with the Lesco, it does not come with the side deflector - same complaints
c.	Puny agitator, with no apparent option to upgrade (like with the BreakThru on the Lesco)​

Sprayers

Spraymate Tornado/FlowZone Cyclone
Concerns:
a.	Complaints about comfort
b.	Minor concern with pressure, especially when applying with Teejet and multiple N-Ext or Kelp4Less concoctions
c.	No variable pressure setting, if going with the Tornado​
​
FlowZone Typhoon 2.5
Concerns:
a.	Price, especially since I'd need to buy Teejet nozzles
b.	Overkill?​
​
YardMastery - I like that it comes with the nozzles that LCN recommends, for a good starting point to follow videos/forum posts/etc.
Concerns:
a.	Price
b.	Comfort vs Typhoon for the same price
c.	No variable pressure options​
Hose-End Sprinkler System
I don't think it's in the budget and I'm not particularly interested in installing an in-ground irrigation system, so it seems like a hose-end system would be the right move, at least for now. The contractor has recommended a tripod-style setup to maximize coverage and to be something that will limit potential damage to the lawn if I leave it there for days/weeks at a time. This is the system I've done the least research on, but probably need to prioritize over the others, considering it's required "Day 1" once the sod is put down.

According to the contractor, I'll probably need ~6 tripod sprinklers if I want to leave them in place. I currently have two hose bibs but considering installing a third. Either way, I guess I'd need 6 hoses, 6 sprinklers, and some splitters. Any and all recommendations for this is appreciated, keeping in mind that this is something that will be used sparingly after the initial establishment of the sod (perhaps when watering in treatments), so budget items are probably fine.

I like the look of the Orbit B-hyve Smart system, but the reviews aren't great. Any other recommendations to start?

*Thank you for any and all advice! It's really appreciated, by someone who's completely overwhelmed at the moment.*


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## ENVY23 (Sep 14, 2021)

For irrigation, my neighbor didn't do full irrigation prior to his reno and regretted it come summer when he was trying to place sprinklers and connect multiple hoses together. He ultimately found a "hybrid" approach and I have to say it appears to work fairly well. It's called the RainBird Click N Go. It's in-ground impact sprinklers and you just hook a hose to them. It may be something worth looking into if you don't want to go the full in-ground irrigation route.


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## Mehilovich (4 mo ago)

ENVY23 said:


> For irrigation, my neighbor didn't do full irrigation prior to his reno and regretted it come summer when he was trying to place sprinklers and connect multiple hoses together. He ultimately found a "hybrid" approach and I have to say it appears to work fairly well. It's called the RainBird Click N Go. It's in-ground impact sprinklers and you just hook a hose to them. It may be something worth looking into if you don't want to go the full in-ground irrigation route.


Whoa! That's pretty cool, actually. I'd need to measure my lawn and see how many of those I'd need, but they seem to have pretty decent coverage. They also seem simple to install, even if my contractor doesn't want to install them for me.

I'm a little worried about offending the contractor if I don't end up going with a tripod style setup, but at the end of the day it's my lawn 

Any recommendations on timers, especially if I need to run 3/4 off a single hose bib?


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## Johnnel757 (8 mo ago)

Ide recommend orbit b hyve timers with the wifi hub. It allowsyouto control your hose bib from anyware. I have 4 running my diy system I put together using rain bird pop up sprinklers. I like them especially when on vacation and can water my lawn from my phone


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## Mehilovich (4 mo ago)

Johnnel757 said:


> Ide recommend orbit b hyve timers with the wifi hub. It allowsyouto control your hose bib from anyware. I have 4 running my diy system I put together using rain bird pop up sprinklers. I like them especially when on vacation and can water my lawn from my phone


Thanks! Good to know the B-Hyve system works well. The only complaint I've seen is the water pressure/volume being "too low" and causing sprinklers to be weak. I take it you've had no issues with that?

I have two concerns after reading more on the Rainbird Click-n-Go:

 They only pop up 3", and I usually mow 3.5-4", so they wouldn't spray above my (TTTF/KBG) grass unless I started mowing lower, and also may not even work at all until the sod has established roots (I don't think you're supposed to mow until the roots have established - after ~10-14 days)
 My lot is pretty much entirely on a "left to right" slope, so would sprinklers that low still work well, or would the high side of the slope not get enough water/block the stream?

Thank you for the continued input! Still trying to figure everything out.


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## T76turbo (9 mo ago)

Mehilovich said:


> ENVY23 said:
> 
> 
> > For irrigation, my neighbor didn't do full irrigation prior to his reno and regretted it come summer when he was trying to place sprinklers and connect multiple hoses together. He ultimately found a "hybrid" approach and I have to say it appears to work fairly well. It's called the RainBird Click N Go. It's in-ground impact sprinklers and you just hook a hose to them. It may be something worth looking into if you don't want to go the full in-ground irrigation route.
> ...


If you have been getting any push back to the point of 'offending' the contractor, I would go with another contractor.

Ever heard of the saying 'the customer is always right'? If there is another system you want, he should do what you ask happily. I would also hope he would give you reasons why his suggestions are valid so you understand why he suggested what he did.

I know you said your budget may not allow inground at this point. But I wouldn't dream of trying to maintain a really nice lawn without an inground system. If you want a inground system, get one. Think of all the future pain in the back side and costs of dragging hoses around, replacing hoses and hose end controllers due to UV exposure etc.... Even if you get this contractor to do all the grass and dirt work and get another company that specializes in irrigation to put that in. There is an art to getting really good coverage and there is a lot of new technology that can improve things and save water (money). I would want to go with a company that was up on al the newest stuff. Like look at the Irrigreen sprinkler systems..... I dont have that but I did go with the high end rain bird bodies and r-van nozzles.

EDIT..... I just saw you mention you mow around 4 inches. WHATEVER YOU DO, if you do inground make sure the contractor uses 6 inch rise sprinkler bodies. My builder put in 4 inch rise and I mow my variety of St Augustine at 4-4.5 inches. By the time the 4 inch rise bodies settle a little and maybe get run over by the mower or stepped on a few times, they will hardly clear freshly mowed grass much less grass with a couple days growing. So I have had to go in and change dozens of bodies to 6 inch rise over the years of owning my house.

Regarding sprayers... I just received my Typhoon from GCI turf. It is literally sitting in my garage unopened. I bought from him because he includes the tips that I would otherwise be buying. I bought the Typhoon but now that I have watched more videos and read more, I would probably go for the Cyclone. Even Pete from GCI turf says unless you are trying to spray up into the tops of trees, the higher pressures on the typhoon are not used. He says basically everything you spray will be at setting 1 or maybe 2 of 5. I will probably use this to spray Palm Nutrition into the tops of my big palms so I will get to use the higher settings. But I could have also used my hose end sprayer with a jet nozzle and got the same results.


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## Mehilovich (4 mo ago)

T76turbo said:


> If you have been getting any push back to the point of 'offending' the contractor, I would go with another contractor.
> 
> Ever heard of the saying 'the customer is always right'? If there is another system you want, he should do what you ask happily. I would also hope he would give you reasons why his suggestions are valid so you understand why he suggested what he did.
> 
> ...


Great info here, T76turbo! You're right that I shouldn't let the contractor's feelings get in the way of my decision. This is a long-time investment.

I'm curious how expensive irrigation installation is.. maybe after buying 6 hoses, a timer system and 6 sprinklers, I wouldn't actually be saving much, if any. I still am unsure about messing up my brand new sod, unless there's still time to add irrigation to the quote/find a second contractor that would collaborate with my existing one.

Definitely a good thing to know that I should get a 6-inch pop-up, because I really don't like mowing low. The sod farm recommends 2.5-3, so that would be the lowest I'd feel comfortable going.

Sounds like the Cyclone may be the best fit for me! All of our trees are new, too, so ~2 years old. Like you, I could use my hose-end sprayer, should I need. The house is also a ranch, so no super-high eaves to contend with, either. I do like the variable/multiple pressures versus the Spraymate, though.

Thanks again for all the info! Definitely has me thinking.


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## Johnnel757 (8 mo ago)

My pressure seems to be good my front yard has a total of 8 raid bird pop ups hooked up to one timer. I to had to get 6 inch pop us for the side of my house cause I have a left to right slope. the left has 4 inch pop us and now that I am in the process of putting my lines under ground I had to get 6 inch pop up heads for the right side that have the side inlets. I didn't want to risk using the 4" heads down slope.


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## MasterMech (Sep 24, 2017)

Mehilovich said:


> Hello,
> 
> I'm in the starting phases of a full lawn renovation at my newer home and am hoping for some advice! Long story short, the builder did a horrible job grading and didn't bother bringing in fresh topsoil (or it all eroded away in the ~2 years since the home was built), so I'm having the whole yard killed, tilled, regraded and then sodded (we went with sod vs seed for several reasons I'm happy to discuss).
> 
> ...


I'm not sure I'd till unless you have some soil amendment coming in that you need to mix into the existing base. Remove existing lawn, add top soil and regrade, yes, but simply tilling in all that existing lawn is going to leave you with a lumpy future and you'll end up topdressing your new sod.

The time and water savings of having an in-ground irrigation setup is real. Fully automating your water pays dividends in the quality of your lawn. Especially since you are in a stressful climate for cool-season grasses. There is a little bit of annual maintenance, especially in climates where the ground freezes, but it's very much offset by the convenience and performance vs leaving above ground equipment out all the time. Going with a smart, weather-aware controller means the system only runs when it's needed, and let's nature handle the rest. If you have other landscaping (shrubs, flower beds, trees, etc.) then the system can be expanded to include those areas as well. Deep irrigating trees can prevent excessive surface roots which ruin a small lawn.


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## Mehilovich (4 mo ago)

Johnnel757 said:


> My pressure seems to be good my front yard has a total of 8 raid bird pop ups hooked up to one timer. I to had to get 6 inch pop us for the side of my house cause I have a left to right slope. the left has 4 inch pop us and now that I am in the process of putting my lines under ground I had to get 6 inch pop up heads for the right side that have the side inlets. I didn't want to risk using the 4" heads down slope.


Thanks for the knowledge on problems I may run into if we decide to have an irrigation system installed. The slope is definitely a concern, along with the irregular shape of the lot. I'll be sure to keep these tips in mind!


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## Mehilovich (4 mo ago)

MasterMech said:


> I'm not sure I'd till unless you have some soil amendment coming in that you need to mix into the existing base. Remove existing lawn, add top soil and regrade, yes, but simply tilling in all that existing lawn is going to leave you with a lumpy future and you'll end up topdressing your new sod.
> 
> The time and water savings of having an in-ground irrigation setup is real. Fully automating your water pays dividends in the quality of your lawn. Especially since you are in a stressful climate for cool-season grasses. There is a little bit of annual maintenance, especially in climates where the ground freezes, but it's very much offset by the convenience and performance vs leaving above ground equipment out all the time. Going with a smart, weather-aware controller means the system only runs when it's needed, and let's nature handle the rest. If you have other landscaping (shrubs, flower beds, trees, etc.) then the system can be expanded to include those areas as well. Deep irrigating trees can prevent excessive surface roots which ruin a small lawn.


I'm not entirely sure on the fine details, but I believe one of the big reasons they want to till is to incorporate some of the gravel that doesn't get "dragged" out, as well as to break up the dry, cracked, and compacted clay that we have, in preparation for top soil and final regrade. He didn't mention any amending (and told me I shouldn't need to apply any amendments, myself, ahead of time). I believe he's also wanting to kind of churn the dead grass/weeds (I'll scalp before they come) into the existing soil. I think the idea is to give the sod's roots the best chances to drive deep.

I believe they're following the sod farm's site preparation guidelines:


> *Site Preparation *
> 
> 
> First, you need to remove all existing grass, plants weeds etc. This can be done with a pick, a spade, a sod cutter or a spray. You must also remove any roots, rocks or debris 1" (golf ball size) or bigger.
> ...


If I'm understanding correctly, the recommended turf farm nearby uses "LEED Certified" turf, which "ONCE ESTABLISHED will not need to be watered other than what mother nature provides", which may be why the original contractor didn't recommend irrigation. I do plan on fertilizing and putting down micro/macronutrients, which obviously need watering in, so this changes things a bit. I wish I would have thought about this sooner. I guess I've just never liked the idea of trenching my lawn, having to maintain underground lines, and have never been one to water my lawn unless it *needs* it.

Quick research says that a job my size would probably be $3k-6k just to start, and I'm sure that's with a basic system. I don't know if I could convince the wife to let me spend that much more to get a new system installed, too. I'm also still concerned about trying to coordinate the lawn reno with irrigation install, so I don't have to destroy my brand new sod after it's installed. :?


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## MasterMech (Sep 24, 2017)

Mehilovich said:


> ....
> 
> If I'm understanding correctly, the recommended turf farm nearby uses "LEED Certified" turf, which "ONCE ESTABLISHED will not need to be watered other than what mother nature provides", which may be why the original contractor didn't recommend irrigation. I do plan on fertilizing and putting down micro/macronutrients, which obviously need watering in, so this changes things a bit. I wish I would have thought about this sooner. I guess I've just never liked the idea of trenching my lawn, having to maintain underground lines, and have never been one to water my lawn unless it *needs* it.
> 
> Quick research says that a job my size would probably be $3k-6k just to start, and I'm sure that's with a basic system. I don't know if I could convince the wife to let me spend that much more to get a new system installed, too. I'm also still concerned about trying to coordinate the lawn reno with irrigation install, so I don't have to destroy my brand new sod after it's installed. :?


The issue with turning all that organic matter into the lawn is that when it breaks down, it will cause the soil to settle and usually unevenly. Depending on how picky you are, this may or may not be a problem. It also may be a necessary evil if you have to amend clay or sandy soil. I've replaced sod on tees and fairways with nothing more than a good scratching from a garden rake. The roots will find a way! Heck, if you have Bermuda grass, you don't need no stinkin' roots. :lol:

As far as the -need- to water, well, if the goal is just to have the turf survive and bounce back (from dormancy) after dry spells, then no, most turf sold into an appropriate climate will be fine on just rainfall. Most folks on this site are striving for a bit more than that. 

Installing an irrigation system doesn't have to be traumatic. You can rent a sod cutter, cut the trenches and lay the sod off to the side for a couple days during the install. Especially if you can keep it moist. Backfill and pop the sod back on top. Of course it's best if you can install ahead of new sod but if you need to postpone it into the future, it's not the end of the world.


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## Mehilovich (4 mo ago)

MasterMech said:


> The issue with turning all that organic matter into the lawn is that when it breaks down, it will cause the soil to settle and usually unevenly. Depending on how picky you are, this may or may not be a problem. It also may be a necessary evil if you have to amend clay or sandy soil. I've replaced sod on tees and fairways with nothing more than a good scratching from a garden rake. The roots will find a way! Heck, if you have Bermuda grass, you don't need no stinkin' roots. :lol:
> 
> As far as the -need- to water, well, if the goal is just to have the turf survive and bounce back (from dormancy) after dry spells, then no, most turf sold into an appropriate climate will be fine on just rainfall. Most folks on this site are striving for a bit more than that.
> 
> Installing an irrigation system doesn't have to be traumatic. You can rent a sod cutter, cut the trenches and lay the sod off to the side for a couple days during the install. Especially if you can keep it moist. Backfill and pop the sod back on top. Of course it's best if you can install ahead of new sod but if you need to postpone it into the future, it's not the end of the world.


All good points! I'll discuss this with the contractor and see what he has to say. He's a man of few words, so I'm guessing he'll just chuckle and say something along the lines of "[the sod farm] and [our company] has been doing this for a long time.. We know what we're doing." :roll: I will say that I agree with you regarding the decomposition of all the dead grass/weeds, which is why I planned on scalping and bagging it all before they began their work (even though he said that was unnecessary). What are my other options to ask them to do? Ask them to remove it with a sod cutter? Just remove x-inches of soil + organic matter (they did say some soil would obviously have to be removed)? I fear I'm too far deep to change up the game plan too much.

I definitely don't plan on paying this much for a lawn reno all to let it die each summer. In NKY, we typically don't often have droughts, so lawns (that aren't scalped) tend to stay pretty green even throughout summer. There are weeks that are exceptions, of course.

Nonetheless.. points taken about irrigation systems vs having to drag out hoses and sprinklers regularly. Perhaps I can throw together some numbers for the price difference and convince my wife to let me have irrigation installed ASAP (they plan on installing sod the last week of September/first of October).


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## MasterMech (Sep 24, 2017)

Mehilovich said:


> ...
> 
> All good points! I'll discuss this with the contractor and see what he has to say. He's a man of few words, so I'm guessing he'll just chuckle and say something along the lines of "[the sod farm] and [our company] has been doing this for a long time.. We know what we're doing." :roll: I will say that I agree with you regarding the decomposition of all the dead grass/weeds, which is why I planned on scalping and bagging it all before they began their work (even though he said that was unnecessary). What are my other options to ask them to do? Ask them to remove it with a sod cutter? Just remove x-inches of soil + organic matter (they did say some soil would obviously have to be removed)? I fear I'm too far deep to change up the game plan too much.
> 
> ...


Once the job is quoted - I'm sure your contractor isn't going to be in favor of anything that involves more work for him. The visible grass is only part of the organic matter that will decompose. I'd venture the root mass is far more significant. I'm sure he indeed knows his business, and we're not installing an NFL field here, just your lawn. :lol: He may already be planning to scrape the old turf out with a skid steer.


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## Mehilovich (4 mo ago)

MasterMech said:


> Once the job is quoted - I'm sure your contractor isn't going to be in favor of anything that involves more work for him. The visible grass is only part of the organic matter that will decompose. I'd venture the root mass is far more significant. I'm sure he indeed knows his business, and we're not installing an NFL field here, just your lawn. :lol: He may already be planning to scrape the old turf out with a skid steer.


Fair! I'll ask, even if just out of curiosity, and see what he has to say. Thanks again for the guidance!

You've been pretty thorough with your sprinkler/irrigation recommendations.. Do you have any for the spreader/sprayer part?


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## MasterMech (Sep 24, 2017)

Mehilovich said:


> MasterMech said:
> 
> 
> > Once the job is quoted - I'm sure your contractor isn't going to be in favor of anything that involves more work for him. The visible grass is only part of the organic matter that will decompose. I'd venture the root mass is far more significant. I'm sure he indeed knows his business, and we're not installing an NFL field here, just your lawn. :lol: He may already be planning to scrape the old turf out with a skid steer.
> ...


I have a Gregson-Clark SpreaderMate and a Lesco 80lb. spreader But my lawn is 20k and fits this rig well. It'd be slight overkill on 10k but there's not a great recommendation for in-between.

Either go with something like the Echo RB60 that works well, but is cheap enough to be disposable, and get a powered backpack sprayer.... or jump into something like I've got. Sticker-shock warning though. Lesco 80lb spreaders are now nearly $600 and the SpreaderMate B setup was $1,050. But it's equipment that will last. I'm on season 4 with no issues.


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## Mehilovich (4 mo ago)

MasterMech said:


> I have a Gregson-Clark SpreaderMate and a Lesco 80lb. spreader But my lawn is 20k and fits this rig well. It'd be slight overkill on 10k but there's not a great recommendation for in-between.
> 
> Either go with something like the Echo RB60 that works well, but is cheap enough to be disposable, and get a powered backpack sprayer.... or jump into something like I've got. Sticker-shock warning though. Lesco 80lb spreaders are now nearly $600 and the SpreaderMate B setup was $1,050. But it's equipment that will last. I'm on season 4 with no issues.


Whoa! That would be a really nice setup. There are a few Lesco 80lb spreaders on Marketplace for $300 that I could get:

$300 - "used 4 dozen times over 4 seasons", but includes a new rain cover, side deflector, OEM calibration gauges, and manual.
$300 - "like new". It does look like it's in pretty good shape, but only seems to include the gauge. No side deflector is installed in the picture, but perhaps they have it? If not, I may be able to negotiate down to $250 (appears I can order one for $60).

Is either of those worth taking a shot at? I can share the photos if it would help.

Especially if I went with that, it would probably be wise to save a little on the sprayer and either go with the Spraymate Tornado, or FlowZone Cyclone.


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## cleohioturf (Jul 20, 2020)

get the 80lb lesco with the side deflector, if it looks like its in good shape, its probably just fine. They are built for heavy commercial use. The gauges are hardly an issue to worry about, you arent going to be calibrating it all that often, if at all. I dont even follow the setting recommendations, just feel out how much I want to come out.

get in ground if you can at all, especially if you are already going bare ground and have things torn up, now is the time.

also, echo others, dont till the area, just bring in new material and have it leveled nicely.


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## Mehilovich (4 mo ago)

cleohioturf said:


> get the 80lb lesco with the side deflector, if it looks like its in good shape, its probably just fine. They are built for heavy commercial use. The gauges are hardly an issue to worry about, you arent going to be calibrating it all that often, if at all. I dont even follow the setting recommendations, just feel out how much I want to come out.
> 
> get in ground if you can at all, especially if you are already going bare ground and have things torn up, now is the time.
> 
> also, echo others, dont till the area, just bring in new material and have it leveled nicely.


Good to know! I think I'll talk to the boss and see if she'll let me spring $300 for it. The one with the deflector seems to be in pretty good shape!

I think I'm going to talk to the contractor and see what the exact plan is. My guess is that a lot of that material will be taken out, anyway, since he's bringing in ~45 yards of fresh topsoil. I know a lot of it will be used for regrading, but surely some will have to come out to ensure it's still 1" below the sidewalks and driveway for the sod.


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## 606-Lawn (5 mo ago)

If that spreader was close to me I would have already got it.


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## fortyeightjake (Sep 8, 2020)

I have no problems with my Echo RB-60 at all after 2 years. I also bought my FZ Cylcone 2 around the same time and it has been great. As far as I can tell, it's the same as the current Cyclone but it only has a high and low setting.

I wouldn't hesitate with either of them for 10k sqft.


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## Mehilovich (4 mo ago)

606-Lawn said:


> If that spreader was close to me I would have already got it.


Sale is pending pickup, so it looks like it will be mine either tomorrow or Saturday!

Now to figure out sprinklers and backpack sprayer…


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## jimbeckel (May 27, 2018)

Mehilovich said:


> Hello,
> 
> I'm in the starting phases of a full lawn renovation at my newer home and am hoping for some advice! Long story short, the builder did a horrible job grading and didn't bother bringing in fresh topsoil (or it all eroded away in the ~2 years since the home was built), so I'm having the whole yard killed, tilled, regraded and then sodded (we went with sod vs seed for several reasons I'm happy to discuss).
> 
> ...


I don't recommend the Echo spreader, I had the 80 model and it was a junker, gears were stripped out after 3 years of use, it went to the curb and it is someone else's problem now.


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## 606-Lawn (5 mo ago)

Mehilovich said:


> 606-Lawn said:
> 
> 
> > If that spreader was close to me I would have already got it.
> ...


Lucky on the spreader on your end.
I have the Flowzone Cyclone with the nozzle buddy kit Pete offers from GCI Turf on order now. Looking forward to using it once it gets here.


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## Mehilovich (4 mo ago)

fortyeightjake said:


> I have no problems with my Echo RB-60 at all after 2 years. I also bought my FZ Cylcone 2 around the same time and it has been great. As far as I can tell, it's the same as the current Cyclone but it only has a high and low setting.
> 
> I wouldn't hesitate with either of them for 10k sqft.


Sweet! Yeah, I think the 2.5 just has 5 different settings (not technically "variable", but should have plenty of options to get the pressure you want). I think that's what I'm going to go with, so I have some flexibility as I learn how best to use it!

Thanks for the vote of confidence


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## Mehilovich (4 mo ago)

jimbeckel said:


> I don't recommend the Echo spreader, I had the 80 model and it was a junker, gears were stripped out after 3 years of use, it went to the curb and it is someone else's problem now.


Whew.. That makes me feel better that I've agreed to buy the 80lb Lesco from Marketplace. I'll either pick it up tonight or this weekend, depending on how work/traffic goes today.


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## Mehilovich (4 mo ago)

606-Lawn said:


> Lucky on the spreader on your end.
> I have the Flowzone Cyclone with the nozzle buddy kit Pete offers from GCI Turf on order now. Looking forward to using it once it gets here.


Yeah, this seems like a great deal! Hopefully, it looks and works as great in person.

I think I'll follow your lead on that, too. The Cyclone 2.5 is what I've been leaning toward for a while. I took a look at GCI Turf's packages the other day and was pretty impressed. I'm not sure I'll need all the nozzles with that pack (from what I've heard, TeeJet and Fan are really all you need), but I've also never used a sprayer like this, so extra nozzles give me a chance to learn and see what my preference is.

The mixer option seems interesting, too (doesn't look like you can do both), but the "hanger" at the top makes it look like a hand mixer. I was thinking about buying a drill attachment for mixing, to go with the new drill I got for my birthday


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## Biggylawns (Jul 8, 2019)

I use a $100 Chapin from Walmart, actually have 2 now, and they've worked for 4 years with zero issues - I highly recommend it. A lot of people on here use it so if you don't want to spend a lot on a sprayer then you should check it out. If you're in the black and decker battery ecosystem then it uses the same battery packs.

Also, you should buy the 2 teejets if you plan to spray often (there's a big thread on it). Even if you don't buy them now, you should take a quick look to get familiar with it. Depending on your yard size, you could buy or make a 2 head boom to cut your spray time in half.


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## 1102in (4 mo ago)

I have 2.2 acres with the front yard being almost 3/4 acre. I use one of the tripod sprinkler to water my front yard. It covers about 1/4 of the yard at a time. I have had great sucess with it. I'm on a well. To put an inground system in I would have had to upgrade the pump in addition to the system which was more than I could do. I don't water the back. Just my 2 cents.


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## Mehilovich (4 mo ago)

Biggylawns said:


> I use a $100 Chapin from Walmart, actually have 2 now, and they've worked for 4 years with zero issues - I highly recommend it. A lot of people on here use it so if you don't want to spend a lot on a sprayer then you should check it out. If you're in the black and decker battery ecosystem then it uses the same battery packs.
> 
> Also, you should buy the 2 teejets if you plan to spray often (there's a big thread on it). Even if you don't buy them now, you should take a quick look to get familiar with it. Depending on your yard size, you could buy or make a 2 head boom to cut your spray time in half.


Thanks! I've read through a lot of Ware's TeeJet discussion, and agree that I should probably make a few of those nozzles. I saw that FlowZone offers a nozzle assembly (handy) and knock-off TeeJet nozzles, but will otherwise need to do some more research on which parts and where to order the parts to make my own.


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## Mehilovich (4 mo ago)

1102in said:


> I have 2.2 acres with the front yard being almost 3/4 acre. I use one of the tripod sprinkler to water my front yard. It covers about 1/4 of the yard at a time. I have had great sucess with it. I'm on a well. To put an inground system in I would have had to upgrade the pump in addition to the system which was more than I could do. I don't water the back. Just my 2 cents.


Nice! Do you like your particular tripod sprinkler, or recommend something else? If so, which sprinkler do you use, exactly? There are a ton of options out there.


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## Mehilovich (4 mo ago)

Hey, guys! I have some updates..

* Sprinklers *
Still debating on how to handle this one. After speaking with the wife, in-ground irrigation is out of the picture at this time, so I have to stick with something hose-end. I like the Rainbird Click-n-go that was suggested, but it only pops up 3", so it's unusable. Quick-Snap offers their take on an in-ground hose-end sprinkler, but reviews are mixed. It seems that most on this site will disown you for even mentioning it, but the reviews everywhere seem mostly positive (perhaps this is post-redesign?).

I like the idea of a hybrid in-ground and above-ground system, as it would allow me to only need to hook up hoses - not re-calibrate x-number of sprinklers each time I use them.

If Quick-Snap just makes poor-quality options, what about something like this (1/2" in-ground connector) or this (3/4" in-ground connector) with a higher quality rotor sprinkler? I'm sure I could even make my own "adapter" with higher quality parts (PVC/PEX + brass connectors)?

_If all of this is a waste of time and dumb, please feel free to tell me and I'll re-focus on trying to find some quality tripod sprinklers or other above-ground options._

*Sprayer*
Ordered the FlowZone Cyclone + Nozzle Buddy from GCI Turf, but will likely still need to either order/make custom nozzles. Any recommendations are appreciated!

*Spreader*
I picked up the 80lb Lesco spreader from Marketplace over the weekend - it appears to be in great shape, aside from needing slime in the tires to prevent leaks (will likely need to replace the wheels/tires at some point, but Slime seems to be doing the trick atm).


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## Mehilovich (4 mo ago)

Still trying to figure out sprinklers.. I thought I'd share why it's been a PITA for me. Lots of weird shapes and areas to cover. Any thoughts, knowing this?


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