# Lesco 80lb meets the GC SpreaderMate



## MasterMech (Sep 24, 2017)

At least my assembly area is comfy! :lol:

I have used these units before and had a pretty good idea of what to expect. I was still blown away at the quality built into this thing. You get/pay for a stainless steel frame, and every pin, nut, bolt, washer, and clip on the thing is stainless. And the hardware has a quality look/feel to it as well. Just an observation in today's world of cutting corners everywhere you can get away with it. So far I've pushed it from my family room to my garage, empty, so not much else to report at this point.

I debated for a few weeks (I know, I know...) between this and the Spyker 80lb in stainless. But in the end, it was the loop stand that won me over along with my past experience with Lesco Spreaders. I know it's nit-picky but I didn't really care for the straight leg stands on the Spyker and other brands. I also really like the brushed stainless finish on the Lesco frame. We will see how long it stays so pristine!  I need to calibrate this thing and will report back when I do. It may be awhile as my first use for this thing will not be with granular product. 

Of course, this is just the beginning. Part 2 is still coming, albeit it will likely be delivered after I leave for a 10 day biz trip overseas. Sigh. Oh well. Going to have lot of work to do when I get home as I will likely only have a few days before the next trip and the Annual Ryegrass will be overgrown, hideously patchy :lol: , and of course it will decide to rain all week.


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## OutdoorEnvy (Sep 27, 2017)

Nice! That does look really good. Is that grate for spreading top soil or garden soil I take it? That looks awfully handy and if it's worth it, it's always a good buy.


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## MasterMech (Sep 24, 2017)

OutdoorEnvy said:


> Nice! That does look really good. Is that grate for spreading top soil or garden soil I take it? That looks awfully handy and if it's worth it, it's always a good buy.


The grates in these spreaders are to keep lumps of granules from altering the flow of material to the impeller. Anybody who has bought fert/product off-season from the big boxes knows this situation well. Consistent flow is key to accurate calibration and repeatable results!


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## Ware (Jan 28, 2017)

Nice. I love mine. Looks like all it is missing is a TLF sticker. 

I put a PermaGreen BREAKTHRU™ agitator on mine.


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## MasterMech (Sep 24, 2017)

Ware said:


> Nice. I love mine. Looks like all it is missing is a TLF sticker.
> 
> I put a PermaGreen BREAKTHRU™ agitator on mine.


It certainly could use a sticker or three... I'll look into the agitator, seems like they solve a widespread "problem". :thumbup:


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## gene_stl (Oct 29, 2017)

:thumbup:


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## Mightyquinn (Jan 31, 2017)

Very nice spreader!!!!

I have the 120 lb Spyker spreader(Before Brinly bought them out) and it has the loop stand. I would have to agree with you on that point that the loop is way better than having the straight legs that could sink into the turf.

Enjoy your new toy as I am sure it will last you the rest of your life.


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## MasterMech (Sep 24, 2017)

Mightyquinn said:


> Very nice spreader!!!!
> .........
> Enjoy your new toy as I am sure it will last you the rest of your life.


That would be saying something as I hope there are several decades left at least! (I'm 34)


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## SCGrassMan (Dec 17, 2017)

How much was this?


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## MasterMech (Sep 24, 2017)

SCGrassMan said:


> How much was this?


$430 shipped give or take.


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## dfw_pilot (Jan 28, 2017)

I think I'm in love. Great purchase! I love the old saw of _buy once, cry once_.


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## MasterMech (Sep 24, 2017)

So part two of this epic is the Gregson-Clark SpreaderMate. I ponied up for the "B" version with the folding boom. So now we have this fearsome contraption.....



And mine has one more tweak over the standard unit, I got the 4.9 GPM pump. This allows me to run bigger spray nozzles on the 4 position boom. The upgrade was minimal cost and I should have no trouble getting through my 20k on one battery charge.



My initial thoughts on the unit are pretty favorable. It's well put together and utilizes quality components throughout. The folding boom assembly is built extremely heavy, in fact, they could probably skimp on this area a bit to reduce weight and perhaps cost as well. Or switch to aluminum as the assembly does weight a pound or ten.😆

One drawback to this unit that I did not consider prior to purchasing is that it's opaque when mounted in the spreader. I'm going to have to think about how I will accurately calibrate, then measure and mix each tank load of product. My other, minor, quibble with the unit has to do with the wiring for the switch. I suppose I could just wrap the wiring around the spreader handle frame and be done with it. If you use zip ties like I did, you will have to cut them off each time you want to remove the sprayer from the spreader as there is no disconnect near the sprayer.

I did fill it with water to leak test everything and try it out on the lawn. It's a bit of a bear to push up some of my short, steep slopes. But I can alter the pattern to minimize the slopes' impact.

As THE most expensive option (by far) for push sprayers, I think you get what you pay for. The spreader combined with the sprayer is quite a chunk, but the sprayer is the second most important part of my plan so.... I had considered a few other options, namely building a boom for the Chapin 24v push or building a mounted rig for my lawn tractor. Setting up the tractor was tempting, but I'm still not sure if I'm keeping it around long-term, and eventually I hope to lose some sq footage to landscaping. I guess I could always just buy a tank and mount the GC's spray gear if I really wanted to do that in the future.


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## Ganny (Apr 16, 2018)

@MasterMech the Spyker does not have a loop stand? It appears it might from the website?
https://www.spyker.com/spyker-spreaders-ergo-pro/


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## Ware (Jan 28, 2017)

Ganny said:


> MasterMech the Spyker does not have a loop stand? It appears it might from the website?
> https://www.spyker.com/spyker-spreaders-ergo-pro/


I think I read somewhere that the designed changed and now they do have a loop stand.


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## MasterMech (Sep 24, 2017)

Yup, Spyker now offers their top shelf models with loop stands.


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## jdc_lawnguy (Oct 30, 2018)

@MasterMech after a year in would you do it again? I am on the fence here in a big way.

I have lots of slope and considering a few options including a Deere 15 Gallon sprayer that mounts to my ride on. This is attractive because of the slope but calibratioj with the slope may be a bit tricky as well.

I believe in the buy once cry once approach, which is causing me heartburn given some of the prices so, interested in your feedback.


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## MasterMech (Sep 24, 2017)

jdc_lawnguy said:


> @MasterMech after a year in would you do it again? I am on the fence here in a big way.
> 
> I have lots of slope and considering a few options including a Deere 15 Gallon sprayer that mounts to my ride on. This is attractive because of the slope but calibratioj with the slope may be a bit tricky as well.
> 
> I believe in the buy once cry once approach, which is causing me heartburn given some of the prices so, interested in your feedback.


Doing steep slopes with the Lesco/GC-SM combo is a workout for sure. I did not experience any negative effects but I also did not get to use my setup nearly as much as I had planned last year. (No PGR) my long term plan for the lawn is actually to downsize via landscaping and possibly a detached garage. And my wife really wants to fence the back yard. The more complicated the lawn gets, the better the walk-behind will be. If I was going to keep it as open as it is now, I'd probably lean towards a mounted solution with a folding boom.

Calibration for a vehicle mounted sprayer is usually more precise/easier than something human powered, especially if there are slopes involved. I simply assume I'll be walking at roughly 3-3.5mph and go from there. It's worked so far.

I'd absolutely buy the equipment again, the quality is top notch and even I do decide to convert to a mounted setup, I'd probably just buy a larger tank and rob the actuall spray components from my Spreader-Mate. I got mine with the 5gpm pump for a slight agitation boost and it was not an expensive upgrade. My only wish for the SM would be another 2-3 gallons of tank capacity so I could run 2 batches out on my 20k, not 3.


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