Solo Hand Spreader Settings

[useyourbow]

I received my new Solo Hand spreader yesterday and to my surprise there were no seed setting recommendations except for fertilizer and grass seed included or affixed to the spreader. Any recommendations for spreading clover? I googled but wasn't able to find anything but the suggestion for trial and error.

 

[sagittarius]

Can you calibrate how fast you crank the handle, or how fast you walk? ...... use the smallest setting, two passes 90deg from each other if you need to apply more to reach your xx lbs per acre goal.

 

[Joe Buck]

I received my new Solo Hand spreader yesterday and to my surprise there were no seed setting recommendations except for fertilizer and grass seed included or affixed to the spreader. Any recommendations for spreading clover? I googled but wasn't able to find anything but the suggestion for trial and error.

We got our new Solo last year and we were trying to plant clover at 12# per acre. We mixed clover seed 50/50 with cat litter purchased at Fleet farm. (their own brand in 20# jug) Theirs was the smallest size I could find. Very close to the size of clover seed. We set the black knob just short of the number 1 in 10. The red lever ended up right over the 0 in 10. We came out very close to 12# per acre. As stated above how fast you walk and crank are variables. We walked at a normal pace and moderate cranking speed. Better to thin and go over a second time than run out of seed. Hope this helps.

 

[BuckSutherland]

I bought one of these spreaders too. They are frickin awesome. I dont really mess with a certain setting. I just open the door to what I think is about half to do an area and then I try to go over it twice or three times if necessary. The more time you go over it the less chance to screw up.


Pick an area (100x100) then try to get half the seed need and cover it once. Then make your adjustment(s) and cover it again.

 

[swat1018]

Until you learn, the safest way is to open the gate just large enough for the clover to get through and start spreading.

 

[FarmerDan]

This is harder than a SWAG, but try it once. For this to work you need a few pieces of information. 1) How many seeds are in a pound and 2) how much to seed (lbs) per acre. What we're gonna do is calculate how many seeds you'll need per square foot. Then, we're going to do a small area and count the seeds we spread. Hold on! Stay with me! You'll need a tarp or a driveway or a paved road that's not so busy.

Lets assume one pound consists of 400-thousand seeds and we are going to spread 12 lbs per acre. So, 12 multiplied by 400-thousand is 4.8 million seeds to spread over 43,560 sq ft. How many seeds is that per square foot? Divided 4,800,000 by 43,560 sq ft equals 110 seeds per square foot which is also equal to about 1 seed per square inch.

You know what a square foot looks like, right? Chalk off a 10 sq ft area on a hard surface (or the kitchen floor). Start walking and cranking and go right thru the middle of your 100 sq foot area. Stop. Go back and look. Does it look like there's one seed per square inch or a hundred in a square foot? Adjust accordingly. It's lots of fun, especially in the kitchen.

 

[useyourbow]

Looks like trial and error. Lol

No offense Dan but I think I will go with Joe Buck's recommendation.

 

[Buckly]

Different clovers are different size, coated/noncoated and such. If you're using a hand spreader you're probably not doing huge areas. Go on the small setting and go over 2 maybe three times. It only takes an extra few minutes and you get pretty even coverage that way. I see no need to mix anything with the seed. Surprisingly you only need to do this trial and error once or twice and you get it down real good on the feel.

 

[Bill]

I bought one of these spreaders too. They are frickin awesome. I dont really mess with a certain setting. I just open the door to what I think is about half to do an area and then I try to go over it twice or three times if necessary. The more time you go over it the less chance to screw up.


Pick an area (100x100) then try to get half the seed need and cover it once. Then make your adjustment(s) and cover it again.

Yep, it seems like I always put down to much seed if I try a one and done. Seems like it takes three passes for me to get it right..

 

[Tree Spud]

I received my new Solo Hand spreader yesterday and to my surprise there were no seed setting recommendations except for fertilizer and grass seed included or affixed to the spreader. Any recommendations for spreading clover? I googled but wasn't able to find anything but the suggestion for trial and error.

I start out very light on the first half of a field and watch how fast the seed level drops in the spreader, then maybe increase spreading rate a bit in the second half of the field. Want to make sure i can cover the whole field. I can then go back over the first half of the field if I have seed left over.

If you frost seed in the early spring when there is still snow on the ground you will get a better visual feel.

 

[bowhunternw]

Has anyone used one of these to do larger seeds (oats, soybeans)? I am looking for something, my little scotts grass seed spreader, isn't cutting it.

 

[Sconnie]

Has anyone used one of these to do larger seeds (oats, soybeans)? I am looking for something, my little scotts grass seed spreader, isn't cutting it.

I find with the Solo the larger the seed, the easier to spread. With oats and soybeans I typically will set it on 10. Larger seeds are easy to see fly out so you can compensate with walking speed if needed. I load the spreader on a tailgate or 4 wheeler rack so it is easy to strap on. Always helps to spread large and smaller seeds separate if doing a mixed plot.

 

[j-bird]

I don't use that brand but do the same thing. Open it up just enough to keep seed flowing and if needed make a second pass in a different direction. Just try to walk at a steady pace and try to turn the handle at a steady pace. What really screws this up is when you use a mixture of seed that is of different sizes..... I try to avoid using mixes like that because they seldom spread evenly. You will learn thru trial and error and it won;t be a big deal.....

 

[Booner21]

Has anyone used one of these to do larger seeds (oats, soybeans)? I am looking for something, my little scotts grass seed spreader, isn't cutting it.

For larger seeds get an ez spread bag spreader. Only about 30 bucks and it will spread farther and faster at the higher rates.

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk