Lit. No. 75371, Rev. 01
17
October 1, 2018
Calibration Disclaimer
It is the responsibility of the person using this equipment to make sure that every type of material is properly calibrated
to perform as expected. This process should take place on a solid
À
at surface away from drains and livestock areas in
order to achieve a safe and accurate reading for proper material distribution. Failure to do so may cause an over/under
application that could damage turf areas or give an ineffective pest control treatment. Any calibration charts contained
in this manual are given as a reference point only and should not be used as an absolute condition. Spending a few
extra minutes to properly calibrate will not only save on wasted materials and time but also protect turf and other
vegetation. Below are several points to be aware of before operating your spreader in the
¿
eld.
Flow rates of chemicals can change for many reasons:
• Formulations vary within the same brand or even between brands
• Formulations vary between batches or dates of manufacture
• Humidity can cause the material to clump and
À
ow poorly
• Poor spreader maintenance can cause
À
ow changes
• Slide stop has moved or calibrated to another type of material
• Human error can cause rate miscalculation
Items needed for calibration:
• A way to catch the material for weighing
• A device to measure distance
• A scale to weigh your product
• A stop watch or other means to measure time
Conversion:
To convert pounds per 1000 square feet to pounds per acre, multiply your rate by 43.6.
To convert miles-per-hour (mph) to feet-per-minute (fpm), multiply miles-per-hour by 88.
Other important information:
• 1 acre is equal to 43,600 square feet (ft
2
).
• Ground speed is very important to keep in mind when doing calculations. Convert mph to feet per minute.
Use a level, open area of pavement to calibrate your spreader. Set the gate stop in the middle as a starting point.
Fill the hopper with the material you desire to use. Turn the spreader ON. Adjust spinner speed to achieve the
desired spread width. Record the spinner speed and the resulting spread width. The spinner
¿
ns can also be
adjusted to change the spread pattern.
Determine the speed at which you will be driving while spreading in feet-per-minute (fpm). Determine the desired
application rate converted to pounds-per-square-foot (lb/ft
2
). Use the equation below to determine the
pounds-per-minute (lb/min) that the gate setting must allow.
Desired Application Rate (lb/ft
2
)
x
Spread Width (ft)
x
Speed (ft/min)
=
Pounds-Per-Minute (lb/min)
Open the gate using the switch mounted on the left of the control. Do not have the spinner ON during this step. Put a
bucket or other means of catching material under the spreader. Leave the gate open for one minute. Brush all excess
off the spreader and motor enclosure into the bucket. Weigh the bucket with material. Subtract the weight of the bucket
when empty. Record the result. Adjust the gate based on this result to achieve the required pounds-per-minute rate.
Once this setting is established, you are ready to spread. Record this information for future use.
Example:
When spreading material XYZ:
Spinner Speed 5 [width = 14 ft]
Drive 3.5 mph [308 fpm]
Gate = 13
You can begin spreading with the vehicle speed, gate setting, and spinner speed used in your calculations.
OPERATING THE SPREADER: CALIBRATION (FOR REFERENCE ONLY)
Summary of Contents for TS-300-1
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