Alright so today I finally got around to installing those darn 2x2x2 fertilizer attachments on my spreader. Been sitting in the garage for weeks glaring at me every time I walk past. Figured enough procrastinating, let’s do this thing.
Why I Even Bothered
Honestly? My grass looked pathetic last summer. Neighbor’s lawn was this thick green carpet, mine looked like a patchy desert with weeds winning the war. Blamed the spreader. Couldn’t get the fertilizer down even, kept missing spots. Saw these attachments online claiming to fix that exact “dumping pattern” issue. Thought, fine, worth a shot before I burn the whole spreader.
Opening the Box… Already Annoyed
Tore open the packaging – plastic everywhere, like they wrapped it for an Antarctic expedition. Parts spilled out: two metal brackets, a bag of bolts and nuts, washers, and the little chute things themselves. Looked straightforward enough in the picture on the box. Key word: looked.
First thing I did wrong? Didn’t lay everything out properly. Rookie move. Dug around for the right size bolts later, wasted like ten minutes.
Getting My Hands Dirty
Grabbed my tools: wrenches, screwdriver, pliers. The spreader was already outside, kinda dirty. Wiped it down quick with an old rag.
- Removed the Old Guard: Took off the basic plastic guard thing covering the spinner disc. Couple screws held it on. Easy off.
- Dry Fit the Brackets: Held one bracket up against the spreader frame where I thought it should go. Looked about right. Marked the hole spots with a pencil. Did the same for the other side.
- Drilling Holes (The Scary Part): Breaked out the drill. Measured the bracket hole size, picked a bit slightly smaller. Clamped the bracket down tight over my marks. Took a deep breath and drilled the first hole. Went smooth! Drilled the other three holes needed. Cleaned out the metal shavings.
- Bolting it Down: Put the bracket back over the new holes. Pushed a bolt through from the inside. Slapped a washer and nut on the outside. Tightened it finger-tight first. Used the wrench to snug it down, but not crazy tight – didn’t want to strip anything. Repeated for the second bracket.
- Attaching the Chutes: This part was fiddly. Each little fertilizer attachment chute has this arm sticking out. That arm needs to fit into a slot on the bracket I just bolted on. Took a couple tries to get the angle right. Once it was seated, secured it with the small bolt and nut they provided. Same dance for the other side. The brackets have two slots – used the lower one.
- Final Tightening & Double Check: Went back and double-checked EVERY bolt and nut. Made sure the chutes weren’t rubbing against the spinning disc and could swivel freely. Gave them a wiggle.
The “Oh, Of Course” Moment
Thought I was done. Wheeled the spreader forward a bit. Heard a scraping sound. Turned out the left chute was JUST catching the edge of the tire on full turn. Hadn’t checked clearance when turning the spreader around! Facepalm. Loosened that bracket’s bolts slightly, wiggled the bracket a millimeter outwards, and re-tightened. Scrape gone. Crisis averted.
Did It Actually Work?
Filled the hopper with some cheap fertilizer to test (not wasting the good stuff). Walked down the driveway. The stuff flew out smoothly from both sides. No more massive pile right under the spreader and nothing ten feet out. Looked way more even across the path I was walking.
So yeah, wasn’t exactly rocket science, but it had a couple “gotchas” that could trip you up if you weren’t paying attention. Mostly just taking your time, laying stuff out, marking holes right, and checking clearance when moving. Saved myself buying a whole new spreader… hopefully my lawn agrees this summer.
Anyway, tools are a mess in the garage now. That’s tomorrow’s problem.
