Re: Woods \"Turf Renovator\"
By now, you have probably made your decision to purchase your Wood's Turf Renovator but I have a few items to add. I purchased a used one from a rental store that wasn't getting enough rental time to justify the cost. The one I bought was the Wood's 5 footer. I guess I really didn't do my homework well enough in advance because besides using it for lawn planting, I thought I might use it for planting deer plots too. It is an excellent lawn seeder and with the drop seed theory, no matter whatever the wind, there was very satisfactory seed placement. Perfect for planting bluegrass, and the fescues.
No matter how good the soil prep, there are always rocks that are hidden just below the surface and can raise havoc with the spikes on the roller drums. With the front rollers fully "crabbed" to prepare the soil, I had trouble with the leading edge of spikes breaking off at the welds on the rollers. After planting only about 3 acres, I snapped off 8 spikes or tines.
The calibration lever for the amount of seed dropped, is at best a crude on/off lever. Trying to readjust this lever with a hopper full of seed can be a difficult matter. Make certain that after every use, the hopper is cleaned out and the mechanisms are lubricated with a light oil.
Great for lawn grass but forget it for deer plot planting. The bigger seeds do not fit into the small cups that are made to hold grass seed. The bigger seeds are destroyed by the mechanism and are ground up before they hit the ground. It is virtually useless for drop spreading lime or fertilizer if you thought you might want to try it once.
I realize I tried to do more than what it was designed to do or intended to do. My other ventures were never advertised as a possible alternative. Summary - it is a great product for it's intended use but very pricey even for that job. It was meant for landscaping, golf courses, and vast tracts of commercial planting.
By now, you have probably made your decision to purchase your Wood's Turf Renovator but I have a few items to add. I purchased a used one from a rental store that wasn't getting enough rental time to justify the cost. The one I bought was the Wood's 5 footer. I guess I really didn't do my homework well enough in advance because besides using it for lawn planting, I thought I might use it for planting deer plots too. It is an excellent lawn seeder and with the drop seed theory, no matter whatever the wind, there was very satisfactory seed placement. Perfect for planting bluegrass, and the fescues.
No matter how good the soil prep, there are always rocks that are hidden just below the surface and can raise havoc with the spikes on the roller drums. With the front rollers fully "crabbed" to prepare the soil, I had trouble with the leading edge of spikes breaking off at the welds on the rollers. After planting only about 3 acres, I snapped off 8 spikes or tines.
The calibration lever for the amount of seed dropped, is at best a crude on/off lever. Trying to readjust this lever with a hopper full of seed can be a difficult matter. Make certain that after every use, the hopper is cleaned out and the mechanisms are lubricated with a light oil.
Great for lawn grass but forget it for deer plot planting. The bigger seeds do not fit into the small cups that are made to hold grass seed. The bigger seeds are destroyed by the mechanism and are ground up before they hit the ground. It is virtually useless for drop spreading lime or fertilizer if you thought you might want to try it once.
I realize I tried to do more than what it was designed to do or intended to do. My other ventures were never advertised as a possible alternative. Summary - it is a great product for it's intended use but very pricey even for that job. It was meant for landscaping, golf courses, and vast tracts of commercial planting.
