Lawn Doctor Machine

[lawntennis]

We have a lot of posts about z-spray vs permagreen. Does anyone know anything about the machine Lawn Doctor uses? Who makes it? Is it any good?

[lawnangel1]

I posted this same question a few months ago. I dont know too many details other than its called the turf tamer, and its patented to where only lawn doctor franchises can use them.

[indyturf]

I bought a Magnum off a Lawn Doctor franchise owner this summer. They made him sell it and use the Lawn Doctor's machine! I looked at the LD spreader and it was pretty nice! it had a metered flow on granular fertilizer that would stop or slow down with the spreader ground speed. they also had walk behind spreaders that were motorized that had the same features. But I dont think you can buy them unless you buy a franchise!

[Shades of Green LService]

I bought a Magnum off a Lawn Doctor franchise owner this summer. They made him sell it and use the Lawn Doctor's machine! I looked at the LD spreader and it was pretty nice! it had a metered flow on granular fertilizer that would stop or slow down with the spreader ground speed. they also had walk behind spreaders that were motorized that had the same features. But I dont think you can buy them unless you buy a franchise!

don't the z sprays do that? Not 100% sure but i thought they did something similar, as far as spread width being tied into ground speed.

[indyturf]

Not sure? My Z doesn't have it but its a couple years old! The LD machine had some type of a "conveyor" belt that the fertilizer came out of the spreader on! looked pretty cool but I thought it would be just one more thing to go wrong! and harder to keep clean.

[rcreech]

Not sure? My Z doesn't have it but its a couple years old! The LD machine had some type of a "conveyor" belt that the fertilizer came out of the spreader on! looked pretty cool but I thought it would be just one more thing to go wrong! and harder to keep clean.

Sound like it works like a fertilizer buggy (like we use on the farm). I bet it is ground driven somehow if it has a belt or a web.

Sounds like it could be a complex system.

A hole using gravity is just simple, as I am not sure I would want to get into using a machine like that.

[sclawndr]

The Turf Tamer is a self propelled walk behind spreader sprayer. It's ground metered and is easily the best of its kind. The other LD spreaders are stand-ons and ride-ons and though they work well, are 3 to 4 times as expensive as a Z or PG. That's why many LD dealers use Zs and PGs. The maintenance costs are very high on all the equipment. You have to be a franchise owner to legally buy or use the equipment.

[lawntennis]

Can it spread two granular apps at the same time? I came across a LD guy that said he was putting down 24-5-11 and lime, but was only making one pass on a ride-on.

[Runner]

Gregson Clark used to make a machine that was similar to this, but it still didn't have all the features as LD machine.

[indyturf]

The Turf Tamer is a self propelled walk behind spreader sprayer. It's ground metered and is easily the best of its kind. The other LD spreaders are stand-ons and ride-ons and though they work well, are 3 to 4 times as expensive as a Z or PG. That's why many LD dealers use Zs and PGs. The maintenance costs are very high on all the equipment. You have to be a franchise owner to legally buy or use the equipment.
When LD found out this guy was using a PG they said he couldn't use it and had to use the LD machine! he had 3 or 4 of the walk behinds and a couple riders!
if they are 3 or 4 times the price of a PG or Z I don't think they have to worry about other guys buying them! I wonder if LD inflate's the price then buy the machine's back when they buy a new one so they don't end up on Ebay?

[jbturf]

some of their in truck mixing tank systems are very nice as well

i have also seen more than one LD comp. using spreader/sprayer machines
other than their own.

[Runner]

I would be willing to bet that the LD franchisee owners don't buy those machines. I bet they are required to lease them.....That way, they are never made available to the public.

[PHS]

LD services my neighbors house and he's using what looks like a Z-spray. If it is something different I couldn't see the differences.

[sclawndr]

I'm an LD owner and so can answer your questions accurately.

1. True, we lease the machines. We are not allowed to resell them.

2. Yes, we can do multiple things at one time - spread one or two granular products as well as spray liquid.

3. The two main reasons for dealers not using LD equipment are price and repairs. LD stuff is very expensive and is also expensive to maintain. Plus if you're not real handy, there's nowhere to go for help since nobody has ever worked on them before. Thus, the farther you get from New Jersey, where LD is headquartered, the more likely you are to see non-LD equipment being used.