Turbo Turf or Easy Lawn Hydroseeders

[mike9497]

well i need a new hydro seeder for next season because the one i have is old and run down.plus its very small 150 gallon im looking in the 3 to 900 gallon range i looked at the turbo turfs and the easy lawn hydros.anyone own any of the two? anyone have a seeder besides those two that you like? any help would be great guys thanxs

[chuckwk]

Poly tank units are really only good for smaller / quick jobs... results are nothing compared to the 'Finn' type, metal tank, auger systems... because, these units can mix heavier wood mulches.

The poly tank / jet systems can really only mix a cellulose mulch mix well enough to blow.

If your gonna blow hydroseed WOOD mulch is a must. (IMO)

[worthbrown]

I have a 600 gal easy lawn, and it works really well. If I had it to do over again, I would get the bigger engine and pump setup (on an easy lawn or turbo turf). I also adapted mine to have a "bale buster" type jet. This is an option offered on the Turbo Turf system. I go to the discussion board of the turbo turf website alot, and they have good information. I would recommend getting a demo from both and see which you like the best. A jet agitation may not be as good as a finn, but I have never had a problem, and I can spray 1-1.5 acres a day by myself. Hope this helps.

[mike9497]

worthbrown

thank you it does help me out a bit.

[Corby Dieu]

Turbo Turf is a scam.

[windmill]

"Turbo Turf is a scam."

Now THAT has got to really help in making your decision easy. After that scathing explaination I would NEVER buy a Turbo Turf unless I was going to snowplow with it.

[Lawn Tek]

Originally posted by Corby Dieu
Turbo Turf is a scam.

Could you back that up in court ?

Turbo Turf has installed Millions of SQ feet of turf hydroseeding.
Ray at Turbo Turf is one of the most helpful and honest guys in the industry . Hes helped me many times , and we have a home built unit .

Hydromachines can do a nice job that makes customers very happy .

Mechanical machines can mix heavier loads , and they make customers very happy
There are some nice machines out there Finn , Bowie , Easylawn
Turbo Turf etc.

[worthbrown]

I agree. As I said in an earlier post, I have an Easy Lawn unit. I did some retrofitting that is actually similiar to the setup on the Turbo Turf unit. Ray at Turbo Turf has helped me a great deal as well. Turbo Turf has very helpful info on their website about the hydroseeding industry and hydroseeders. If you have a problem with a specific Turbo Turf unit, I would be willing to bet they would take care of it. I normally just laugh when people bash products with no facts to back up their claim, but I could not let this go.

[Corby Dieu]

Look at their low application rates and their bull ---- about how much damn money you can make. Im going to say I f***** up and bought one of their machines. When looking at the bussiness I had narrowed my decision down to a Finn or TurboTurf, I was conned into thinking the cheaper machine with less parts would be better. Now I am about to purchase a real machine built for hydroseeding/mulching. My TT has been modified to act as a sprayer/nurse tank.

[Corby Dieu]

Also I am not saying that people who use these machines doesnt do quality work, I am sure many do. With the machines lower capablities and the way they are marketed many get into it as a get rich quick scam. Also think about this jet agitated anyone can go down to the local co-op and build one. Mechanical agitation many parts made and designed by the manufacturer. I know I have pissed some people off in this forum but its just my nature(nothing personal).

[Turf Medic]

Since pissing people off is your nature. I will be interested to see a year down the road if the "better" equipment will make any difference to your business. Are you upset with the performance of the machine or the fact that you didn't make the kind of money that they implied you would?

[Corby Dieu]

You know I dont know if it will, but I had to turn down some jobs this year because my TT wouldnt handle the specs to do the work. As far as the money I made good money, but not the kind their lines state you make. Im not trying to argue with anyone I joined this forum to make friends and discuss things. If you are running a jet machine and doing great work with it thats great maybe you would like to share some of your ideas. Hey nothing I would like better than to be able to run heavy mixes through my machine. I have tried many different mulches and mixes and just cant get it to handle what I need. OK I will stop cutting down the machines. How about this lets everyone share ideas on how to improve the jet machines. The idea behind them is a really great one maybe their is just that one simple idea sitting out their in someones mind. Maybe with some improvment jet agitation can out do mechanical. Lets see what kind of responses are recieved.

[Planet Landscaping]

Glad i did the research and bought a Finn first time around.Should last many years, Built like a brick shithouse. A dozen big jobs I'll get my money back then years of profit.:D

[worthbrown]

I don't think anyone will argue that mechanical is better and more durable. The question is what is best for each person. I do about 15 one acre yards a year, and some spot repairs. I am also in an area that hydroseeding has not really caught on, so I am not able to charge what I should for hydroseeding. I am not competing with other hydroseeders, I am competing with other contractors that use seed and straw. Since this is my personal situation, there is no way I can justify 20K for a machine when a 5K machine will do the same thing (for me). I realize my jet machine may mix a little slower, and spray a little slower, but I did the numbers (not from a website, but actual numbers) and I more than paid for my machine in the first year. I also think the ease of use, no maintenance (so far in 2 yrs) play a big part in why I prefer the jet machine. I farm 2000 acres of grain, 60 acres of tobacco, hava a 200 acre sod farm, sell real estate, build houses as well as yard grading and seeding/hydroseeding. I think everyones situation is different.

[Lawn Tek]

Worth , man your busy !
O K , if you want to bid hyw. work , gov spec work , go buy a
20 grand mechanical machine
If want to install lawns a hydro machine will work just fine

[Lawn Tek]

Took a cheapskate machine and made a customer love me , and I got paid good too . Does this look like a scam ?

[qualitylandscaping]

Great results LawnTek!!:)

[impactlandscaping]

I missed the boat on this topic, but here goes..I have a Turbo Turf system, and I am very happy with it. So much that we are going to buy a larger machine this spring.Ray and Dave are extremely helpful, and have never mis-represented the product they sell.We looked at several companies, and demoed them at Expo 02, and made the choice based on the needs we have and the specs required. We have no problems spraying heavier mixes than they recommend, and our first 150 gal machine paid for itself on the very first job we did in September. Hydroseeding hasn't caught on here yet, and we are hooked up with several large building contractors here, and I can't wait until spring. Who knows, next year we may sell the plow trucks and relax a little in the winter.