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Fertilizer Spreader Settings: Charts by Brand & Conversion Calculator

The setting number on a fertilizer bag only helps if it lists your spreader — and it usually doesn't. This page explains what the numbers actually mean, converts settings between Scotts, Lesco, EarthWay, Spyker, and Agri-Fab, finds a starting setting from any bag rate, and verifies it with a 2-minute calibration check.

The one rule that makes everything below make sense:

Spreader settings are not rates. They're arbitrary gate-opening positions on each manufacturer's own scale. You never convert setting → setting directly — you convert setting → application rate → setting.

Jump to: Converter · How settings work · Cross-brand table · Calibration · Charts by brand · FAQ

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Spreader Settings Converter & Calibration Check

Three tools: convert a setting between brands, find a setting from a bag rate, or verify your setting with a test-strip calibration.

How spreader settings actually work

Every rotary and drop spreader has a gate (or set of holes) in the hopper floor, and the setting dial controls how far that gate opens. That's the entire mechanism. The number on the dial doesn't encode pounds, coverage, or any physical unit — Scotts dials typically run about 2–15, EarthWay EV-N-SPRED dials run 0–30, Agri-Fab uses 1–10, and Lesco commercial spreaders use calibration-gauge numbers measured in 1/32-inch increments of hole opening. Setting 6 on one machine and setting 6 on another have no relationship at all.

The delivered rate — what your lawn actually receives — comes from the combination of gate opening, granule size and density (the industry measures this as SGN, Size Guide Number), how fast you walk, and how worn the spreader's gate and impeller are. This is why every manufacturer, from Scotts to SiteOne to EarthWay, prints the same disclaimer: published settings are approximate starting points, and walking speed, humidity, and spreader condition all shift the true rate. It's also why a settings chart can never fully replace a calibration run — the chart gets you close, the 2-minute check below gets you accurate.

Converting between brands: the Lesco gauge is the Rosetta stone

Because each scale is arbitrary, brand-to-brand conversion has to route through a common reference. The industry's de facto reference is the Lesco calibration gauge: SiteOne (which owns the Lesco brand) publishes the only manufacturer cross-reference chart, mapping Lesco gauge settings to Scotts EdgeGuard, EarthWay, and Spyker equivalents for SGN 240 standard granules. Two important limits of that chart, which the converter above respects: it only covers a published range for each spreader (outside it, the gate physically can't match the rate and you must calibrate), and it assumes standard granule size — very fine or very coarse products shift the equivalents.

When a product isn't covered by any chart, the conversion path is the fundamental one: determine the target rate in lbs per 1,000 sq ft from the bag (weight ÷ coverage × 1,000), then use the Rate → setting tab, then verify by calibration. Rate is the universal language; settings are local dialects.

Cross-brand settings comparison (SGN 240 granules)

Approximate equivalents across the four spreaders covered by SiteOne's published cross-reference, anchored to the Lesco calibration gauge. This table is deliberately coarse — it answers "roughly where do I start on my spreader." For product-specific settings, use the per-brand charts.

Lesco gauge Scotts EdgeGuard EarthWay EV-N-SPRED Spyker Pro
124113
134.5123.5
145134
156144.5
166.5155
177.5165.5
188.5186
199.5196.5
20—217
21—227.5
22—248

"—" = outside the range SiteOne publishes for that spreader (the Scotts gate can't match Lesco settings above 19 for standard granules). Source: SiteOne SGN 240 Spreader Setting Chart. Settings are starting points — calibrate before full application.

How to calibrate any spreader (the 2-minute check)

This is the canonical method every per-brand page on this site refers back to. It works for any broadcast, drop, or tow-behind spreader and any granular product.

  1. Get your target rate in lbs per 1,000 sq ft from the bag: bag weight ÷ labeled coverage × 1,000. (A 15 lb bag covering 5,000 sq ft = 3 lbs/1,000.)
  2. Weigh out a test amount — enough for 300–500 sq ft is plenty. A digital scale↗ beats guessing from bag fractions.
  3. Mark a test area you can measure — e.g., 10 ft × 50 ft along a driveway edge = 500 sq ft.
  4. Spread at your normal pace (a brisk ~3 mph walk) with the dial on the chart's suggested setting.
  5. Weigh what's left, subtract, and enter target rate, test area, and pounds used into the Calibration check tab above. It computes your actual rate and tells you which way to move the dial.

Within ±10% of target: you're done. Beyond that, adjust one setting number and re-test a fresh strip. Two runs almost always dials it in — and the setting you land on is your spreader's true number for that product, more accurate than any chart can be.

Walking pace matters as much as the dial: spreaders dispense per second, not per foot, so walking slower over-applies at the same setting. Calibrate at the pace you'll actually walk.

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FAQ

What does a spreader setting number actually mean?

The number sets the size of the gate opening in the hopper floor — nothing more. It is not a rate: setting 5 on a Scotts spreader and setting 5 on an EarthWay deliver completely different amounts, because each manufacturer uses its own arbitrary scale. The delivered rate depends on the opening size, granule size and density, your walking speed, and the spreader's condition.

How do I convert spreader settings between brands?

You can't convert setting numbers directly — you convert through the application rate: find the rate the source setting delivers (lbs per 1,000 sq ft), then find the setting on your spreader that delivers the same rate. SiteOne publishes the only manufacturer cross-reference (for SGN 240 standard granules), mapping Lesco gauge settings to Scotts EdgeGuard, EarthWay, and Spyker — that chart powers the converter above.

Why doesn't the fertilizer bag list my spreader?

Bags only list the handful of spreaders the manufacturer tested — usually their own brand plus one or two popular models. Every other spreader is omitted for liability reasons, not because it can't spread the product. Use the converter or a calibration run instead.

Do settings transfer between models of the same brand?

Usually not. Even within one brand, models use different gate designs — a Scotts EdgeGuard setting isn't interchangeable with a Scotts Elite or drop spreader setting, and EarthWay settings change entirely depending on which Flex-Select tray is installed. Look up your exact model, then calibrate.

Why did I run out of fertilizer before finishing the lawn?

Three usual suspects: walking too slowly (spreaders dispense per second, not per foot), overlapping passes too much, or a bag setting that runs heavy on your specific unit. The 2-minute calibration check catches all three.

Should I use one pass or two passes when spreading?

Two perpendicular passes at half the setting beats one heavy pass for evenness, and several manufacturers (Milorganite outright; EarthWay for rates above ~5 lbs/1,000) recommend it. It hides small pattern errors, reduces striping, and halves the damage if the setting is slightly off.

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Important note

All settings on this page and its brand pages are starting points derived from manufacturer charts (SiteOne SGN 240 cross-reference, Scotts product labels, EarthWay Setting & Rate Guide, Milorganite settings pages, Agri-Fab manuals). Manufacturers uniformly state these are approximate and affected by walking speed, calibration, spreader wear, and weather. Always follow your product label's rate, and calibrate before treating the whole lawn.