Home Spreader Settings Scotts EdgeGuard

Scotts EdgeGuard Spreader Settings: DLX & Mini

EdgeGuard is Scotts' best-selling walk-behind — the model most homeowners picture when they hear "Scotts spreader." DLX and Mini share one dial, so this page skips the redundant dropdown and gets straight to what actually varies: the setting itself, how the edge-blocking shield works, and how the two hopper sizes compare for your lawn.

EdgeGuard at a glance:

Dial range 2–15 (same for DLX & Mini) · Hopper ~15,000 sq ft (DLX) or ~5,000 sq ft (Mini) · Single-rotor throw

Jump to: Setting & coverage tool · How the EdgeGuard shield works · Settings chart · FAQ

Other Scotts models: Elite · Drop · Wizz · Speedy Green · All Scotts models

Calculator

EdgeGuard Setting Finder & DLX vs Mini Planner

Find a starting dial setting from any product's rate, or compare hopper refills between DLX and Mini for your lawn.

Quick fill — common products

How the EdgeGuard shield actually works

Underneath the EdgeGuard name is a single spinning disc, same as most homeowner broadcast spreaders — what sets it apart is a small sliding baffle mounted over the right side of the throw pattern. Engage it (usually a lever or slider near the handle) and it physically blocks granules from leaving that side of the disc, letting you run a clean line along a driveway, sidewalk, or garden bed without flinging product onto pavement or into planting beds.

The mechanism is simple, which is exactly why it's easy to misuse: the shield only affects one side. Leave it engaged for interior lawn passes — which many people do out of habit after using it along an edge — and you're feeding roughly half the disc's normal output on that pass. Repeat that across a whole lawn and you get a visibly thinner strip wherever the shield stayed on. The fix is just remembering to disengage it the moment you turn away from an edge.

DLX vs. Mini: same dial, different machine

Scotts publishes one EdgeGuard setting because both models use the same gate-and-disc geometry at a given dial number — the difference is entirely in hopper size and handling. The DLX holds roughly three times what the Mini does, which on a large lawn means far fewer stops to refill, but also a noticeably heavier unit to push once it's full. The Mini's smaller hopper needs topping off more often, but the lighter, more compact frame turns more easily around beds, trees, and tight side-yard gates — a real advantage on lawns with a lot of obstacles rather than open ground.

Scotts EdgeGuard settings chart

One setting column covers both DLX and Mini. Settings below are gathered from Scotts product labels — the bag always wins if it lists a different number.

Product Rate (lbs/1,000) EdgeGuard setting Bags for a 15,000 sq ft (DLX) fill
Turf Builder Lawn Food 2.9 4 ~1 bag (12.5 lb equivalent)
Turf Builder Weed & Feed 2.9 4 ~1 bag (12.5 lb equivalent)
GrubEx1 2.9 4.5 ~1 bag (12.5 lb equivalent)
Halts Crabgrass Preventer 3.0 4.5 ~1 bag (13 lb equivalent)
Milorganite Classic 32 lb (non-Scotts) 12.8 11.5 ~6 bags (192 lb equivalent)

"Bags for a 15,000 sq ft fill" is derived from the rate column, not a separately published figure — use it to plan how many bags to stage before starting.

If your EdgeGuard needs replacing

Gate corroded open, shield stuck in one position, or wheels no longer driving the disc evenly — a replacement broadcast spreader↗ usually costs less than a season of over-applied fertilizer from a unit that won't hold its setting. A digital scale↗ pays for itself the first time it catches a setting that's running heavy.

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FAQ

Are Scotts EdgeGuard DLX and Mini settings the same?

Yes — both use the same dial scale, so Scotts publishes one EdgeGuard setting that covers both. What differs is hopper capacity: about 15,000 sq ft per fill on the DLX versus 5,000 sq ft on the Mini, which changes how often you refill, not the number you dial in.

What makes the EdgeGuard feature different from a standard broadcast spreader?

A sliding shield on the right side blocks the throw pattern so product doesn't fly onto driveways, sidewalks, or beds. Flip it on for edge passes along hardscape, and switch it off for interior passes — leaving it on the whole time cuts your effective spread width in half and leaves a lighter strip down the middle of the lawn.

Should I buy the DLX or the Mini?

The DLX's larger hopper means fewer refill stops on lawns over roughly a quarter acre, at the cost of more weight to push once full. The Mini is lighter and easier to maneuver around tight side yards and dense planting beds, but needs more refills on a large lawn. The planner above compares both for your exact lawn size.

What setting should I use for a non-Scotts product in an EdgeGuard spreader?

Divide the bag weight by its labeled coverage and multiply by 1,000 to get the rate in lbs per 1,000 sq ft, enter that in the setting finder above, and verify with a quick calibration test strip before treating the whole lawn.

Why is there a light strip down the middle of my lawn after using the EdgeGuard?

Almost always the EdgeGuard shield was left engaged during interior passes. It blocks roughly half the throw pattern on one side, so running it continuously under-feeds a strip on that side with every pass. Turn it off for anything that isn't a true edge pass.

Related settings & tools

Important note

Settings on this page derive from Scotts product labels, which Scotts describes as approximate starting points. The setting printed on your bag supersedes anything here, and walking speed, spreader wear, and granule size all shift the delivered rate — calibrate before treating the whole lawn.