Name: Scotts Turf Builder Triple Action
Brand: Scotts Turf Builder
Price: 29 USD
Availability: InStock
Rating: 8 (1 reviews)

I’ll be honest, when I hear 3-in-1 like we do with Scotts Turf Builder Triple Action, I think of shampoo, conditioner and body wash all in one.

Man, I love to not have to switch bottles when I go to wash my hair and toes. All in one, baby, simple as that. So when I saw Scott’s assembled the next best dream team of lawn care excellence, I nearly collapsed out of my chair! Kills, prevents and feeds all in one?! You serious, Clark?

No more need to switch bags or remember measurements for each. Scott’s treats us like the cavemen and women we are and does it for us.

I’m always terrified I’ll scorch my lawn when I fertilize so the less that’s on me the better. BUT – Does this product really do what it says it does? Let’s discuss…

OUR RECOMMENDATION: Scotts Turf Builder Triple Action (3-in-1)

If you’re trying to save money: Scotts Turf Builder Southern Lawn Food

Why we review lawn tools

The reason we started this website in the first place was because we had so much trouble trying to find reasonable, understandable, honest reviews for lawn equipment. And it’s not cheap! After hours and hours of research, trying products and returning them, and messing up our yards – we started this site.

As people who had to learn the hard way, we want you to know exactly what you are signing up for before you purchase a piece of equipment. That’s why we are committed to providing honest, easy-to-understand reviews that mean something.

When to use Scotts Turf Builder Triple Action

The specs on this bag lead me to believe this packs an awfully powerful punch! But just like when you use a 3-in-1 shampoo, conditioner and body wash, you lose flexibility and oftentimes quality. So you’ve got to take the good with the bad here. Scotts Turf Builder Triple Action is a pretty good formula that kills some weeds, prevents crabgrass, and fertilizes turf to help ensure a thick, green lawn for you and your family to enjoy. At least right off the bat.

But it’s important to note that Scott’s only controls existing listed lawn weeds, including dandelion, clover, dollarweed, ground ivy, chickweed, plantain (I don’t think this is the banana cousin), and english daisy. If you’ve got other challenges in your yard, you’re going to need to use a non selective herbicide to clear those out.

We made a couple of web stories that highlight the power of Scott’s as well as when and how to use Scott’s.

A warning to heed

It will not kill existing crabgrass, it only prevents it for about 4 months. I’ve found 4 months is generous. Usually more like 2 to 3. You can use this on all several types of turf including tall and fine fescue, zoysia, kentucky bluegrass, bermuda and ryegrass.

When you apply this you’re going to make sure you use the Scotts spreader on a wet lawn, this helps adherence to leaves. Also, water it again 24 hours later so help it soak in. A bag will usually cover about 4,000 sq ft so you’ll probably need 3 to 4 bags to get the job done right.

Applying the turf builder to your lawn

When applying this to your lawn it is important you do it at the right time. Spring is usually best, though this can be applied in the fall as well. Just whatever you do please don’t apply this in the middle of the summer or the dead of winter. Both will leave you very disappointed and with a burnt up lawn.

Also, make sure you give your lawn a nice quick drink before you apply this. As discussed previously, this just helps it stick to the grass. If you’re putting it down in the spring, just do it in the morning when the dew is still on the grass. Also throw some more water on it in 24 hours to help soil soakage, (no I’m not talking about your baby’s diaper).

Using the Scotts Triple Action with the Edgeguard broadcast spreader.

As explained w/ the Milorganite it’s best to use the Scotts broadcast spreader for this type of material. The back of the pack tells you which setting to turn the dial to then just pull the handle and walk in a back and forth pattern across a lawn. I usually stick to 5 to 6 feet from pass to pass. This allows some overlap to ensure coverage but not enough to over apply. I also usually wear pants because fertilizers tend to dry my skin out pretty good. Just imagine what this does to your yard if overapplied.

It’s best to only apply this in spring and fall as not to overload your yard with chemicals. This is a key to keeping a healthy lawn. Growing lush lawn too fast can be a bad thing too.

Scotts Turf Builder Triple Action: Key Specs

A quick primer on Scotts Turf Builder from the experts themselves.

This particular fertilizer/herbicide uses a 16-0-1 which is pretty heavy on the nitrogen. A quick primer on fertilizer blends The three most important ingredients, which are usually displayed right on the front of the bag in the order, N – P – K. N means % nitrogen, P means % phosphate and K means % potassium. Ex, a bag of 10-10-10 fertilizer contains 10 percent nitrogen, 10 percent phosphate and 10 percent potassium. Basically, nitrogen helps you have a thick GREEN lawn, phosphate helps with the plant tissue and root development – very important for a new lawn, potassium helps you with a new lawn.

So with that blend, this particular fertilizer is not super great for helping you have a deep root system which is absolutely essential for having a healthy lawn. This is like building a beautiful hose on a pile of sand. It’ll look good for the first little bit but the minute a stresser is introduced it’s in trouble. It’s important to pick a fertilizer with a good blend of the three. I usually try to stick to a 10-10-10. But for what this bag does, kills and prevents weeds, it’s okay to add phosphate and potassium in a different application.

Scotts Turf Builder Triple Action: Official review

If you’re like me, easier is better. So Scotts Turf Builder Triple Action 3-in-1 is very enticing, 3 products in one is cool. But if those three products aren’t necessarily the highest quality or the “right blend” for long term lawn gains then it might not be a good choice in product.

This really comes down to a personal preference in my opinion. Do you want an easy one step approach? Then this product is right for you. However, if you want to be selective in the type of weeds you’re killing and controlling and want a more balanced fertilizer then you probably aren’t going to love this. The 16-0-1 blend is going to green you up really quick but like I said previously, it’s really not great for your yard in the long run. In order for lawn gains you’re going to need to have a more balanced fertilizer blend than that.

Do I use this on my lawn? No. Would I recommend someone to use this on there lawn? If they’re just looking to keep the weeds relatively at bay then yes. If they want the best lawn in the cul-de-sac then no. Break it up and apply each product one at a time.

You can grab this product on Amazon for a great price instead of trying to find a parking spot at your local home improvement store.

I don’t know about you but when I think about Honda, I think about the Honda CRV vehicle, not a mower. But Honda has been in the mower game for quite some time now and really makes a fantastic product.

Like most people, I love a fresh cut lush green lawn. I think there are few things in life so wonderful than the smell of freshly cut grass. Man does this mower make that end result easier to achieve than ever!

Let’s review:

The GCV170 engine from Honda
The Honda HRN
Setting up the lawn mower
Features
Our recommendation
Parts and manuals

The Honda HRN Lawn mower engine: GCV170

The Honda GCV170 is a fantastic walk-behind mower. The GCV170 is a self propelled push mower, which is great for medium sized yards. This mower uses a more than capable – 170cc Honda engine. The Honda GCV easily adjusts the mowing speed with the push of a thumb via the Smart Drive Self Propel.

A mower with a similar engine is the Troy Bilt TB160, which uses the Honda GCV160 engine.

Though more expensive than most, it offers features not often duplicated by other push mowers such as an adjustable throttle control, clipping director and an auto choke feature.

Today, we will review the many features offered with the Honda GCV170, a how-to guide and highlight it’s pro’s and con’s.

My thoughts about the classic Honda mower

The Honda GCV170 offers an easy-to-start auto choke system, variable speed throttle and the flexibility to control how your grass is cut with a simple to use clipping director. This flexibility enables you to handle most any job on small to medium sized yards (i.e. simple grass cutting, quick leaf pickup, mulching, etc).

The power supplied by the 170cc Honda engine makes tackling a ¼ to ¾ acre yard a breeze. In addition to the power and flexibility offered, this mower is surprisingly light and easy to handle and store.

Honda 21 in. 3-in-1 Variable Speed Gas Walk Behind Self Propelled Lawn Mower with Auto Choke: Set Up

I purchased my Honda GCV170 from Home Depot, basically ready to use. I just had to install the mower handle with a simple tightening of one screw. It’s also important to remember to add fuel and oil to your engine prior to first use. Mowers usually ship “dry” so it’s always necessary to add prior to first use.

Important note – This does not use “mixed gasoline” like a blower or trimmer so remember to add only pure gasoline to the fuel reservoir. The oil should be added to the oil reservoir on the side of the mower.

After you’ve reviewed the owners manual and properly set up your mower, ensure your deck height is uniform across all four wheels and pull the starter cord. It may take a few pulls to get the engine started after it’s been sitting for a while.

Honda HRN Lawn mower grey know that helps you get it set up and adjusts the height.

Features of the Honda HRN Lawn mower

The Honda GCV170 I purchased has a 21 inch mulching blade with the MicroCut® Twin Blades System. This is a fairly standard length for a push mower. The mower also came with a bagger for catching clippings if you don’t want to use the mulching functionality. I rarely use the bag unless I have an excessive amount of leaves during the fall season.

The mower also offers two handlebar heights for short or tall users. To adjust the mower height you just need to twist the two grey knobs on each side of the mower handle so that it swings freely then move the hole to the other setting.

You can see the grey knows of the Honda HRN lawn mower at the top.

Power

As previously noted, the engine used is a 170 cc engine with 6.9 ft – lb torque. The mower engine puts out about 4.4. HP. So that’d be like mowing your yard with four and a half horses right? That’d be interesting! More than enough to get the job done on a flat and slightly sloped yard. The engine is extremely durable and basically hands free.

The awesome GCV engine. Photo cred: Honda engines.

Maintenance and reliability

It also is incredibly easy to change the air filter on this. It’s just a square air filter that’s easy to find at most big box stores and online.

The reliability of this machine is honestly pretty astounding. I didn’t use mine for a year or so and didn’t winterize it and it ripped up perfectly fine. I’ve also left it out in the rain and it started up no problem. Heck I bet I could even run this bad boy underwater. The engine just simply will not stop. It also comes backed with a pretty good warranty – 3 year warranty. Pretty much most things that could go wrong with a manufacturing defect will have already gone wrong by the end of year 3.

DISCLAIMER: I forgot to change the oil for over 2 years and it still ran perfectly fine. To engage the blade you must hold down the safety bar above the throttle, once you let go the mower engine will continue to run but the blade will stop.

Where to buy Honda GCV170 HRN lawn mower

You can also grab the Honda HRN from Home Depot (for a good price) like I did.

Our recommendation for the Honda HRN lawn mower

I would absolutely recommend you purchase the Honda GCV170 mower. It is small enough for most adults to handle with ease, yet powerful enough to tackle most jobs.

There are tons of cool features to the mower, such as the easy to use clipping director. At about a $500 price tag, this mower is a tad more expensive than others but it’s incredibly reliable and worth the money in my opinion. I’ve had this mower for many years and have been more than pleased with it. Many of my neighbors and friends have asked me what mower they should buy and this is pretty much always my go to recommendation.

If you like Honda GCV motors, you’ll love Honda’s GCV-engine backed pressure washers.