tow behind spreader

[mg448]

I bought a new house with a 600' gravel driveway. The driveway has a moderate grade to it. I'm not too worried about it for my Ridgeline or my wife's Subaru, but my work van is a Ford Transit that has not been great in the snow. I have a Deere x500 with a snowblower for snow removal, but I would like a way to sand and salt the driveway if it gets too icy for my van to handle. I'm looking at getting a tow behind spreader and mixing a load of sand with snowmelt to spread over the driveway.
My questions are:
Would a tow-behind broad cast spreader like an this arg-fab handle a sand and snowmelt mix? And will a 175lb hopper hold enough to cover a 8'x600' driveway.
Agri-Fab 175 lb. UTV/ATV Tow Spreader-45-329 - The Home Depot

Or should I go for a drop spreader like this to get more sand down and make a couple of passes Amazon.com : Agri-Fab 45-288 175-Pound Max Tow Behind Drop Spreader, Black : Lawn And Garden Spreaders : Patio, Lawn & Garden

Or will these cheap tow behinds not work at all for sand and should I set my sights(and budget) a little higher.

Thanks,
Mike

 

[truckdiagnostics]

the sand salt mix clumps up and unless you have warm building to keep from freezing when it gets real cold it is an issue. If you use a spreader you have to be able to brake it up. Tried the spreader lot of work. I use buckets placed along the edge of the drive. Have same issue you do the van will get stuck on wet leaf.

 

[white cloud]

I would also enjoy learning more about these tow behind spreaders. A lot of these have plastic gear boxes. I am not sure how well this would hold up.

 

[LouNY]

They will work with straight salt or calcium or ice melt, won't last long, will not work with sand mixed in.

 

[jgayman]

There are spreaders that are designed specifically for salt and ice melt. They are a bit more expensive than a typical lawn spreader.

 

[leonz]

The problem with tow behind spreaders on the market today id that they are not built well and they are too light to be able to maintain ground contact for the wheel drive to power the spreader.

For the money spent you would be better off buying the largest heaviest ATV type spreader and mounting it on a three point hitch carryall and using the tractors batter power to run the spinner.

I looked at the large tow behind spreader offered by tractor supply and it would work but the issue of rust and extensive annual maintenance comes into play with that the hopper and gate are metal and will need work every year unless you use dry sand only.

You would still need to wash out the sand every time with warm water you use it and or coat the hopper with car wax and still use fluid film to lubricate the gate mechanism to keep it free and moving.