Spreader...which one?

[raykos]

Hi all,

Up till now my lawn has, unfortunately, been low priority; whether it was weeds or grass, as long as it looked green, I lived with it. But now I have a little more time and I'd like to give it more attention.

The size is a little over an acre, with trees, time in sun & time in shade about equal, soil leans towards acetic. One of the pieces of equipment I think I need is a tow behind spreader; but which one? There are broadcast spreaders, drop spreaders & a comination aerator/drop spreader.

One thing I think I want is capacity, don't want to be constantly filling the hopper. After that, not sure of anything else. There are probably advantages/disadvantages to each, and that's why I'm posting here, any help/suggestions as to which one, or brand, to buy would be appreciated?

Thanks,
Ray

 

[shot_gun]

My 2 cents is go with a broadcast style spreader. They cover a wider area than a drop spreader and are fairly inexpensive. Drop spreaders are more percise but if your are not making a golf course it probably won't matter that much. As far as which brand... just make sure you can get parts if you need them.

 

[AKfish]

Alot depends upon what kind of tractor/mower you have. Does it have a 3pt? Just a hitch?

And of course, the choice of a spreader type can depend upon what it is you're planning to spread. Lime, fertilizer or lawn seed?

AKfish

 

[escavader]

Ive been contimplating this for months.The push type with plastic wheels are junk,if the soils soft.Had alot of them.big air filled tires[unless its 3 point of course]work better in soft soil.Ialmost bought that 150 dollar push type at TSC.Saturday sears was having a sale ,and i fell in love with the very large pull type,wide large tires,yellow heavy frame .Regular price 244.00,i got it 20% off.Pick it up TUESDAY.Should last a lifetime on my 1 acrea parcel.Ill pull it on thelawn with my craftsman tractor with the turf tires,ill use the atv if i want to lime the garden.
ALAN

 

[bontai_Joe]

I like the broadcast spreader because it can serve multipurposes. Spread grass seed, fertilizer, pelletized lime, and in the winter it can spread sand and/or salt. Both salt and most fertilizers are corrosive, so a plastic hopper is good if the budget is tight or get a stainless steel hopper if you can afford it. Now, a tow behind vs. a push model? If you have any slopes at all, get a tow behind model. It can be brutal trying to push a spreader with 150 pounds of stuff in it up a hill at a constant speed to spread properly. What model to get? Well, like most things, you get what you pay for, the $99 isn't going to work as well or last as long as the $300 model. Personally, I've been trying to save up for a stainless Earthway tow behind broadcast spreader, but it's been 5 years, and I still don't have it. I currently use a 25 year old version of this: Earthway 2100P Broadcast Spreader - Earthway Outlet and hope some day to have this: PSB Company or possibly this one for it's capacity of 175 pounds: Brinly-Hardy Co. | John Deere Products | Broadcast Spreaders | LPBST-35JD