Types of Fertilizer Spreaders: Choosing the Right Tool

Hey everyone, this is Nick with P&H Lawn Care and ECHO Means Business User Advisory Group. Today, we're talking about spreaders—all kinds of spreaders.

First, I want to start off with a very old-school model. You can tell it's old school because it’s falling apart. This is something you may have seen your father or grandfather use. It has a zipper pouch—you dump the product in here, whether it’s fertilizer or grass seed, strap it over your shoulder, and crank this handle to turn a little wheel that spreads the material. It’s great for small applications—perfect for patching or repairing small areas of your lawn. Obviously, you wouldn't want to use this on something like an acre property, but for a homeowner doing light work, it’s ideal.

Many of you are probably familiar with this next one—the tried and true push spreader. Every Home Depot or Lowe’s you walk into in the spring or summer probably has one of these out front next to bags of Scotts Weed & Feed or other products. This model is a step up from the handheld version. It’s easier to use thanks to the wheels and has a dial to adjust for different spreading applications. You can use it for both fertilizer and grass seed. However, because of its small size, you'll need to refill it often if you're working on a large yard. It doesn’t cover a lot of space quickly.

Now let’s step it up a notch. If you're in the lawn care industry, this might be what you move to next after you've outgrown the basics. Maybe you're picking up more clients who want fertilizer applications or are seeding new lawns, and you want something faster because time is money. That's when a unit like this comes in handy. This is an Agri-Fab spreader from Rural King, and it features a large 100-pound hopper. You can fill it with fertilizer, grass seed, and—although I wouldn’t recommend it—some people use it for salt in the winter. Just be aware: it has a lot of plastic parts and no stainless steel, so it deteriorates fairly quickly. This particular unit is only three or four years old, and it’s already showing wear. The gate won’t close completely anymore, and I’ve had to tinker with it to make it work properly. It served me well for a few years, though. It has much larger tires than the smaller spreaders, so you can cover more ground faster. There’s an adjustable spread setting with a butterfly nut, and it broadcasts product 8 to 10 feet wide.

Now let’s talk about what I call the alpha of spreaders—the ECHO RB-85W. The "W" stands for winter, because it’s built with stainless steel components to resist rust—perfect for spreading salt. But it also handles fertilizer, grass seed, and other materials with ease. If you do use it for salt, be sure to wash it out thoroughly before switching back to fertilizer or seed. This unit has a hopper cover, heavy-duty tires, and stainless steel parts that really extend its life. It also features a four-way blocker, allowing you to control which direction the product spreads—or open all four for maximum broadcast coverage. It’s built to last much longer than the other units I’ve shown. You’ll cover more ground, and it’s just far more durable. The adjustment system is simple and user-friendly, with a guide to help you follow the product’s recommended spread rate. It’s so easy, you can operate it with just one finger. I've been using this for a full season, and it still looks brand new. I credit that to the stainless steel construction—just an all-around great unit.

So depending on how many applications you're doing: If you’re a homeowner doing occasional patchwork, the handheld spreader is a solid choice—it’s been around for over 100 years for a reason. If you’re working seasonally with a small yard, something like the Scotts push spreader gets the job done, even if it's not the fastest option. If you’re starting out and need to cover more ground efficiently but don't want to invest too much just yet, the Agri-Fab may serve you well for a few seasons. And if you're ready to invest in something durable that works year-round, go with the ECHO RB-85W. Its stainless steel design will serve you reliably for years.

I hope you found this video helpful. Head over to the ECHO Means Business website to check out more tips from other pros. Thanks for watching, and have a great one!