What Are The 4 Best Drop Spreaders? Reviews And Buyer’s Guide
Many gardeners will know about the pain of seeding your lawn.
Due to the length of time it takes to see the results of your handiwork – basically until the grass actually grows – you just don’t know what it is going to look like, especially if you have done it by hand.
Will there be a full and thick lawn? Will it look wonderful for visitors to your humble garden? Or will it look patchy and unkempt?
Well, not to worry, it’s the 21st century and gardening has come a long way since the horse and plow days of yore, even for hobbyists such as ourselves.
In today’s world, we have access to fertilizers, mulch, and drop spreaders.
Drop spreaders are essential for lawn maintenance in the modern day, they are essentially dispersal units for all kinds of different garden necessities: weed killers, seeds, fertilizers, and so on.
They are easy to use and provide you with a great service tool, but which are the best? How do you know what to look for in a drop spreader?
Well, not to worry, for today, we will look at the best drop spreaders that money can buy.
Quick Comparison: Top Picks For Drop Spreaders
[wptb id="507950" not found ]AT A GLANCE: Our Top Picks for Drop Spreaders
Scott’s Turf Builder Classic Drop Spreader
The lever being available is great as you don’t have to worry about using too much or going too far over your intended target and when you’re done you can just let go of the handle, without the worry of it going everywhere.
The spreading width is also good as it is over a 22-inch area, which is great for small gardens where a bigger spread area on the bucket would get caught on small objects or plants.
The capacity of the drop spreader is not too shabby either, having enough space to carry product for up to 10,000 square feet of lawn.
Lastly, this drop spreader is a simple construction with tough plastic and metal parts, making it designed to last for many years.
One problem that Scott’s classic does suffer from is it is quite small. Although it has a large capacity, the overall design means if you have a big lawn, it is going to take some to go over all of it with the Classic.
For smaller to mid-sized lawns, though, this is a great choice of drop spreader.
Pros
- Easy to use.
- Decent spreading range.
- High Capacity.
- Quite durable.
Cons
- Not suitable for large lawns.
Scott’s Turf Builder Edgeguard
This means that the product is fed into the hopper, which then feeds it into a spinning that distributes the product quickly and over a considerable distance without having a wide axle that can be difficult to control.
This makes it easy to use, and it is also easy to set up and put away, as the handle folds down for storage.
Thanks to the rotary system as well, the spreading width is very far, with a minimum of 48 inches and a maximum of 130 inches.
With a large bucket as well, there should be no problem in the carry capacity of what you are spreading over your garden, a whole third more than the Turf Builder Classic at 15,000 square feet.
The Edgeguard is also quite robust, being able to last over difficult terrain and for a long time, thanks to its slim design, good material, and strong wheels.
While not an issue, there is a minor annoyance in calibrating the Edgeguard, as you will have to adjust and tune this piece of equipment a little more often than others, however, this is a very minor thing and should not put you off buying one.
Pros
- Very easy to put together and use.
- Enormous spreading width.
- High carry capacity.
- Very durable and useful on rugged terrain.
Cons
- Requires a little calibrating every now and again.
Spyker P70-12010 Commercial Drop Spreader
This is partially because this drop spreader has a solid steel frame and most of the tool is metal itself, making it weighty.
It also has a spread width of 36”, which, while less than rotary spreaders, feels like more because it covers that whole 36” with its frame.
The carry capacity of its hopper is 120 lbs, which is an enormous amount of material, and it actually has two separate beds, meaning you can put two different materials in each and spread them as you feel is necessary with the two separate levers.
Finally, the durability and because of the pure steel framing and the tough rubber wheels, it’ll be many, many years before you even need to consider replacing this drop spreader.
The biggest concern about the Spyker is the assembly instructions. Once the spreader is put together, it’s great, but trying to assemble it can be a hassle.
The instructions apparently have sections that state ‘not shown’ or confusing little side passages, which is a bit disappointing considering how well liked the machine is.
Pros
- Simple to use.
- Big spreading width.
- Great carry capacity with options for more than one product.
- Extremely durable and rugged.
Cons
- Confusing assembly.
Earthway Even Spread
The Even Spread is very easy to use with a simple pull lever to start the spreading process and a push style like all the others. Being a rotary spreader, it can spread over a huge area that is at least double the width of the spreader, which sits at 37 inches across.
Not only that, but the carry capacity of this device is up to 100 lbs, which is enormous, almost as big as the Spyker, and will be more than enough for your lawn or garden.
Finally, most of the Even Spread is made of stainless steel, with only the bucket being plastic and the wheels being tough rubber, as such it won’t be prone to breaking or cracking anytime in the future.
However, when it comes to durability, although most of the machine is sound and bulletproof, some of the links can be prone to loosening or pulling out of their intended place.
It’s best to keep an eye on, but an easy fix with a cotter pin or just placing back in.
Pros
- Insanely easy to use.
- Huge spread range.
- Great capacity.
- Very durable for the most part.
Cons
- Connective links can be prone to loosening.
Buyers Guide
When making this list, we had to think of the things that people would want from a drop spreader.
These things are mostly around what they needed most from these machines and what they didn’t want to happen to them, while they were gardening. As such, we came up with a set of 4 criteria.
Ease Of Use
A drop spreader has to be easy to use. They are not for a complicated purpose, so they shouldn’t be complicated to use.
The things we consider too complicated for a drop spreader would be, a complex set of buttons, or confusing levers, that kind of thing you do not need on a drop spreader.
You want to set it on your lawn, put in your product, and go. That’s it.
Spreading Width
You want your drop spreader to actually put the product onto your lawn. Shocking, I know. This is the primary purpose of a drop spreader, and that function needs to be maintained and be a great function.
If your drop spreader spreads only over a small area, then it’s not worth the time to use it. However, if your drop spreader spreads very little over a large area, this is just as useless.
Capacity
Constantly stopping and filling up a drop spreader is time-consuming and annoying.
Most of us are using drop spreaders to speed up an otherwise boring task, and having to stop continuously is my idea of a good time.
As such, you want a drop spreader with a big carry capacity, so you don’t have to stop.
Durability
We use a drop spreader for only a few months each year realistically, so durability is a big concern as they can rust or rot when they are not in use and, even when they are in use, they can break.
Thanks to this, you need a drop spreader that is hardy and not prone to any kind of breakage or rusting.
Best Drop Spreaders FAQs
What Size Drop Spreader Do I Need For My Lawn?
That depends on the size of your lawn. If it’s a big area to cover, I would go with a larger drop spreader, anything from 30 inches or up, however if your lawn is average size or smaller, anything lower than 30 inches.
This is because bigger drop spreaders can get caught and be difficult to turn in smaller areas, whereas smaller ones won’t give the coverage you require for bigger lawns.
What Is A Drop Spreader?
A drop spreader is a tool used by gardeners to easily spread something over their lawns. This can be things like seeds or fertilizer or even mulch, anything that you require spreading evenly can be spread by a drop spreader.
If you are still confused, look up a picture of the inside of a drop spreader to give you a better idea. They are essentially big buckets with a some form of rotary system inside to allow for even dispersal.
Conclusion
Finding the ideal drop spreader can be a difficulty, most have an issue in their design or construction that isn’t easily fixed, and many have more than one. However, with this list by your side, I’m sure you can take your pick of these 4 options.
If none of them take your fancy, then you can always use the criteria on this list to find the perfect one for your garden.
