Best Overall
Scotts Elite Broadcast Spreader
- This spreader features a generous capacity and a 6-foot wide spread pattern to speed up fertilizing tasks—all at an affordable price.
This spreader features a generous capacity and a 6-foot wide spread pattern to speed up fertilizing tasks—all at an affordable price.
- Since it’s a push model, rather than a tow-behind model, it might not be the best choice for a large acreage.
Since it’s a push model, rather than a tow-behind model, it might not be the best choice for a large acreage.
This broadcast spreader earns high marks because it covers a large amount of space quickly and is relatively affordable. It holds up to 20,000 square feet of fertilizer, making it a good choice for quickly treating medium to large yards.
Several convenient features are also included with this model. Dual rotors below the hopper help increase the spreader’s accuracy and ensure the fertilizer is spread efficiently. A 6-foot-wide spread pattern is wide enough to help you make fewer trips across the lawn so you can get the job done quickly.
Durable 10-inch foam tires help it easily move over rough terrain, and there is a device that can block the right side of the spray pattern to help you avoid spraying fertilizer onto your driveway or sidewalks. Plus, we love the ergonomic handle with a smartphone holder.
You do need to assemble it, but only minor assembly is required. Because this spreader is one that you push, rather than tow behind a UTV or tractor, it is likely not as heavy duty as you would want for a property of several acres or more.
Product Details: Type: Broadcast spreader | Size: 20.07 x 23.31 x 23.63 inches | Weight: 19.75 pounds | Coverage: Up to 20,000 square feet
Scotts Turf Builder Mini Broadcast Spreader
- This mini spreader comes fully assembled and pre-calibrated so you can get to work right away.
This mini spreader comes fully assembled and pre-calibrated so you can get to work right away.
- It only holds up to 5,000 square feet of fertilizer.
It only holds up to 5,000 square feet of fertilizer.
This broadcast spreader is small but mighty, thanks to convenient features that make it easy to apply lawn fertilizer, as well as a variety of other lawn care products. We love the fact that it comes fully assembled so you can get right to work fertilizing your lawn.
Another bonus: it includes an edge guard, which when activated will block off the right side of the spray pattern and prevent fertilizer from spraying onto driveways, sidewalks, or flower beds. A curved hopper and a dual-bladed agitator were designed to improve performance on this model. These features help ensure that the fertilizer is smoothly funneled from the hopper and consistently covers the area you’re treating.
This small broadcast spreader holds up to 5,000 square feet of fertilizer. You simply fill the hopper with granular fertilizer, turn the dial to the correct setting (per the fertilizer’s directions), and begin walking forward, squeezing the trigger to release the fertilizer onto your yard.
Durable, open-spoke wheels help you easily push the spreader over rough terrain and the fold-down handle and compact size makes storage easy even when space is tight. This spreader is best for small lawns, or it can serve as an additional spreader to pull out when you are working in small areas near trees, flowerbeds, or walkways. In addition to applying fertilizer, it also works well for grass seed, weed control products, and ice melt.
Product Details: Type: Broadcast spreader | Size: 20 x 45.25 x 16 inches | Weight: 10.67 pounds | Coverage: Up to 5,000 square feet
Best Splurge
EarthWay Commercial Broadcast Fertilizer Spreader
- This commercial spreader is built tough to last a long time, plus it offers convenient features such as an adjustable handle and clog-free technology.
This commercial spreader is built tough to last a long time, plus it offers convenient features such as an adjustable handle and clog-free technology.
- It’s heavy for a broadcast spreader at 26 pounds.
It’s heavy for a broadcast spreader at 26 pounds.
The various types and sizes of fertilizer spreaders vary greatly, but if you are looking for a walk-behind fertilizer for medium-sized properties, there are many reasons to splurge for this model.
Sturdy 13-inch pneumatic stud tires help you easily push the spreader over uneven ground. Additionally, the gearbox is fully enclosed, helping the spreader last longer and allowing you to operate it in damp conditions. An epoxy coated frame and rust-proof poly hopper also enhance durability. The spreader also includes a hopper screen to help break up any clumps of fertilizer and prevent clogs.
We like the fact that the handle can be adjusted to three different heights, and we appreciate the side-spread feature that allows you to control the left side spread and avoid spraying fertilizer into flowerbeds or onto your driveway or sidewalks. Instead of having just one hole on the bottom of the hopper like many other models, this fertilizer spreader has three, which helps ensure more consistent coverage.
The hopper’s 50-pound capacity is more than enough for medium-sized yards, but it’s not large enough to be convenient for properties that are more than an acre in size. This broadcast spreader also weighs 26 pounds, so it might be tiring to push.
Product Details: Type: Broadcast spreader | Size: 24.75 x 16 x 15 inches | Weight: 26 pounds | Coverage: Not Listed
Best Pull-Behind
Agri-Fab Tow Behind Broadcast Spreader
- Featuring a large hopper that can hold up to 130 pounds of material, this tow-behind spreader helps you cover a lot of ground quickly.
Featuring a large hopper that can hold up to 130 pounds of material, this tow-behind spreader helps you cover a lot of ground quickly.
- It is not designed to work with zero-turn mowers and does require assembly.
It is not designed to work with zero-turn mowers and does require assembly.
If you have a larger property, the best fertilizer spreaders are likely models that you can attach to a UTV or garden tractor, like the Agri-Fab 130-Pound Tow Behind Broadcast Spreader. This spreader features a hopper with a generous capacity and several smart features designed to keep it working for years.
The hopper, made of sturdy plastic, holds 130 pounds of material, which is enough to cover up to 25,000 square feet or about half an acre before it needs to be refilled. The spread width is 10 to 12 feet—much bigger than most fertilizer spreaders that you push from behind, but not as wide as the models that attach to a full-size tractor.
The 13-inch pneumatic wheels are 4 inches thick and tough enough to make it over a variety of terrain. The hardware on the spreader is designed to resist corrosion, and the gearbox is enclosed and removable to make maintenance easier. The spreader features a universal hitch, so it can be attached to any brand of lawn mower or tractor. The flow control lever is easy to reach from the tractor’s seat.
Unfortunately, this spreader was not designed to work with zero-turn riding mowers—only lawn and garden tractors. Since the spreader needs to be attached to a garden tractor, it would not work well for small yards.
Product Details: Type: Tow-Behind Broadcast Spreader | Size: 46 x 27.1 x 31.5 inches | Weight: 37 lbs. | Coverage: up to 25,000 square feet
Best Handheld
Brinly All-Season Handheld Spreader
- This small fertilizer spreader is lightweight at just 1.05 pounds.
This small fertilizer spreader is lightweight at just 1.05 pounds.
- Because it’s small, the hopper size is limited, so it would be time consuming to use on a large lawn.
Because it’s small, the hopper size is limited, so it would be time consuming to use on a large lawn.
This handheld spreader is a convenient tool for small yards and hard-to-reach areas. We love that it’s lightweight at just 1.05 pounds, so it’s easy to carry around. The hopper holds up to a half gallon of material, so although it won’t be enough for large areas, it works well when spreading fertilizer around sidewalks, flowerbeds, and other landscaping features.
The hopper’s contoured lip shape is designed to make filling it easy. You simply turn the knob to adjust the material flow rate and use the ergonomic trigger handle and hand crank to spread fertilizer on your yard. It also works well for ice melt in the winter and can be used to reseed a small area of grass as well. It spreads material up to 5 feet, which is a respectable distance for a handheld spreader.
This fertilizer spreader is durably made with a heavy duty hopper, enclosed gears, and steel-plated hardware. It can be a great extra spreader to have on hand for small areas, even if you own a large property, but it’s not large enough to be the sole fertilizer spreader if you have a yard any bigger than 1,500 square feet or so.
Product Details: Type: Handheld spreader | Size: 7 x 9.25 x 8.63 inches | Weight: 1.05 pounds | Coverage: Not Listed
Best Electric
Ryobi One+ Power Spreader
- This handheld spreader is powerful enough to spread fertilizer up to 15 feet in width, and it lets you easily adjust the flow rate and spread width.
This handheld spreader is powerful enough to spread fertilizer up to 15 feet in width, and it lets you easily adjust the flow rate and spread width.
- The battery and charger for this spreader are sold separately.
The battery and charger for this spreader are sold separately.
This small handheld spreader is easy to carry since it only weighs 3 pounds. But don’t let its compact size fool you—it can cover a width of up to 15 feet. Thanks to a powerful motor and a rechargeable 18V battery, it can cover up to 5,000 square feet before you need to refill the 1-gallon tank.
This handheld spreader includes an adjustable flow rate knob so you can calibrate it for the specific product you are applying (check the instructions on your fertilizer package). A sliding lever lets you adjust the area where the fertilizer will be distributed to give you more precise control in smaller areas or a wider spread in larger, open areas.
You release the fertilizer by squeezing the trigger-style handle on the spreader as you are walking. In addition to granular fertilizer, this handheld spreader can be used to apply pellet grass seed, weed control products, and ice melt.
If you own other tools from the Ryobi 18V ONE+ tool line, you can use the same battery and charger for this spreader. If not, the cost of the spreader will be higher because you’ll need to purchase the battery and charger separately.
Product Details: Type: Handheld spreader | Size: 8.25 x 11.5 x 8.25 inches | Weight: 3 pounds | Coverage: Up to 5,000 square feet
Best Three-Point
CountyLine Fertilizer Spreader
- This fertilizer spreader can attach to a tractor and help you easily fertilize multi-acre properties.
This fertilizer spreader can attach to a tractor and help you easily fertilize multi-acre properties.
- It’s too large to use in areas close to a house or around flower beds.
It’s too large to use in areas close to a house or around flower beds.
If you have several acres or more of land that you need to fertilize, the best fertilizer spreaders are the ones that can attach to the back of a tractor. This type of spreader attaches to the tractor’s three-point hitch; they are often used for seeding plants as well. In addition, they can be used to apply ice melt on the long driveways that are common in many rural areas.
The CountyLine Three-Point Fertilizer Spreader spreader features a hopper with an 850-pound capacity—so it’s ready for any large property. The hopper and frame are both made of steel to add durability and the fins (which help control where the fertilizer granules are thrown) are also made of galvanized steel. When applying the fertilizer with this spreader, you can drive up to 7 miles per hour and spread fertilizer in widths between 12 and 46 feet.
Because the spread width is so large, this fertilizer spreader will not work well if you need to spread fertilizers or other material around the house or flowerbeds. You may need to purchase a separate handheld or push spreader for smaller areas that require more precision. Because it’s a larger, heavy-duty spreader it also costs considerably more than the fertilizer spreaders that are handheld or manually pushed.
Product Details: Type: Three-point broadcast spreader | Size: 51 x 27 x 40 inches | Weight: 207 pounds | Coverage: Not listed