10 Best Drop Spreaders

The best drop spreaders are gravity feed systems to drop seeds directly down in neat rows with high precision. The distance between the two hopper holes is your spread width.

The spreading units fit well for lawns with plenty of planting beds, landscaping, tight turns, or narrow green stripes. You will have to overlap your wheels whenever you cross your gardens as the seed drops straight between the wheels. It makes the target area even more precise.

The first tools used in spreading dry granular fertilizers were the drop spreaders. Be careful not to use too much fertilizer in one place, or you can have green stripes on your turf, or you can even burn the grass.

Advantages

Simple to use and monitor, not affected by regular winds. The tight spots and precision around obstacles are possible as your seeds are limited enough that cleaning is unnecessary.

Disadvantages

If you don’t overlap your wheel routes, it might be stripping. It takes longer for the seeds to disperse since every pass has less soil.

Different Operation Type

There are two particular design styles for drop spreading, and they decide the effectiveness for your expected use.

Push Drop Spreader

The push spreaders are best known for their accuracy and precision in spreading every lawn product you use. You will learn the exact location of that fertilizer. Because they are precise, push spreaders take time to cover the whole plot.

Tow-Behind Spreader

The tow-behind spreaders are better suited for wider areas at a considerably faster time. Often they are bigger and more expensive than push spreaders. This form of operation has a higher hopper capacity but is not the best for precision.

Features & The Application

Robust design and accessories are the most important things; check out the parts below to see which one is specific for certain purposes.

Wheels

The axle and wheels in the spreader need to be robust. Most dropout spreaders have 10-12 inch wheels. It gives enough space for the seed to fall over to the ground.

The cheaper and lighter plastic wheels are not so good for big bumps or rough ground. The pneumatic tires are perfect for more uneven terrain and hills, but they mostly require maintenance regularly.

Handle

To modify the drop spreader, you need a handle with the right height to push in front. Some spreaders have adjustable settings to increase or decrease the handles. In some units, covers are mounted on the handle to alleviate hand tension and improve grip.

Hopper

The hopper capacity is good to save time and energy. You need to measure the yard size and decide how much your hopper needs to hold, avoid frequent refills.

Rate Control

You adjust the drop setting via the flow rate. Different lawn products will have many application rates so that the hoppers can be easily modified.

Up to now, you are reaching all the necessities. It’s time to move to the next part, which the highlights and competitive characters are waiting!

What Are The Best Drop Spreaders?

The best drop spreader covers granular items annually in a uniform coverage. Otherwise, you will use fertilizer or control goods unevenly, leading to uneven feeding and weeds, insect control, or diseases.

You can look up to SCOTTS, SPYKER, or LESCO drop spreaders. They are best known for their simple operation and reliable coverage control. Especially, still good to use in any weather.

Then you can choose the spreading units from AGRI-FAB, CHAPIN INTERNATIONAL, and SALTDOGG based on their capacity. From 175 pounds to 200 pounds, the products also fit with wide wheels to cope with the barriers or tight areas, including roots and trees.

• Best Overall – SCOTTS 22-Inch Push Drop Spreader
  “Hopper with a large size 10,000 sq. ft; Scotts lawn product, fertilizer and grass seed included. The 22-inch spread pattern has the best precision and coverage.”
• Best Budget – AGRI-FAB 42-Inch Tow Behind Drop Spreader
  “Built from global material in the USA; coverage of 40,000 square feet; around 1 acre. Spread width regulated 42-inch; the poly hopper rustproof improves product life.”
• Best in Hopper Width – SPYKER 36-Inch Push Drop Spreader
  “Section of the side-by-side hopper for variable width; full construction of steel hopper with the large pneumatic 13″ x 5″ tires. Material flow variable and fixed rate.”
• Best with Accessories – EARTHWAY PRODUCTS 22-Inch Push Drop Spreader
  “Hopper size of 75 pounds offers a single pass for 22 inches of spread cover. The 12-inch semi pneumatic tires can minimize slippage and provide balance.”
• Best Flexibility – LESCO 36-Inch Push Drop Spreader
  “Tackle areas with the flexibility; capacity reaches up to 120 pounds. Two hopper bottoms of stainless steel, precision when distribute the granular materials.”
• Best with Stainless Steel – CHAPIN INTERNATIONAL 36-Inch Push Drop Spreader
  “The stainless steel hopper with 36-inch deep drawn, smooth without welds. Third idler wheel to handle quickly with the capacity reaches up to 200 pounds.”
• Best Long Lasting – EARTHWAY 9-Inch Push Drop Spreader
  “Sows seed easily and quickly; giving uniform results but solid via long term uses. Automatic action when walking, 40 pounds of medium capacity duty seeds.”
• Best for All Seasons – CRAFTSMAN 32-Inch Tow Behind Drop Spreader
  “Coverage up to 17,500 square feet, roughly 1/3 acre. The hopper tackles many materials: weed killers, grass seed, fertilizers, and ice melt. Permeates soil quickly and easily.”
• Best for Foliage – SALTDOGG 44-Inch Push Drop Spreader
  “Durable, corrosion-free with stainless steel construction. Perfect for nearly prone leaf areas, poly hopper contains 200 pounds of bagged salt or ice-melt.”
• Best in Wheels – PRECISION 22-Inch Push Drop Spreader
  “Come in great size, packed perfectly. Cable access with fingertips and 7/8 inch tubes covered with black powder. The wheels are from poly, 12 inches size.”

Comparison Chart

The cool-looking lawns begin with three basic steps: weeding, feeding, and seeding, all three of them involve using the best drop spreader. I am ranking for you the top-ten editions; they are beautiful in shape and portable in use. Check them all!

My Top Picks

You can save money and time by using the best drop spreaders in the long run. Fertilizer spreaders are one of the best investments you might make.

Down there, you will get into the full review in detail; let’s track to see which features you will impress the most? Any function advantages you are looking for?

1. SCOTTS 22-Inch Push Drop Spreader

(Best Overall)

Oh, it’s your turn to use the SCOTTS 22-Inch Push Drop Spreader effectively and quickly. You can stretch up to 10,000 square feet with a wide hopper and a heavy-duty frame for maximum stability. Especially the Scotts lawn foods for precision and optimum coverage.

This classic drop spreader comes fully assembled and pre-calibrated, ready to treat your lawn instantly. You will like the bigger hopper capability; it helps to keep fertilizer and grass seed.

It’s great for medium-sized zones, such as highly landscaped areas or narrow curves. You need to follow the calibration guides to not damaging the lawn. One more thing, the dial is much easier to read to control the spread rate.

Key features:

• Fully assembled
• Pre-calibrated, ready to use
• Extreme duty structure for optimal stability
• The spread pattern of 22-inch for coverage, exactness

Product Specifications:

Brand	SCOTTS
Style	Drop, Mini, Deluxe, Elite
Color	Green
Material	Not specific
Spread Width	22 inches
Hopper Capacity	25.6 pounds
Fully Assembled	Yes

Once you are into this video from Scotts, you will get to know your Scotts Spreader better and calibrate it in the most effective ways. Check out the instructions!

2. AGRI-FAB 42-Inch Tow Behind Drop Spreader

(Best Budget)

The AGRI-FAB 42-Inch Tow Behind Drop Spreader 175-pound will allow you to grow the gorgeous lawn you ever wanted. The galvanized premium steel agitator increases reliability, and the pneumatic tires that will enable smooth transportation are the two outstanding features.

If you ask me for advice, spring would be the perfect time to use this spreader. You can spread the grass seed onto bare areas when needed for optimal results. Fertilizing and feeding in summer to improve growth. That’s all for the basics.

A video instruction guide follows the assembly method. Thanks to its drop spreading capacities, this item provides more exact results. The wide flat-free tires transport smoothly in the project area. Surely, the spreader will last for years with proper care and application.

Key features:

• Three years limited warranty
• Hopper capacity of 175 pounds
• Cover in one fill up to 40000 sq. ft
• Spreader width of 45 inches control
• 13″ x 4″ wheels with pneumatic, flat-free tires

Product Specifications:

Brand	AGRI-FAB
Style	Drop
Color	Black
Material	Poly, Premium galvanized steel
Spread Width	42 inches
Hopper Capacity	175 pounds
Fully Assembled	No

3. SPYKER 36-Inch Push Drop Spreader

(Best in Hopper Width)

Spyker’s 36-inch commercial drop spreader enhances world-class spreaders’ comprehensive line to spread fertilizer, seeds, and ice-melt throughout the year. This large fertilizer drop spreader is ideal for starting new lawns and drops seed wherever you want it.

The large pneumatic 13″ x 5″ tires distribute weight equally while running smoothly without ruts. I love the split axle and the pneumatic wheels. It’s three-foot-wide, and a centimeter turns around tight beds and fruit trees.

This product has two hopper sections that enable the operator to consistently spread 36″ or 18″ widths to cover tightened areas or other landscape landscapes. No more burning grass and raising the soil’s PH; you should apply ice melt on sidewalks and entries in winter to the edge of the pavement.

Key features:

• 120 pounds of hopper capacity
• The axle type 5/8-inch solid rod
• The rectangular opening type 2.4 x 2-3/4 inches
• The 0.5-inch fixed rate and variable rate bottoms

Product Specifications:

Brand	SPYKER
Style	Drop
Color	Black
Material	Stainless steel, Metal, Powder-Coated Steel, Steel, Rubber
Spread Width	36 inches
Hopper Capacity	120 pounds
Fully Assembled	No

Let me tell you a secret, the video unboxing Spyker drop spreader soon fulfill your imagination. Check it, note down the tips carefully to get started with ease.

4. EARTHWAY PRODUCTS 22-Inch Push Drop Spreader

(Best with Accessories)

This drop spreader dispenses the hopper’s material to reduce the drift or be applied in places you do not want. Full options in one, the steel cable frames, cushioned grip flow control, pneumatic wheels, and 65 pounds capacity are available for the hopper.

It can be used for medium-sized lawns and is very precise. You can spread your lawn products faster and save time, with a spread width of 45 feet. About extra features, you can trust. The gauge lever mounting has designed to allow you to monitor the material’s application rate.

More than that, The Rate Calculation Matrix allows you to set this EARTHWAY PRODUCTS 22-Inch Push Drop Spreader for all granular products today, including organic materials. The eight poly deep lug wheels eliminate slipping and have a balanced drop pattern.

Key features:

• Chassis covered with epoxy
• The agitator of direct drive
• The hopper made from rustproof poly
• A single pass for 22 inches of spread coverage

Product Specifications:

Brand	EARTHWAY PRODUCTS
Style	Drop
Color	Red
Material	Rustproof poly, epoxy
Spread Width	22 inches
Hopper Capacity	75 pounds
Fully Assembled	Yes

Soon you will impress these features from this EARTHWAY PRODUCTS 22-Inch Push Drop Spreader Review. You are now having the true supporter of the weed and feed solutions.

5. LESCO 36-Inch Push Drop Spreader

(Best Flexibility)

The precise precision is needed to distribute granular materials on your lawn; the dropping tool is used. If it is impossible to monitor such spreading applications with a rotary spreader, a drop spreader is right.

The LESCO 36-Inch Push Drop Spreader has two hopper bottoms in stainless steel, one fixed rate, and one adjustable rate, which are interchangeable, making your scattering operations more flexible. You can freely transfer the pace to get things done!

This product from Lesco has been applied for the spread of dry, granulated topdressing material. However, you need to remove the bottom of the calibrating stainless steel and ensure that the bottom flap is placed in the base to protect the opening.

Key features:

• The 13-inch tires are air-filled
• 36 inches of spreading width
• 120 pounds of hopper capacity
• Stable hopper bottoms made of stainless steel

Product Specifications:

Brand	LESCO
Style	Drop
Color	Green
Material	Stainless steel
Spread Width	36 inches
Hopper Capacity	120 pounds
Fully Assembled	No

6. CHAPIN INTERNATIONAL 36-Inch Push Drop Spreader

(Best with Stainless Steel)

The Chapin Skilled spreaders have been designed to provide all the functionality and features required to achieve consistent, effective performance. It’s weld-free all of the 200 pounds stainless design.

You can trust in the Chapin International Brand’s quality product with the hopper has built for 36 inches deep, stainless steel full item. The CHAPIN INTERNATIONAL 36-Inch Push Drop Spreader is equipped with a wide 1-piece hopper with rolling edges, robust stainless steel frame.

Other accessibilities soon impress you, a strong gate control linkage, the chain-driven agitators to prevent clumping, and product flow to a minimum. Plus, the pneumatic 12-inch tires can cover almost any terrain.

Key features:

• Limited lifetime warranty
• Strong linkage gate controls separate left/right
• 12-ich pneumatic tread tires for optimum traction
• The corrosion-resistant stainless steel drive chains
• Discharge holes behind the wheels for a complete 36″ drop width

Product Specifications:

Brand	CHAPIN INTERNATIONAL
Style	Drop
Color	Steel
Material	Stainless steel, rubber
Spread Width	36 inches
Hopper Capacity	200 pounds
Fully Assembled	Yes

Chapin International Inc has shared this review with you. Hope your real experience soon gets good results; drop fertilizer entirely, even the smallest corner of the yard!

7. EARTHWAY 9-Inch Push Drop Spreader

(Best Long Lasting)

Let the 40-pound Earthway Medium Speed Fertilizer Drop Spreader help lighten loads easily, not overwork this season. This product is suitable for managing your yard, commercial property, or acreage in the coming years.

The grass seed sower has a durable aluminum frame powdered to prevent damage to rust and the weather. A flared hopper gives you a minimum of reloading for up to 40 pounds of fertilizer, minerals, seed, feed, salt, and more.

The EV-N-SPRED 3-hole system disperses the hopper’s contents uniformly and features a fast gearbox that allows you to control or stop the dispersal rate completely.

The 9-inch high-flotation tires can easily navigate rough soil or icy concrete, supporting diffused fertilizer. Every season, you can break out this convenient unit and save time for other projects.

Key features:

• The side-spread control is on the left side.
• Adjustable speed with high-speed gearbox
• The rustproof hopper of 40-pound capacity
• Pneumatic tires hold up to 100 pounds of load.
• Powder-coated, heavy flotation, rustproof chassis

Product Specifications:

Brand	EARTHWAY
Style	Drop
Color	Blue, Red
Material	Aluminum
Spread Width	9 inches
Hopper Capacity	40 pounds
Fully Assembled	No

8. CRAFTSMAN 32-Inch Tow Behind Drop Spreader

(Best for All Seasons)

The 100-pound Drop Spreader Aerator Combo provides both a drop spreader and a spike aerator, two in one versatility. It provides all the advantages of a drop spreader plus aeration for easy access to the grassroots through nutrients, water, and sunlight.

This device, which is particularly good for seeding, saves time by allowing fertilization and aeration in one pass. A spreader and an aeration device have a dual duty and preserve precious space in the garage or shed.

Let’s talk a bit about the seasons. In spring, you should apply pre-emergent herbicide and fertilizer. Next is the early summer; this period calls for using grub control. Then it’s time to spray perennial weeds when the fall is coming.

Lastly, winter is the time to drop ice-melt and perform maintenance on the tools. Hope you have in-house the best drop spreader to finish tasks for the whole year coming.

Key features:

• The large 32-inch controlled spread width.
• Hopper is made from rustproof polypropylene.
• Universal hitch suits all riding mowers quickly.
• Penetrate up to 2-inch soil with 96 steel tine tips
• Developed in the USA (Sullivan, Illinois) with global materials

Product Specifications:

Brand	CRAFTSMAN
Style	Drop
Color	Red
Material	Premium galvanized metal, 100% rustproof polypropylene.
Spread Width	32 inches
Hopper Capacity	100 pounds
Fully Assembled	No

9. SALTDOGG 44-Inch Push Drop Spreader

(Best for Foliage)

The SALTDOGG 44-Inch Push Drop Spreader provided a high-capacity walk-behind spreader for property owners, facilities managers, and contractors to use ice melt and bagged salt. It is low to the ground, the dropout layout retains precision in an application, and is suitable for areas close to sensitive foliage.

The 44-inch wide profile in a single pass can cover the entire path. A 2.5-foot cubic poly hopper is included in the drop spreader that can handle 200 pounds of ice melt or bagged salt.

The trough with nylon bushings and stainless steel agitator keeps substances moving and helps break down all the clumping stuff. It also has a regular hopper screen to avoid jamming of materials, a rain cover of nylon to keep the material dry and spreadable.

Key features:

• Made in the USA
• One year warranty
• Comes 90% assembled.
• The screen in metal to avoid jamming materials
• The pneumatic tires 13 inches wide premium-stability

Product Specifications:

Brand	SALTDOGG
Style	Drop
Color	Black
Material	Stainless steel, Corrosion-free poly
Spread Width	44 inches
Hopper Capacity	200 pounds
Fully Assembled	No

Deicing paths and sidewalks, you can look up to this SALTDOGG 44-Inch Push Drop Spreader. Anything better than an average spreader capacity, it’s time to cover the whole path!

10. PRECISION 22-Inch Push Drop Spreader

(Best in Wheels)

The PRECISION 22-Inch Push Drop Spreader, made of durable plastic, helps make seed spread on your lawn extra fast. This high-capacity tool carries a massive weight of 75 pounds so that you can do the job much quicker.

A large 22-inch distribution pattern has large wheels that help it run smoothly through the robust terrain. You can stop worrying about spreading evenly but quickly in application time.

I don’t have any issues with this product, and it just fines for fertilizer. After use, I still spray and let the slots dry free of debris. Put fertilizer anywhere you want without crossing your driveway or sidewalks.

Key features:

• The spread pattern of 22 inches
• 7/8-inch tube covered black powder
• The flow bar gears and poly agitator
• 1500 cubic inch, weight capacity up to 75 pounds

Product Specifications:

Brand	PRECISION
Style	Drop
Color	Green
Material	Heavy-duty poly, Plastic
Spread Width	22 inches
Hopper Capacity	75 pounds
Fully Assembled	Yes

Buying Guide: What Is The Best Drop Spreaders On The Market?

Proper maintenance is important to maintain a lush, safe lawn, and of course, the best drop spreader will be there. My guide with helpful tips on buying the right gardening tools soon gives you all the clues.

Rust Proof

You must ensure your equipment is safe from severe weather outside. Choose a rust-resistant product because you deal with wet grass most frequently all year round. The safest choice is galvanized steel materials.

Aeration

Aeration is not essential for all, but it will help you have a tow behind the hopper. Aeration is necessary to improve the soil absorption of fertilizer, particularly in harsher terrains.

This additional function perforates the ground and normally comes with galvanized spikes.

Material

The best choices are hard plastic and stainless steel because they are rough and heavy-duty. Check that the structure is durable enough to handle the outer part, particularly the frame.

The materials used for the axles and wheels should be rust-free, heavy-duty to use widely in any area.

Capacity

The hopper’s scale determines the spreader ability. You can get a small drop spreader like 50 pounds once if you are in a small plot of land. And, some spreaders have a range of 80 to 175 pounds when dealing with larger lawn areas.

Application

The primary use is to distribute fertilizer or grass seeds. The device can be applied for different materials, such as salt, anti-pest pellets, or snow melting agents.

You can also have a drop spreader to handle granular materials to increase the green of your garden.

Performance

The best drop spreader can do without hassle its intended job. It’s all about the machine’s overall efficiency. It must be a heavy-duty device that can cope with harsh conditions outside.

5 Steps To Spread

The best drop spreaders of lawn care are required to maintain healthy lawns. If you fertilize, seed, or ice melting, it will make your reproductive care easier for you.

The contents are sprinkled directly onto a lawn in a hopper width area by a drop spreading unit. It’s better for smaller yards or if you have several curves and need the product’s precise spread.

Soon I will show you how to use grass seed, pesticides, granular fertilizers, and soil amendments in lawn care.

#1 Fill The Hopper

Follow the instructions to add the correct amount of lawn products to the hopper. Fill on the driveway or sidewalk, not leave a burn mark on the lawn if you spill.

#2 Find The Settings

Find the recommended spreader setting on the product bag’s back.

# 3 Set The Dial

The dial tracks the distribution of your product. Set the dial to match that number on the spreader.

#4 Create The Border

Make a border or header strip all along the external edge. This step prevents the liquid from sprinkling on walkways or garden beds.

#5 Follow The Right Pattern

By not overlapping too much product on areas, you want to cover the lawn evenly. Hold the handle lever to keep the product flowing.

When you hit the borders, turn it OFF, so you will not transmit an extra layer. Turn it back ON when heading back and align with the first passing wheel tracks and the hopper arrow.

Gardening time is now more relaxing. Keep calm and follow the pattern until you finish the duty!

FAQs

If your garden area is considerably big, it could be difficult without the best drop spreader to perform all scheduled planting tasks. Plus, it would be best to know more about using cases and the appropriate settings for special applications.

Take time in this part to see which experience you still do not have yet!

Final Thought

The best drop spreaders are the ideal solutions for heavy landscaping and vast quantities of controlling a landscape. They are excellent for precisely dropping and scattering an application.

Asking me about my favorite? The answer is so sure; it’s the SCOTTS 22-Inch Push Drop Spreader. The long-lasting and durable construction makes it perfect for all seasons. More than that, this item saves me a great deal of time and resources because of its ability to reduce tasks.

Now, it’s your turn to share your picking item. Would you like a larger capacity or medium spread width? No more hassles; share it with your friends and me, too. Hope that my review can help you all save more considering time; send it to the teams now!