SIGforum
What's the Top of the Line Broadcast Spreader

This topic can be found at:
https://sigforum.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/320601935/m/1360051184

April 09, 2021, 01:29 PM
ubelongoutside
What's the Top of the Line Broadcast Spreader
I want a good push broadcast spreader. This will be used for fertilizing and seeding food plots.

It needs to open large enough for soybeans. I'd like it to have pneumatic tires and a cover, though I can always fashion one of those if needed.

I know we have some landscapers here, what's the go to brand for the pros?




April 09, 2021, 01:41 PM
ZSMICHAEL
What size are your food plots?
April 09, 2021, 01:53 PM
ubelongoutside
quote:
Originally posted by ZSMICHAEL:
What size are your food plots?


About an acre which is why I'm finding it hard to justify a 3 pt mount, or a tow behind. In the time it would take to drop the tiller and hook up the spreader I can be done with a push spreader.




April 09, 2021, 02:05 PM
ZSMICHAEL
I use a Scotts Broadcast Spreader. It does fine on a half acre, but requires some skill in terms of calibration. The more expensive ones seem to be tow behind.
April 09, 2021, 02:10 PM
ubelongoutside
quote:
Originally posted by ZSMICHAEL:
I use a Scotts Broadcast Spreader. It does fine on a half acre, but requires some skill in terms of calibration. The more expensive ones seem to be tow behind.


I've been using a Scotts too, but the little plastic wheels don't work well so I'm looking to upgrade. I may use it for fertilizer on some new plots too which will be pretty rough until I get them worked in so I want some good tires on it.




April 09, 2021, 02:15 PM
reflex/deflex 64
https://www.kellytractor.com/e...aGatorBrochureLR.pdf

You’ll never look at yard work the same way.


----------The weather is here I wish you were beautiful----------
April 09, 2021, 02:45 PM
dkjbama
With just 1 acre greenfields, seriously consider ditching wheels altogether. My brother turned me on to the Earthway bag spreader. Holds 25lbs, sling it over your shoulder, turn the crank and go.

https://www.amazon.com/Earthwa...Seeder/dp/B000XS3EHA

Between the two of us we have access to the bag spreaders, a wheeled one, and a big beat up 3pt spreader my brother got for $100. Only thing the 3pt gets used for is heavy loads of lime. He does ALL his food plot seeding with the bag spreader.

The lot my home sits on is 1/3 acre with about 10,000 sq feet of lawn. It took me maybe 8 minutes to put down Balan pre-emergent. Putting down 50 lbs of 13-13-13 took me maybe 15 minutes and that includes stopping to fill the bag.

I really questioned whether I'd like the bag spreader, but using his for the Balan sold me in 5 minutes. I thought carrying the weight in the bag would bother me, but its way easier on my back than hunching over to push the crappy scotts spreader i have. On uneven ground, you'll like the bag spreader even more as opposed to bouncing a wheeled unit over tilled ground.

If you must have wheels Earthway makes really good ones that are highly regarded.
April 09, 2021, 04:53 PM
trapper189
I don't know if it's top of the line, but I have a Lesco rotary spreader that makes anything labeled Scotts look like a child's toy. The only downside is when buying fertilizer from big box stores, the bags list Scotts spreader settings so I have to convert the Scotts number to a Lesco number. There are charts online for this.
April 09, 2021, 04:59 PM
ZSMICHAEL
Pretty spendy!!! Looks indestructible. Ten times the cost of Scotts. What do you like about it??
April 09, 2021, 05:10 PM
trapper189
I didn't buy the stainless steel one, so I paid around $200. I had several Scotts spreaders, both drop and broadcast, and pushing them over St Augustine was a real chore. The pneumatic rubber tires on the Lesco have no trouble with it. My 82 year old father uses it on his lawn even. The hopper holds 50lbs so I can just dump the whole bag in which was great when I had 3/4 of an acre of grass.
April 09, 2021, 05:48 PM
ZSMICHAEL
OK thank you.
April 09, 2021, 06:19 PM
SigM4
I bought an Agri-Fab after getting fed up with the cheap plastic Scott’s that resulted in spilled fertilizer with every bump and dip. The tires on this unit eat up uneven terrain and make quick work. And at 130 lbs. capacity there is no stopping to refill.

It’s ridiculously oversized for the small lot we’re on, but we’ll hopefully be able to use it to its full potential once we move to Wichita.

Honda push mower for scale.




Success always occurs in private, and failure in full view.

Complacency sucks…
April 09, 2021, 06:30 PM
gpbst3
The Scott’s spreaders are absolute junk.

I got a small echo and it well made for a decent price.

https://www.echo-usa.com/Produ...AvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds


April 09, 2021, 06:42 PM
ubelongoutside
quote:
Originally posted by dkjbama:
With just 1 acre greenfields, seriously consider ditching wheels altogether. My brother turned me on to the Earthway bag spreader. Holds 25lbs, sling it over your shoulder, turn the crank and go.

https://www.amazon.com/Earthwa...Seeder/dp/B000XS3EHA

Between the two of us we have access to the bag spreaders, a wheeled one, and a big beat up 3pt spreader my brother got for $100. Only thing the 3pt gets used for is heavy loads of lime. He does ALL his food plot seeding with the bag spreader.

The lot my home sits on is 1/3 acre with about 10,000 sq feet of lawn. It took me maybe 8 minutes to put down Balan pre-emergent. Putting down 50 lbs of 13-13-13 took me maybe 15 minutes and that includes stopping to fill the bag.

I really questioned whether I'd like the bag spreader, but using his for the Balan sold me in 5 minutes. I thought carrying the weight in the bag would bother me, but its way easier on my back than hunching over to push the crappy scotts spreader i have. On uneven ground, you'll like the bag spreader even more as opposed to bouncing a wheeled unit over tilled ground.

If you must have wheels Earthway makes really good ones that are highly regarded.


I've actually had one of these on my list for a while for putting in small clover plots. Do you know if it will handle big seeds like soybeans?

If so then similar to what you're doing is like pto one for lime and fertilizer, but could use the bag one for seeding.




April 09, 2021, 07:51 PM
dkjbama
quote:
Originally posted by ubelongoutside:
I've actually had one of these on my list for a while for putting in small clover plots. Do you know if it will handle big seeds like soybeans?

If so then similar to what you're doing is like pto one for lime and fertilizer, but could use the bag one for seeding.


I asked my brother and although he hasn't planted beans with it, he said it should be fine. Looking at mine, the gate on it opens just as wide as any other wheeled spreader I've used.

Like you suggest, even if he has the tractor or 4-wheeler with him with the spreaders on them, he seeds with the bag spreader. I really had no appreciation for how useful the bag spreader is until I used it on my own property. I bought my own within a week.
April 09, 2021, 08:26 PM
marc308
Lesco
April 09, 2021, 08:55 PM
mark123
Real deal, top of the line, number one broadcast push spreader The Andersons 2000SR. It's what I use. The secret is in the helical cone. I have no idea about spreading soybean seed though.

https://www.lawnandpestcontrol...nless-steel-spreader
April 09, 2021, 08:59 PM
ZSMICHAEL
^^^^^^^^^^
YES SIR. Be the boss of your neighborhood with this baby!! Tires look HUGE.
April 09, 2021, 09:13 PM
Bluecobra
quote:
Originally posted by mark123:
Real deal, top of the line, number one broadcast push spreader The Andersons 2000SR. It's what I use. The secret is in the helical cone. I have no idea about spreading soybean seed though.

https://www.lawnandpestcontrol...nless-steel-spreader


Whooo!! makes my stainless Lesco look cheap. The Lesco does work well though.
April 09, 2021, 09:35 PM
ubelongoutside
quote:
Originally posted by mark123:
Real deal, top of the line, number one broadcast push spreader The Andersons 2000SR. It's what I use. The secret is in the helical cone. I have no idea about spreading soybean seed though.

https://www.lawnandpestcontrol...nless-steel-spreader


Wow, I had no idea. I was thinking $200 would be top of the line maybe I was thinking more middle of the line Big Grin