Fertilizers allow gardens, lawns, and farms to thrive, but they need to be distributed properly. This is exactly what fertilizer spreaders are for and why you’ll want to get them for yourself.

These nifty tools allow you to spread the life-giving supplements in an organized, even, and efficient manner. Best of all, there is no need to get in direct contact with the fertilizers with your bare hands. 

Obviously, we all want good, reliable fertilizer spreaders that will do the job well. This is what our gardening, farming, and landscaping experts aimed for while reviewing five top excellent products. These fertilizer spreaders are efficient, effective, and economical, as proven by our series of tests and comparisons. 

Once you are ready and have found the best choice, be sure to click the buttons below to see their best deals on Amazon! With that, here are five of the best options that we rounded up especially for you.

Best Fertilizer Spreaders Comparison & Rating

Fertilizer Spreaders

Features

Brinly BS36BH, 175 lb, Black Tow-Behind Broadcast Spreader
  • capacity of 175 pounds
  • autoflow and spread pattern control
  • locking dial for calibration
Brinly P20-500BHDF Push Spreader with Side Deflector Kit, 50-Pound Capacity,Black
  • 50-pound capacity
  • deflector kit for controlling the flow of materials
  • two 12” x 3" pneumatic turf-tread tires
Gardena Hand-Held Spreader M: Spreader for Simple Distribution of Fertiliser, Seeds, and Salt with a Spreading Width of 1-4 m, for Lawn Areas of Up to About 100 m sq (431-20)
  • 4-meter range
  • capacity of 1.8 pounds
  • four-level ergonomic quantity setting
Scotts Whirl Hand-Powered Spreader
  • holds up to 1,500 square feet of products
  • smooth crank function
  • quantity adjustment and a handy handle trigger
Evergreen Scotts Handy Spreader
  • spreads up to two meters across
  • effortless crank arm
  • five settings for spreading

1. Brinly BS36BH Broadcast Spreader

Brinly BS36BH, 175 lb, Black Tow-Behind Broadcast Spreader
Specifications:
97% Overall

Dimensions

43 x 29 x 34.25 inches

Weight

47 pounds

Color

Black

Type

Tow-behind

98%
performance
97%
features
98%
durability
96%
quality
Pros:
  • Holds up to 175 pounds of materials.
  • Useful for fertilizers, salt, grains, seeds, and more.
  • Perfect for areas that reach one acre or bigger
  • Features a heavy polyethylene hopper and stainless steel hardware.
  • Comes with autoflow and spread pattern control.
  • Comes with a locking dial for calibration.
  • Includes a hopper cover with elastic materials.
  • Spreads up to 12 feet in width.
  • Sports a universal attachment feature.
Cons:
  • It needs to be hooked up to a tractor, ATV, or other similar machines.
  • Huge and not ideal for small lawns.
Final Take:

For large areas like farms or professional lawn grass businesses, this fertilizer spreader is perfect. It can hold up to 175 pounds of fertilizers and other granular materials to spread around. This includes grass feeds or seeds, ice-melting salt, or even sand. The calibration setting is within easy reach and you can control which direction the spread goes. You can also control the width and accuracy of your spreading process.

2. Brinly P20-500BHDF Spreader with Side Deflector Kit

Brinly P20-500BHDF Push Spreader with Side Deflector Kit, 50-Pound Capacity,Black
Specifications:
96% Overall

Dimensions

36 x 23 x 38 inches

Weight

29 pounds

Color

Black

Type

Push

97%
performance
95%
features
96%
durability
95%
quality
Pros:
  • Comes with a 50-pound capacity.
  • Perfect for grass seeds, fertilizer, and agents for melting snow.
  • Comes with a deflector kit for controlling the flow of materials.
  • Features two 12” x 3" pneumatic turf-tread tires.
  • Made of premium, rust-resistant stainless steel.
  • The controls are within easy reach.
  • Calibrations are simple and close to the handles.
  • Has a spread width of up to 12 inches.
Cons:
  • Difficult to use for spreading ice-melting salt when the snow pile is too high.
  • Spreading the fertilizer becomes more challenging as the container empties.
Final Take:

For larger areas, this fertilizer spreader is a huge boon. The pneumatic tires make it easy to maneuver the gardening tool around for spreading fertilizer. You can also calibrate the spreading process with the controls near the handle in terms of quantity and the rate of spread. The deflector reduces the waste and helps provide quantity control, as well. The rust-proof hopper and poly-coated frame also reduce the need for maintenance.

3. Gardena Fertilizer, Seeds, and Salt Spreader

Gardena Hand-Held Spreader M: Spreader for Simple Distribution of Fertiliser, Seeds, and Salt with a Spreading Width of 1-4 m, for Lawn Areas of Up to About 100 m sq (431-20)
Specifications:
95% Overall

Dimensions

0.39 x 0.39 x 0.39 inches

Weight

1.34 pounds

Color

Blue

Type

Handheld

94%
performance
95%
features
96%
durability
95%
quality
Pros:
  • Has a range of up to 4 meters.
  • Has a capacity of 1.8 pounds.
  • Perfect for lawns of up to 100 square meters.
  • Comes with a filling volume of up to 3.6 pounds.
  • Features a four-level ergonomic quantity setting.
  • Comes with an open/close thumb release button on the handle.
  • Made of break-proof plastic for durability.
  • Ergonomically designed for comfort.
Cons:
  • Though the handle is ergonomically designed, using the crank for a long period of time can cause strain on the wrist. 
  • Lacks precision when fertilizing small pots.
Final Take:

This is a good fertilizer spreader to have for your small garden. Its ergonomically designed handle is comfortable to hold and provides an excellent grip while cranking. It never clogs and accommodates most solid fertilizer brands. You can also use this to spread salt on your frozen driveway to melt the ice. The same goes for sowing seeds on a garden bed for flowers, vegetables, and the like.

4. Scotts Whirl Hand-Powered Spreader

Scotts Whirl Hand-Powered Spreader
Specifications:
93% Overall

Dimensions

30 x 30 x 30 inches

Weight

30 pounds

Color

Gray

Type

Handheld

93%
performance
94%
features
92%
durability
93%
quality
Pros:
  • Comes with an adjustable arm support for less wrist strain.
  • Holds up to 1,500 square feet of lawn products.
  • Perfect for small lawns, yards, and gardens.
  • Accommodates feeds, fertilizers, seeds, and salt.
  • Features a smooth crank function.
  • Guarantees an even delivery of feeds.
  • Comes with quantity adjustment and a handy handle trigger.
Cons:
  • Cranking too hard and fast can leave a mess.
  • The trigger can be quite hard to use.
Final Take:

This is one of the handiest fertilizer spreaders on the market. The trigger provides excellent control in releasing the feeds to the target location. The quantity dial ensures that you don’t use up too much feed. The crank is also easy to operate and you are the one in control of the speed. With the arm support providing the counterweight, the strain to the wrist is minimized.

5. Evergreen Scotts Handy Spreader

Evergreen Scotts Handy Spreader
Specifications:
91% Overall

Dimensions

11.81 x 7.87 x 7.87 inches

Weight

0.02 pounds

Color

Green

Type

Handheld

91%
performance
92%
features
90%
durability
90%
quality
Pros:
  • Made of high-quality plastic for durability.
  • Ensures even application of fertilizers and other granular products.
  • Spreads up to 2 meters across.
  • Comes with arm support for comfort.
  • Features an ergonomic design for a tight grip.
  • Boasts an effortless crank arm.
  • Comes with five settings for spreading.
Cons:
  • There is a need to occasionally shake the spreader to keep the seed moving through the opening at the bottom.
  • The spread is too wide for its size.
Final Take:

This is a fairly straightforward fertilizer spreader to use. The crank gives you the discretion to spread the granules as fast and as much as you need. You can choose from five different settings to decide how fast the fertilizer gets used up. The handle provides a good grip and plenty of control. The front exit point ensures that you won’t get any of the fertilizer on you, as well.

Best Fertilizer Spreaders - Buyer's Guide

Type

There are three main types of fertilizer spreaders; handheld, push, and tow-behind. The first is small enough to be held by one or two hands and has a crank to help facilitate the distribution. The second and third typically have wheels and can either be pushed from behind or pulled from the front.

size

The size of the spreaders can dictate its capacity. This is why there is a huge need to consider the size of spreaders. Apparently, a small fertilizer spreader is a good choice for small garden or lawns. The promise great convenience and control. On the other hand, the big ones can allow you to spread your fertilizers without the need to repeatedly refill them. 

capacity

Different fertilizer spreaders can hold different amounts of fertilizers. They can accommodate anything from 10 to 200 pounds depending on their type and size. This capacity will affect the size of the area you can cover when distributing your fertilizer, as well as the speed at which you can spread the substance.

ease of use

One of the biggest reasons to get a fertilizer spreader is because it makes distribution easier. This means that you should not have any problems operating the tool, regardless of what type it is. The function should be straightforward and you should not have to struggle to understand how it works. During the spreading itself, the process should be smooth and efficient. 

versatility

Fertilizer spreaders can actually be used for other things besides fertilizers. They can also accommodate snow salts, seeds, dried mulch, and more. As long as it is the right consistency and powdery form, you will be able to use them with a fertilizer spreader. You could even use it for sand.

Best Fertilizer Spreaders - FAQs

What does a fertilizer spreader do?

A fertilizer spreader is a tool that is meant to make the process of distributing fertilizers over a certain area in an even, controlled manner. It can come in many forms, shapes, and sizes. You can hold it with your hands, push it from behind, pull it from the front, or attach it to a tractor or lawnmower.

Do I need a fertilizer spreader?

If you want a nice, even spread of your fertilizer, then yes. Typically, you would just open a bag of fertilizer and use a scoop to spread it around in a haphazard manner. This does not guarantee that every spot will get fertilized or that the fertilizer will be distributed properly. You would then waste more fertilizer than you need to.

What kind of fertilizer spreader do I need?

It depends on how big the area is and what you intend to fertilize. Larger agricultural plots like farms require bigger spreaders that can hold several pounds and can be pulled by a machine. Fields or large, manicured lawns would benefit more from push spreaders with wheels and handles from the back. Smaller gardens would better be fertilized using handheld spreaders.a

Can I use fertilizer spreaders for other things?

Fertilizer spreaders can also be used to spread seeds or snow salts. Depending on the type and the size, you can pretty much use it to spread anything as long as it has the right size and consistency. If it is grainy or powdery, you could do so, and it doesn’t even necessarily have to be about plants or cultivating.

Author

Jessie is a landscape artist famous among folks in Los Angeles who are obsessed with keeping their lawns pristine and divine. He worked for BrightView Holdings, Inc. back in 2015 and now owns a brick-and-mortar business that offers all kinds of gardening tools and machines. Ask him all you need to know about your mower or your fertilizer, and he will answer you while sipping a cup of coffee.