EarthWay 2600A-PLUS Spreader Lawn Aerator & Fertilizer Spreader, 40lb Hopper Capacity, Red, Durable, All Terrain Pneumatic Tires, Rust-Proof Polypropylene, Epoxy Coated Steel Frame

I was in the lawn maintenance business for 10 years, and all our techs used Earthways. When it came time to get a spreader for my own lawn I burned $35 bucks on Scott’s brand. Despite my best efforts with Scott’s,after 2 yrs of altering spreader patterns, rate of application and distance between passes I gave up. Finally got sick and tired of my striped lawn, the cheap plastic pieces and wheels and bought the earthway. Wish I would have listened to my years of lawn care experience and invests that $35 into this spreader. Would have saved me lots of time and frustration. This spreader is fantastic. Always an even pattern, easy to operate and very sensitive to varying application rates (whether dropping salt, fertilizer, pesticides). Tires grip the turf well to keep the spinner plate rotating. Don’t listen to the reviews that it is difficult to assemble, if you know how to read, operate a Phillips head and pliers, you can put this together over an hour and a beer. Of note, I was a bit apprehensive of this one because it does NOT come with the side deflector for edges, but simply read the directions. I have had perfect results with adjustment of the 3 hole drop system sufficiently loading my edges for accurate application. Greatly reduced germination rates of crabgrass and spurge along my concrete edges this summer. Bucket is a bit large for my needs, but it does not affect operation and I would rather have a larger bucket for my needs than a smaller one. Also, this is not cheap plastic, it is made of many steel parts, so if you apply salt or iron products (which I do), proper cleaning is a must.

I used this spreader in a yard that has lots of surface tree roots. The wheels on the spreader are not large enough in diameter to roll over the tree roots easily and often cause the spreader to come to a sudden halt. I have to then push really hard to get over the roots and found that the spreader handle rotated on me because the handle is fairly fragile. This spreader is better than the plastic wheel spreaders sold a most stores but would be so much better if the handle were more robust.

Very well-made unit, though slightly tricky to assemble (you'll need to follow directions for this one!). VERY easy to steer and turns sharply when needed. Handles well over bumpy terrain (like my 7000 sq.ft. back lawn). Edger piece is easy to engage/disengage. Pneumatic wheels are nice and sturdy...so-o-o-o much nicer to use than more cheaply designed spreaders. Shut off control is precise. Product distribution is smooth and even. Helped me make application of amendments and seed for my total renovation project easier and more precisely (than the previous S****'s version I owned). Cleans up easily and doesn't make much of a storage footprint in the garage. Company is quick to respond to customer inquiries with exacting assistance. A bit more than I wanted to pay, but well-worth it to get this job off my 'to-do' list and done correctly, not to mention that subsequent fertilization will now be easier with this quality spreader. N.B.- I did take a lot of measurements; placed markers; did the calculations; weighed out product when necessary; and ran a test strip...i.e.- went by the book. And, according to the neighbors, I got professional results. But, this spreader made the tedious work more fun because it just tools along so smoothly. And ...at 5' 9"... I stood straight the whole time!

I had a cheap Scott's spreader that I used for a while. Decided to 'upgrade' to the Earthway and I regret it. There aren't any specific settings, so you have to put the lever somewhere between completely closed and completely open. You have to close it when you let it sit still (or else whatever is in there just pours out) or when moving from one area of the lawn to another, and because of the lack of specific settings, it's impossible to reopen it exactly how it was before. As a result, getting even/consistent/repeatable coverage is unlikely and extremely difficult.I just did a full aeration, overseed, and starter fert app this weekend. I started spreading the seed with the Earthway and quickly learned the problems. After doing 1/3 of my front lawn, I switched to the Scott's for the rest. When I was done, I played around with the Earthway a bit to see if I was missing something. I was not.This is a weird design and I really don't understand what the upside could be. I was thinking about it quite a bit while finishing my lawn work, and from what I can tell, this design is objectively worse than spreaders with a setting that you choose/leave alone then open with a spring-activated lever (like the Scotts's).Also, a lot of product sits in the hopper and you need to shake it a lot to get it through the holes as it gets empty-ish. This is probably true of all spreaders to some degree, but it happened with far more product left in the Earthway than with my Scott's.I just hopped on Amazon here to start a return, and learned that I just missed the return window by two weeks. I bought the spreader Aug 5 (as I was gathering everything I needed for the project) and this was the first time I used it. Wish I'd waited a bit before buying the spreader (or did my overseeding sooner).I will not re-use the Earthway. Despite being less enjoyable to push around, I trust the Scott's and will continue to use it.

Very nice unit. Has numeric tires for a smooth operation and easy pushing of the spreader. Easy to adjust the rate of material being spread. A little more money but worth it!!!