Agri-Fab 45-0329 185 lb. Tow-Behind ATV/UTV Broadcast Lawn Spreader for Seed,Fertilizer,Salt,Ice Melt; Easy to use Flow Control

I've owned this lawn spreader for over a decade now, and it has served me well despite some signs of wear and tear like cracking tires. I appreciate the plastic parts, as they withstand the corrosiveness of lime and fertilizer much better than metal. Maintaining it by washing, drying, and coating metal parts with WD40 after each use has helped prolong its lifespan. The slimed tires have been a bonus since day one. I have a beautiful landscape with varying terrains, from grassy meadows to wooded areas. While the spreader handles most areas well, some aggressive spots require adjustments in material distribution for better traction and stability. Occasionally, items getting caught can hinder the spinner's function, especially on challenging terrain. The aging unit shows signs of paint flaking, and I've had to reapply slime this year, signaling a need for refurbishment.Despite minor issues like paint wear and occasional blockages, this spreader has been a cost-effective investment at just $15 per year. I plan to enhance it with an edge guard and explore seat activation for the next unit to improve functionality. Remember not to over-tighten the plastic components to prevent cracking.

This seems to be a high quality item that should work for years to come. I sprayed my yard for weeds and clover. The clover was so thick in some areas there is no grass left when the clover died. I have not had a chance to see if it works reseeding these areas but I will when it quits raining every day. It appears wider than I thought from the pictures. It does take a couple of hours to assemble but the directions are great. The only reason I did not give it 5 stars was my package was missing 4 parts not available locally. Agri-Fab did send the parts at no cost but it took 8 days to finally get them. It looks like it will do what I need.

The Agri-Fab 45-0288 175-pound max tow behind drop spreader is an excellent addition to my lawn and garden assets. You can easily attach the drop spreader to a zero turn, ATV, or lawn tractor/mower with a tow bracket and cut your lawn while fertilizing or over seeding with grass simultaneously. Using my Kubota zero turn, I am unable to reach the flow control arm, however, using an ATV or lawn tractor I was able open and close the drop spreader.In addition to enabling me to maintain my one-acre lot of Kentucky blue grass and fescue mix, I’ve used the drop spreader to spread fertilizer and perennial rye, Kentucky blue, and Kentucky 31 grass seed mix for two of my neighbors. I am not sure if the drop spreader can hold 175 pounds of granular fertilizer as I only used 100 pounds and that nearly maxed the hopper’s capacity to the brim.The assembly instructions were simple and straight forward. It is important to note that that during the installation steps, my instructions stated that in order to initially calibrate the opening of the spreader on both sides, you are required to measure the two ferrules to one-half-inch. I recommend to simply move the flow control arm back to the off position and then screw the rod into the ferrule at the bottom of the hopper at both ends into the rod aligns with the hole in the end of the low control arm. I counted threads to try and ensure both ferrules were the same thread count, but also ensured the flow plate was closed against the hopper’s backstops. Once this was done, the flow control arm and flow plate were calibrated to the flow rate setting of my choice.Moreover, if the flow control arm does not stay in place or can easily move, simply loosen the self-locking nut or remove it and tighten the first self-locking note installed a bit tighter until the flow control arm is snug at any flow rate setting. Reinstall the backup self-locking nut and you are good to go. Some reviewers stated they used a bungee cord to hold it in place when all that is needed is a bit more torque on the first nut to give the flow control arm more resistance.For most applications involving fertilizer or grass seed, the 1 or 2 flow rate setting works just fine. You will always have to according to your task make adjustments to suit your particular drop rate.The Agri-fab 175-pound drop spreader works great and enables me to fertilize or over seed without worrying about fertilizer being broadcasted on my driveway. Maintain your 3 mph and according to my neighbor’s view of spreading seed, the hopper and flow plate opens and drops those babies right where you want it. Since our properties are right next to each other, I used the drop spreader particularly on our properties boundary lines as I have my luscious Kentucky Blue grass rocking at 3.5 inches height and we didn’t want any cross contamination from that pretty perennial rye, Kentucky Blue, and Kentucky 31 tall fescue hardy mix he was throwing down on his yard. It is imperative to pay attention to ensuring the flow control arm is completely closed and the flow control plate is closed tightly against the hopper’s backstops and adjust the ferrules on both sides until you can insert them into the bracket holes and you should have a well calibrated drop spreader to handle many of your lawn and garden needs.