Features:

  • Rustproof poly hopper
  • Solid rod gate control
  • Enclosed taper and bevel gear box
  • Optional Pro Kit with sheild available
Substantial product

This is a substantially built product. It bears little resemblance to the flimsy broadcast spreaders sold in the nursery departments of large chain stores. Assembly was a snap. I had barely finished my second beer when my wife tightened the last bolt. I then rushed to my local lawn supply store and picked up 5 bags of fertilizer. Settling into my porch swing with my third, I was amazed at how easily the little woman glided the spreader across our expansive lawn. Proper volume settings were apparently easy to accomplish as lawn, fertilizer and adult beverages ran out at the same time. Clean up took just a few minutes. I am well pleased with this product.

Recommended

So it seems they have updated the assembly instructions with a little quick guide sheet. So now there is a description on what to do. Install was fine but make sure you have a ratchet or it will take you forever. I used it on 30,000 sq ft and it ran just fine with no issues. I also took it through some muddy areas and the tires still turned and spreader like it should. Everything seems to be quality made. The only part that is a little loose is the metal bar that controls the shute opening, it runs from the shute to the control lever. But although its loose I dont think it's going anywhere. I followed the instruction on the lever set up and only issue I see it that there is no real difference in the shute opening in settings 1-2. All in all so far this has been a easy assembly and easy to use. The hopper bucket is very big and I tested it with a 50lbs bag and it was not difficult to push around.

Sturdy well made broadcast spreader

This spreader is very well constructed, with powder coated metal frame, inflatable tires with easy to access valve stems, and a sturdy polymer main hopper body. The fastening hardware is good quality, and I found assembly to be very easy (takes about 1 hour if you take your time). The instructions are clear, and there is even a series of steps you can use to calibrate the opening and closing of the dispenser hatch. So far I am using if for salt spreading, and it seems to work well. There are no gates hanging down, so it casts a very wide dispersal pattern of granular material. The wheels move smoothly without binding, and the controller is linked by a solid strap of metal (no cables). Metering is fairly precise using the handle mounted controller. The operating position is at a good height, and is ergonomically very comfortable. This will hold at least two bags of rock salt. Note, it does NOT come with a grate or cover, but I never found those to be terribly useful. The gear box is sealed, but the manual advises you should open it up for oiling every season. I have not had any problem with the flow through hatch clogging and have experienced no bridging of material. It has a open "slot" for dispensing, not one of the flimsy rotating disks. I think this aids in keeping the material flowing freely. All and all, an very solid and dependable spreader.

Not a light weight

Directions are just pictures so be very careful and study them good for each step. I had all my parts which a few claim they were short a screw etc. the biggest complaint is that the door in the bottom doesn't close completely. I was able to adjust mine so it closes but haven't spread any fertilizer yet. The biggest down side is it doesn't give good directions on what to set for each fertilizer.

Very Nice Spreader!

Very simple to put together if you will bother laying out the parts in the same order as the parts diagram and then follow the picture diagrams in order. You will need a small 8 inch crescent wrench, socket wrench with a 7/16 socket, small pair of pliers and a rubber mallet is optional to help with putting the wheel end caps on without breaking them. Plan for about 45 minutes if you take your time and lay everything out before beginning assembly. Also the directions tell you how to adjust the lever mechanism by sliding it back and forth near the handles to get the hopper to fully close and then tighten it down. The gears do not come greased so plan on picking up some automotive grease also. Overall I don't think you will find a better push spreader out there and should last a lifetime if taken care of after each use.

High Recommendations! Take the time to watch the video per the instructions

Arrived in 2 business days. The following Saturday evening my wife and I removed all the parts from the box and laid them out across our living room floor and compared them to the parts list included with the instructions, everything was there. We gathered the tools as recommended for assembly, I also brought out a large rubber mallet, a 5lb hand sledge and some duct tape just in-case they were needed. We watched the YouTube videos (an overview & 3-4 shorter videos showing the assembly) this was as recommended in the instructions. We watched the videos on our phones and paused the video as we completed the assembly steps there in our living room. Total assembly time was 5 glasses of wine (three glasses for me and two for my wife) that would be about 90-105 minutes in non drinking time. Turned out there was no need for the sledge hammer or the duct tape. Used the rubber mallet to tap the hub caps onto the axle. Seemed that the lever controlling the sliding flow door on the bottom of the hopper wasn't closing completely, I was worried. I used the spreader today to apply granular weed & feed to our 3/4 acre lot (about 15K sq ft) no leaking from the hopper (she said not to worry!) the entire bag fit in to the large capacity hopper. The pneumatic tires were phenomenal, easy to push especially on the hilly terrain of our multilevel lot. The spread width was much wider than any of those cheaper priced green colored spreaders which we'd used in the past. I'm 6'3" and the larger wheels made this spreader stand higher meaning I wasn't hunched over while using it. My smaller sized wife (5'6") came out to try the spreader and she had no problems using this either. All in all it was well worth the price, I'm expecting this American Made Product to last longer than the less costly broadcast spreaders we've owned in the past. If you've read this far and only take away one thing from this review I'd hope it's WATCH THE VIDEOs POSTED ON-LINE, trust me, the assembly will be so much easier then reading the paperwork or doing "the man thing" and trying to assemble without reading the enclosed paperwork.

Can't beat it!

I hope I have a need for other agri-fab products at some time because these folks build great products and with the utube video on how to assemble them it doesn't get any better. There were many parts (all of them were in the bag) and the assembly instructions are good enough for those more capable than myself. I believe a 3rd grader could use the video and assemble the spreader. It is that good! I put down 65 40# bags of lime with this spreader and it worked great. If you want a great spreader at a very reasonable price look no further.

Very solid and stable

Very solid spreader. I wanted something large, stable, and sturdy. Took about 90 minutes to assemble, but I misread an early drawing and put the leg thing on backwards... Key lesson is to put the wheels on last because they are difficult (but not impossible) to remove. Probably would have taken less than an hour if I hadn't made the error. Rides smoothly and evenly over rough terrain. The inflated tires provide good traction and a stable ride. Spreads broadly and evenly with a wide range of settings and a little screw thong to hold a particular setting. I've used it once nearly three quarters full of fertilizer and it worked very well. Much easier than repeatedly reloading a smaller spreader. I'll post an update after several more uses.

EXCELLENT SPREADER!

EXCELLENT SPREADER!!! I Highly Recommend Foaming the hollow cores to help minimize rust and add strength to the frame (if you put it together). If you wash it, YOU MUST Hand Dry It, IMMEDIATELY...!!! The square red competitor rusts out quickly, and is not a good buy, I have had three of them in 6 years...! The Agri-Fab is better quality and holds more material. I have maxed it out at over 150 +++ pounds of fertilizer and it does a great job on smooth terrain. I would NOT over load and try this on rough terrain or steep slopes. I spread over 3,800 pounds of aggregate this spring and summer of 2016. I will spread the same amount or more next year... Made in the USA!!!

Well built easy to use

Product arrived in the original box about 30x30 without damage. We did extensive research on spreaders before deciding on the Agri-Fab 45-0462. The area to be covered by the spreader is between 10,000-15,000 sf of turf. The grass type is St. Augustine. We fertilize between 6-8 times per year as we are in Florida so durability of the spreader is important. The primary fertilizer we spread is Milorganite. Initial impressions: Unit arrived quickly without damage. Opening the package the product is shipped in pieces and packed sufficiently to reduce damage. The parts are of a substantial quality and the finish appears durable. The hopper is fairly large for ease of filling and the amount of material it can hold. The tires and wheels are fairly heavy duty. The frame coating and painted surfaces appear to be a powder coated steel with substantial thickness for durability. Assembly: Unit requires full assembly. You will need a socket set, small rubber mallet and needle nose pliers. Since the gear box is sent without grease you will need to take it apart to grease it. It is very easy to gain access to the inside of the gear box as it only involves 3 clips. I used synthetic grease for the gear box. It took me about 2 hours to assemble the unit and it was easy. You will want to spread all parts out first and review the diagram carefully. Follow instructions! Use: Spreader feels balanced and smooth during use. The spreader rate is very easy to use and change as it involves a wing nut with a calibration scale. I set mine at about 3 for the Milorganite. The spreader stops material sufficiently when you move the lever to off with no leaks. A clip rotates material in the hopper to prevent clumping. Material appears to spread evenly and is dependent on speed of the operator and the opening size. Unit is very easy to clean after use as all parts have sufficient clearance to clean properly. I use a garden hose and blow the unit off with a blower that is used on the driveway. Conclusion: The unit works extremely well and is well built for heavy use. It has no flimsy cable that either goes out of adjustment or break. Plan to take time to put it together. If you have basic hand tool skills this is a very easy task. If you don't take the time to construct the unit properly you will not have satisfactory results. Those of you looking for a well built mid grade spreader will be happy with this one. Remember to keep it clean. Take care of your tools they will take care of you.

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