Agri-Fab 130 lb. Tow Broadcast Spreader

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.

I have a bumpy yard and the little plastic-wheel spreaders bounce all over and tip over at speeds too slow to spread product.This spreader is sturdy, rolls great, spreads great, holds a nice capacity and DOESN'T TIP OVER! 😄

Poor design. The vertical drive shaft is non-corrosion resistant. Despite rinsing before storage, the shaft (part 20) started rusting (expanding at a 4:1 volume rate) and bonded itself with the top hopper plastic square bushing (part 39), causing it to seize. I freed it up with penetrant, and after some testing finally got it to work.After 1/2 bag of fertilizer, however, the load on the plastic carrier at the bottom (part 18) then broke the carrier to where now we're done - no workie!!!!Good customer support (no pushback) - after the first round of parts I started to repair. The corrosion was such that I had to cut the vertical shaft in two places to disassemble. The cutoff wheel then generated enough heat in the shaft to melt some of the hopper plastic (ruining the square plastic bushing joint). Another call, more parts sent.It's now back together. SUGGESTIONS TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING TO YOU. This time I coated the vertical shaft with zinc rich paint to minimize corrosion. After each use I'll remove the spreader parts 25, 31 & 39 and grease the shaft in that hole before storage. For next use, I'll grease the parts again, install, fertilize, then clean and re-grease before storage.Update after 2nd use today. I didn't note the repairs were probably a 2 hour evolution. Today I greased the hopper polymer bushing, tapped it into place, set the washer and cotter pin and off I went. A good successful front yard (~1/2 acre) - came back to put another 40# or so of fertilizer in and headed to the back yard with the hopper slot closed. After a very short time I heard a squeal, turned back and noted the vertical shaft was not rotating. The plastic gear carrier (where vertical rotation is translated into horizontal rotation) broke yet again.I called customer service. I was told I need to speak to the supervisor who is not in. I left a message. I suspect I threw $175 down the drain last year but I'm hopeful for a positive outcome. I will NOT repair this unit again.Update after speaking with Supervisor at Customer service. He talked about things to do to possibly prevent the part (18 - axle shaft bushing). Remove the shim (#25 up above) if bound, and make sure the handle is level where it attaches to the mower. He's sending parts one more time. I will likely repair then sell. He is also granting some concessions based on the repeat failures of the short-lived part 18.After doing more research - I've ordered their 130# product (45-0463). This is partly due to the dearth of metal geared products in this price range and the fact that it is the same under under different names (John Deere for example). I just finished that assembly. I'm much more confident in this one since it doesn't have that rinky-dink part joining the axles.