No More Manual Spreading: The Tow-Behind Tool For Any Riding Lawn Mower

Spreading fertilizer or grass seed manually across your lawn is one of those jobs that seem really simple until you actually start doing them. You have to keep walking back and forth, turn around after every few passes, and stop whenever the hopper or bag runs out. The whole process becomes even more frustrating if you have a large lawn. Don't worry, though! If you have a riding lawn mower, you can save yourself all the effort and get the job done quickly with a tow-behind attachment like the CRAFTSMAN 85-pound broadcast spreader, which is currently selling at Lowe's for $156.

It features a universal hitch design and is compatible with the majority of ride-on lawn mowers out there. As for build, its hopper is made of corrosion-resistant polyethene and can hold up to 85 pounds of material. According to the product description, the spreader can cover approximately 12,000 square feet and has a spreading width of 4 to 8 feet. The spreader also features a steel frame, pneumatic tires, and an adjustable flow control lever. The lever can be operated from the mower's seat. This means you do not have to get off the mower every time you need to stop or resume spreading.

Shoppers at Lowe's seem to like the CRAFTSMAN 85-pound broadcast tow-behind spreader, too. It currently has a 4.3-star rating from 28 reviews on Lowe's, and reviewers consistently mention that it is easy to use, has good construction and is a good value for money. The reviews on its ease of assembly, however, are a bit mixed. Some say it is easy, while others find putting it together a bit tricky.

The CRAFTSMAN 85-pound broadcast tow-behind spreader has a universal hitch, which means you will be able to connect it to your riding lawn mower easily. However, you must check your mower's towing capacity first. The spreader weighs about 20 pounds, and it filled to capacity, that brings its total weight to around 105 pounds. Depending on your mower's towing capacity, you may need to use less material to avoid putting too much strain on your machine. Even if your mower can support towing the spreader at its full capacity, make sure that you drive it at a slow, consistent speed and avoid making sharp turns.

Keeping the mower's speed consistent when fertilizing or seeding your lawn with a tow-behind spreader also helps distribute the material uniformly. You can also slightly overlap each pass and close the spreader's flow gate before turning or stopping to avoid depositing too much material in one spot for uniform coverage. Another thing you must pay attention to is the flow rate. Different materials require different flow settings. The manufacturer, for instance, recommends using settings between 3 and 5 for granular and pelleted fertilizers, and 3 and 4 for fine grass seeds.

Lastly, be careful about what you use the CRAFTSMAN 85-pound broadcast tow-behind spreader for. For instance, you should not use it to spread powdered lawn chemicals when performing various lawn care tasks. The spreader will not be able to distribute them evenly. Similarly, even though its product description on Lowe's mentions that you can use the spreader for ice melt, its instruction manual says you should not. So, stick to the manufacturer's guidelines and use a purpose-built ice melt spreader instead.