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

After years of using a Scott’s spreader, I decided it was time for an upgrade, and after plenty of research, I settled on the Earthway Broadcast Spreader. Assembly was easier than expected, especially with the help of a YouTube video, and the quality of the product is outstanding. This spreader is a massive step up from the cheaper options you find at big box stores. The consistency and evenness of the spread are remarkable—no more streaks in my lawn! The tires are another fantastic feature, as they make it easy to traverse my entire yard, even over uneven terrain. This spreader has truly elevated my yard care routine, delivering excellent results every time. It’s a great buy and worth every penny!

So minor issues but still outside what was expected. The assembly had parts that were preassembled that deviated from the instructions. It was mainly the handle assembly that was already put together and the instructions didn't show that. It didn't appear someone else bought then returned this unit as everything was packed like it came from the factory and the parts bags were sealed. The parts bag was missing a large cotter pin which held on one of the wheels. Instead they gave me 2 small cotter pins (assembly requires 1 of each). So a trip to Lowes and $1 later I got what should have been in the parts bag to begin with. Ran 4 products through it yesterday and it appears to be doing a great job spreading the material. It's easy to use and it travels over my lawn much better than the scotts spreader i was replacing with this. I saw a bunch of reviews talking about the height of the handles, I'm 5'11" and had no issues with the handle placement. If anything it was better than the scotts spreader I had been using. Overall an upgrade and a solid buy but it is expensive and for the money they were asking I would have expected all the parts to be there so I have to ding them for a star.

Other reviews noted difficult assembly. I am an older woman, not a "mechanic". I watched a couple of YouTube videos and had no difficulty with assembky other than spreading the small stainless steel cotter pin. - Then I did a test/calibration run with Andersons Humichar. I had a little learning curve with the edge guard, but otherwise spreading went well and setting recommended on the Humichar bag was close to the desired application. I'll know next spring with actual fertilizer. It is worth a comment that I had used a small Scott's Edgeguard spreader for 10+ years. When it needed to be replaced I bought the "same model". It was terrible! I have never before had stripes in my lawn due to uneven application. I will be putting a basically new Scott's spreader at the curb with a Free sign.

New Update: After using it twice, I'm not impressed. The second time I used this spreader, I ended up burning a lot of my grass as this spreader did not work well on the slope of my yard. Then, I observed it the third time while going on the slopes and saw that this spreader acts weird on the slopes. Instead of throwing the fertilizer to the front, it throws it to the side and back. The fertilizer that come out of the side hits the tire and the frame and falls unevenly on the ground. So, if you are buying it to spread fertilizer on the slopes, then you probably need to think twice. Update: I eventually used it to spread the fertilizer. It was a very nice experience. I struggled a little bit on the slopes but over all it did a really good job compared to my Scott’s spreader. Since, it fared well in its primary function of spreading the fertilizer, I’m willing to ignore the nut and bolt part and hence took away only one star. I still think the spreader is not worth the money I spent on it though. Old Review: Let's start with the good things. The spreader looks nice with the red hopper. After building it, the spreader looks compact and seems to be able to do a good job (I've not tried with the fertilizer yet, so cannot comment on how well it does in terms of spreading the material). That's all that I can think of the good things. The not so good part is the assembly of the spreader. The video on youtube was very helpful but what's with the nuts and bolts? Some of the nuts and bolts cannot be undone, once they are tightened. As a result, I couldn't tighten one side of the spreader completely. Even though the spreader looks nice, as someone else said earlier, it does not look quality. I don't think it is worth $191+tax. So sad that tariff forced me to quit my dream of buying a good one and settle for this one.

I have had several of the Earthway spreaders over the years. I have also tried sone other brands. Earthway has always been my favorite in this cheaper price range. I have a lawn care business but I don't apply enough fertilizer and weed control to justify buying a heavy duty commercial spreader. I would love to have a stainless steel one. All that being said, this unit is a little different than the previous models I have had. One thing I noticed is the spreader is smaller than previous models. I don't really like that. Also the directions are not the best for assembly, but if you search for the videos online you can find a demonstration of the assembly which makes it easier. I debated between 3 and 4 stars on this one. It does spread evenly but seems cheaper made and less sturdy than previous models. Also at almost $200 I would expect much more. I don't know why these companies are so proud of spreaders. I think the first one I purchased some years back was $90. The next one was around $130ish. This flimsy model is just under $200. Definitely not worth that. But considering the price of a really nice one, I will try my best to get by with it. I would have felt better about if had it been like $100.

Threw away Scott’s spreader as it caused striping and uneven fertilizer spread. This worked perfect, but remember that you have to close the spreader manually as you stop or you will dump excess fertilizer on the lawn as you refill bucket (trust me, I know this). Also worked great on fine granules like those in Spectracide® Triazicide® Insect Killer for Lawns

I like its functionality and it has encouraged me to take care of my yard. The large mouthed hopper makes it real easy to load material. And the plastic hopper makes it easy to clean for the next application. The large wheels rolls around easy enough and helps to keep the spreader pointed correctly on the intended path. From my experience this spreader always looks so new and it takes no time at all to spread fertilizer, pesticides or weed treatments.

I wanted to like this so badly, but for the money I'm not sure I can recommend it. First of all, the instructions are abysmal. There are YouTube videos out there showing how to assemble it (thankfully), so if you buy one of these, make sure you have WIFI. Why they couldn't just include a simple exploded view of the whole assembly is beyond me. Instead it's a mish-mash of not to scale crayon drawings and terrible overly conversational wording. Once assembled, the only thing I can say is that its' just NOT solid in the broadest translation of that term. It's clear that there was no real value placed on fabrication tolerances. Parts are (not an exaggeration), +/- .5". I don't "think" it's going to fall apart, but load this thing up with 30lbs of fertilizer and you're certainly going to put your faith to the test. As a bonus on mine the armature that actuates the opening/closing the gate wouldn't close all the way out of the box, so fertilizer/grass seed Was constantly getting dumped. Not to worry though as I was able to bend it back into position with two fingers. Really could have been a great product and lived up to the hype with about $8.00 more material and labor. *shrug*