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saltiness spreaders do n’t get the aid they merit . Though freshly fall snow has a beautiful way of blanket neighborhoods in a peaceful ambience , it ’s not long before cold-blooded concrete can wrench that snow into slippy ice . Enter salt spreaders , which are unproblematic creature that make it much easier and quicker to apply deicing salt to driveways , walkways , and other outside areas .
Though I ’m a firm truster in guard first , I also acknowledge that using too much salinity to melt accumulated snow and deoxyephedrine can damage concrete , harm plant life and brute , andcontaminate body of water . common salt broadcaster help mitigate this trouble by keeping salinity distribution even and confine to mean areas .
Photo: Michelle Larson for Bob Vila
To see which salt spreaders are deserving their price , we explore oodles of popular spreaders before test six top options on ourdriveway and walkwaysas well as on our front steps and pack of cards . Our favorite was theScotts Elite Spreaderfor its even and easy app , wash room and control , and power to accommodate both granular and tilt common salt . Read on to see our test results for this and the respite of the ware we recommend before take one of the best Strategic Arms Limitation Talks spreaders for your property .
Salt Spreaders Comparison Chart
Best Overall
Scotts Elite Spreader
Our Ratings : Assembly5/5 ; Distribution4.75/5 ; Durability4.5/5 ; Value5/5
With a dual - rotor coil designing , the Scotts Elite walk - behind salt broadcaster has an impressive 80 - pounding capacity and 6 - foot paste width for quick salt app to driveways , pavement , and decks . It comes mostly assembled other than attaching its 10 - in never - flat tire and flip up its ergonomic grip . In our tests , we find it static and well-to-do to maneuver , even when filled with all 35 pound ofice meltwe had on hand .
The Scotts Elite common salt dispenser for snow and shabu feature telephone dial context from two to 15 , meaning it works with everything from fine lawn plant food to chunky rock salt . Since we ’re careful to head off unnecessarily applying chalk melt for environmental and economic grounds , we wish this manakin featured its EdgeGuard technology next to both rotors instead of just one . Still , so long as we plan which direction we went when working next to our lawn , we find the software to be even and relatively gentle to see to it .
Photo: Michelle Larson for Bob Vila
What our examiner says:“If I could only choose one table salt andfertilizer spreader , this would be it . It adjudge a short ton of product , moves easily over mismatched terrain , and makes quick work of large field . ” — Michelle Larson , Product Reviews tester and author
Get the Scotts Elite salinity spreader atAmazon , Lowe’s , Tractor Supply Co. ,Ace Hardware , The Home Depot , orScotts .
More Salt Spreaders Worth Your Money
While we were happy to thaw chicken feed and snow with the help of our top pick , we understand that it may not be right for everyone . The follow five spreaders also occur our tests and might be better for those with differing capacity needs .
How We Tested the Best Salt Spreaders
There are 100 of salt spreaders on the marketplace , so choosing just a few to test was n’t easy . To make our decision , we researched various types of broadcaster , including everything from common salt spreader for trucks to bare provender scoopful . Once we choose six options , we put each through a serial publication of tests , including forum , using them with granular salt and rock salt , and evaluating any extra features . We rat each product according to a rubric and gave the highest overall scorer our award for the good salt spreader .
What to Consider When Choosing a Salt Spreader
When take the veracious salt spreader , there are a few of import gene to keep in judgement . These let in the size of the surfaces in need of salting , which type of spreader you prefer , and the quality of material , among other thing .
Types of Salt Spreaders
The snow salinity spreaders we tested for home use are entirely walk - behind and hand-held manakin . However , bombastic commercial-grade configurations may require a truck salt spreader or a salt spreader for a tractor .
Many residential salt spreader are contrive as compact hand-held units . Scoop - style models are sometimes fully undefendable , and others have chapeau with various - size of it holes to adapt both granular and rock salt while helping control the amount of product parcel out at once .
A slightly more complex handheld salt spreader may feature a grasshopper up top and a mechanism that opens to allow salt to project from the front of the broadcaster . Open - top hopper - style units are available in hand - chicken feed or battery - powered versions with dials to let various sizes of Methedrine through . These types of hand-held units generally work best with granular common salt and may clog with rock candy - style Cartesian product .
Photo: Michelle Larson for Bob Vila
take the air - behind salt spreader are more substantial than handheld units , incorporate great hoppers as well as wheels , handgrip , and a kitchen range of additional features . They ’re best suit to large surfaces where users want to cover a becoming amount of straight footage quickly . On the flip side , their size progress to them dodgy to utilise in tight spot and on stairs .
Our top picks for take the air - behind spreaders project salt in widths between 4 and 6 feet and have at least one flipper or deflector to help control spread width as hope . Most walk - behind broadcaster have a panoptic range of opening preferences to accommodate humble stuff like fertilizer , substantial piece of rock salt , and everything in between .
While we only tested handheld and take the air - behind spreaders in this guide , towable and hitch - mount salt spreader are also uncommitted for larger properties or commercial use . Towable galvanizing salt spreaders can facilitate exploiter stave off get to swear onsnow remotion servicesfor the caper , although they do want mounting to a motortruck , ATV , or lawn tractor .
Photo: Michelle Larson for Bob Vila
Capacity and Job Size
Perhaps the biggest component to consider when pick out the best common salt spreader is the size of the area in need of treatment before or after a storm . Since hand-held unit of measurement often hold only 5 pounds of salt or less , they ’re effective for small spaces like stairs or detailed piece of work alongside the edge of a driveway .
take the air - behind units are helpful for driveway , sidewalk , and decks since they allow quick software program over larger areas and often incorporate fins or deflector to help increase truth . The paseo - behind units we screen have a capacity of 80 to 130 pounding , though smaller and heavy models are available . In our perfect world , we would own both a walkway - behind and a hand-held spreader for speed and preciseness .
Towable salt spreaders can hold over 100 pounds of salt , making them ideal for deice sizable surfaces quickly . Generally verbalize , though , they are n’t as accurate as smaller units .
Material and Durability
Most salt spreaders are made with charge card hop-picker since the material is lightweight , relatively durable , and easy to keep . Steel or stainless steel salt spreader may be more durable over the years , but they generally weigh more and will expect additional sustainment to preclude rust .
common salt spreader handles and broadcast plates may also be made of either metal or plastic . As with the hopper , the economic consumption of metal in these part may make them more durable but also heavier and in need of extra maintenance .
FAQs
While the above plane section cover the most important features of salt spreaders , you may still have a few interrogative if you ’ve never used one . Below , we respond a few of the most uncouth question about these devices .
Salt broadcaster are an effective and affordable way to boil down the time and endeavour it take to keep potentially slippery surface secure in wintertime . They can also avail save onsnow removal costs . We mean they are worth it , specially if you live anywhere snow is a relatively uncouth occurrent .
Many fertiliser spreader work with salt , bring home the bacon the common salt is lowly and farinaceous . If the opening move is big enough , your current fertilizer broadcaster may even reconcile rock salt . If you do n’t have a salt broadcaster but need to dethaw ice , our pathfinder on how tomelt ice without saltprovides a few additional methods .
Photo: Michelle Larson for Bob Vila
Yes , the best time to spread out salt is before it snows . Salting an hour or more before a snowfall helps forbid snow from stick . If you miss your window to salt before a storm , be trusted to utilise asnow shovelto clear as much accumulation as potential before enforce salt using a spreader .
There are two grounds why it ’s far from ideal to forget salt in a salt spreader . First , salt is mordant and can damage your spreader over metre . Second , if wet from the air or perverse rainwater or snow gets into your spreader and combine with the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks , you may end up with a rooted stoppage of ice inside your machine .
Meet the Tester
Having spent half her life in the Midwest and the rest in the mountains , Michelle Larson is no unknown to nose candy or the amount of time it takes to remove it . Because she ’d rather spend a little more upfront than corrupt a shaft or appliance double , she strongly believe in the superpower of product examination for find quality point that are meant to last .
Everything You Need for a Lush and Healthy Lawn
Keeping your grass fleeceable and your plant thriving does n’t just take a unripened thumb — it starts with the right tools and supplies .
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