One of the most important things you can do in the winter is to salt your driveway, steps, and sidewalk. If you don't, the stakes are high, and someone could experience an injury. At the very least, not salting will make it difficult to walk or drive on your driveway. With the help of a walk-behind salt spreader and some salt, you can make your home a safer place to be in the cold weather. But which spreader is the best? We've done the leg work and have picked out the best salt spreaders for 2020.
Best Walk-Behind Salt Spreader Comparison Table
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Why Trust Us?
As much as I love winter, I hate it. There's nothing worse than slipping on hidden ice or being unable to pull your car in the driveway because it's too slick. Over the years, I've had to learn how I can make winter more enjoyable and less frustrating.
One way to do that is to use a salt spreader. Although I'm the type of person that enjoys heavy lifting, I don't enjoy spreading salt. It's not the heavy bags of salt that bother me. Instead, it's a pain of finding something to disperse the salt with and trying to remember where you last threw the salt. With a walk-behind salt spreader, winter is just a little more enjoyable.
What You Should Know About Walk-Behind Salt Spreaders
How much do you know about salt spreaders? Much like a roof rake, a salt spreader is a tool designed to make your life easier in the winter. There's a lot more to them than you might think. Find out everything you should learn about the spreaders before you buy your own.
The Benefits of a Walk-Behind Salt Spreader
You could spread salt by hand, but why go through all that hassle? A walk-behind salt spreader requires much less work. Without a spreader, you need to carry around a heavy bag of salt and disperse the salt. When your bag is empty, you need to return to your garage or storage area and get another one. As you spread the salt, you have to deal with heavy lifting, freezing hands, and inconvenience.
When you use a salt spreader, you can disperse salt with ease. You can push around the spreader and let the gadget do all the work. Because you're not dealing with grains of salt, you can wear your gloves and be comfortable in the cold. It also takes less time and effort for you to properly salt your driveway.
Even Distribution
Another benefit of using a mechanical solution for salt spreading is that the spreader evenly distributes your salt. When you disperse salt by hand, it's impossible to spread it around evenly. You may miss some spots or put too much salt in other spots. A walk-behind spreader allows you to spread the salt in a uniform manner, making it as effective as possible. You won't waste salt or end up missing some key patches of sidewalk or driveway.
Of course, the most significant benefit of using a salt spreader is safety. When you use a spreader, you can rest easy knowing that you're doing your best to keep your property safe. Better salt dispersal means less ice, which equates to a safer front yard. There's a reduced chance of slip and fall accidents and a reduced chance of your car slipping down around you pull into your driveway.
The Limitations of a Spreader
The name "salt spreader" is a little misleading. Although the tools can spread salt, they also work on many other materials. Some salt spreaders work with grass seed, fertilizer, and sand. If a spreader works with salt, it's likely to work with other deicing agents with a gritty texture.
It's worth mentioning that salt spreaders don't work well with beet juice ice melt. If you use that type of melt or any other melt with a liquid consistency, it won't work well in a spreader. For a liquid solution, you need a sprayer.
Before you purchase a spreader, you should read about its limitations. Find out what materials it can disperse, and be sure to only use those materials. If you're not careful, the material could end up clogging your spreader. To get the most bang for your buck, look for a broadcast spreader that will handle your grass seed and fertilizer. When it works with various materials, the spreader will be useful for more than one season each year.
When You Should Use a Walk-Behind Salt Spreader
Once the winter arrives, you should pull out your salt spreader. It will come in handy as soon as the temperature starts to drop. Before the first snowstorm, you should get out your salt or sand and apply it to your driveway and sidewalk. By applying the salt before the snow and ice come, you can prevent ice patches from forming.
For ultimate protection, you may want to apply more salt during and after the storm. Doing so keeps icy patches from building up, which makes the salt more effective.
How Much Salt to Apply
The amount of salt you apply depends on several factors. First, you should consider the temperature. Salt lowers the freezing temperature of water, but it has limitations. When the temperatures are low, you may need to use a high amount of salt. A single, thin layer might not be enough.
The type of material also matters. Certain ice melts have lower freezing points. Despite the low temperatures, you might not need much of the melt. Follow the directions on the ice melt or salt packaging for the best results.
Best Walk-Behind Salt Spreader Reviews
Best Walk-Behind Salt Spreader for Large Areas
This salt spreader has a surprisingly large spread distance of 24 feet.
- Spreads up to 24 feet
- 100 pound weight maximum
- Sometimes clogs
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This metal walk behind salt spreader is an effective tool for all your salt spreading needs. Although it's metal, the product won't rust or dent when it's handled. This is thanks to a powder coat of carbon steel. You don't need to treat this spreader like a delicate piece of equipment. The gears are made from grade alloy, which makes them capable of handling the cold and snow. More importantly, the gears are enclosed and surrounded by grease fitting shields.
With the ability to hold up to 100 pounds of ice melt or salt, the salt spreader holds enough material to save you making multiple trips to get new bags of salt. Equipped with a powerful spinner disc, this product spreads salt up to 24 feet away. You can easily control the flow of materials by using a lever. The spreader comes with a hopper screen as well as a nylon rain cover.
Best All-Season Walk-Behind Broadcaster
A multi-purpose spreader, this product has an ergonomic design.
- Holds up to 130 pounds
- Works with seed and fertilizer
- Shield is an added cost
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This salt spreader isn't just designed for salt. In the summer, you can use it to spread fertilizer or grass seed. With this double purpose, you can get year-round use of your product.
Made with a rust-proof coating, this spreader is a durable product. It can withstand the wet and cold conditions of the winter. With an enclosed taper and bevel gearbox, you don't need to worry about the elements ruining this spreader.
The product has an ergonomic handle along with pneumatic tires, which make it easy to use. You can use the rod gate control to completely stop the spread of salt. For an additional cost, you can get a shield for the spreader. Regardless of your accessories, the spreader can hold up to 130 pounds. It covers up to 25,000 square feet per load, depending on how quickly you spread.
Best Walk-Behind Spreader for Small Areas
- "Handle folds down
- "Not very durable"
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A multi-use broadcast spreader, the Scotts Turf Builder, holds up to 5,000 square feet of seed or fertilizer. That equates to enough salt or ice melt to cover a large driveway and sidewalk. It uses EdgeGuard technology to ensure that salt stays away from your landscaping or grass. In the summer, the same technology keeps fertilizer and grass seed off of your driveway.
This product comes pre-calibrated and completely assembled. Once it comes, you can get to salting your driveway. After you're done, you can use the fold-down handle to make it more compact. When you store your spreader, it won't take up the whole shed or garage. Getting it ready for use is as easy as pulling up the handle.
For increased precision, the spreader has a control panel. You can make sure the salt goes where you need it to go. As far as accuracy goes, this product can get the job done.
Best Walk-Behind Spreader with Deflector
This push spreader is rust-proof and easy to maneuver.
- Rust-proof
- Deflector included
- Only has 50 pound capacity
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Created by Brinly, this spreader holds up to 50 pounds of grass seed, deicing agent, or salt. However you choose to use it, you'll appreciate the rust-proof metal it's made with. It has a powder-coated frame and enclosed gears made with stainless steel.
Included with your purchase of this spreader is a deflector kit. When the deflector is installed, it controls the flow of materials and keeps the salt from going on your lawn or other unwanted places. If you don't want to use the deflector, you can flip it up.
This spreader is easy to maneuver, thanks to large pneumatic turf tires. You can push the spreader along your driveway or sidewalk with ease. With an enclosed gearbox and stainless steel parts, the spreader was made to last for years.
The spreader is easy to calibrate and has accessible controls. When the time comes to salt your driveway or sidewalk, this spreader can prepare you for a winter storm.
Best All-Around Walk-Behind Salt Spreader
An adjustable drop rate and 13 inch tires are some of the highlights of this spreader.
- 13 inch tires
- Holds salt and deicing agents
- Assembly requires
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A broadcast spreader with a 50-pound hopper capacity, this product can bear as much as 175 pounds of weight. It holds fertilizer, seeds, or salt. With a three-hole system, the spreader disperses salt evenly across your surfaces. It has an adjustable drop rate for added control and accuracy.
For your comfort, this spreader has an ergonomic handle. You can adjust it to an appropriate height, which means anyone in your household can use it. The wide frame allows the weight to be distributed evenly, giving you more control and stability. 13-inch tires can go over rough terrain, so it can handle all types of driveways and pathways.
Although assembly of this product is required, everything is included with your purchase. Once the spreader is together, it's ready for use and easy to get started. If you're looking for a spreader that won't break your back, this product is an excellent option.
How We Picked
Although there were tons of salt spreaders to pick from, we could narrow down our list to only five spreaders. To do that, we looked at several important traits. For one, we considered the ease of use. Spreading salt shouldn't be back-breaking work, especially if you have a long pathway to salt. Ergonomic handles and adjustable handle heights all were highly desired traits.
Additionally, we looked for durable products. If the product was prone to rusting or breaking, it wasn't good enough to make the cut. We slight out durable spreaders that could withstand harsh winters and garage storage.
Conclusion
Overall, the Anderson Yard Star impressed us the most. Because it's able to handle grass seed and fertilizer as well as the salt, it's a multi-purpose machine. The spreader is extremely easy to use and works for both tall and short individuals. With an ergonomic handle, the spreader allows users to be comfortable.
The Yard Star is durable, user-friendly, and efficient. For all of these reasons, it's our top pick for walk behind salt spreader.
Which salt spreader appeals to you the most? Let us know which one you like the best and what you like about it!