# Walk Behind Salt Spreaders



## sailscall01

I need to get a walk behind salt spreader this season and was wondering what kind is most reliable. Will be salting shopping center sidewalks. :salute:


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## kmwharley

I use a 50lb earthway. Have 3 of them for over 3 years and work great! the are light lifting in and out of trucks as well as compact and hold just a little more than one bag of salt.


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## Wicked500R

Get a stainless frame... I've always used Lesco Stainless with a poly hopper


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## LwnmwrMan22

Wicked500R;444843 said:


> Get a stainless frame... I've always used Lesco Stainless with a poly hopper


I've been running the stainless Lesco.

Biggest issue is that it's heavy and expensive.

Just go to Home Depot, Menards, Wal-Mart, wherever they have the plastic rotary spreaders that'll hold at least 50 lbs.

Usually they'll cost you $25-40 and will last 1-2 years, fairly easily, without any maintenance.

Like mentioned earlier, they're light going in and out of the truck.

If you really want the Lesco stainless one, PM or post back here, and I'll sell you mine cheaper than new.


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## Wicked500R

I've always ended up with stripped gears on the cheap spreaders...It really depends on how much you plan to use it and who is using it...If your loading 50# bags of calcium... the spreader is nothing...that should be of no concern


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## 92XT

Xt Says "keep It Marinated" W/ Wd40 Or Gear Lube


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## big bird

it has to suck to SALT sidewalks it better pay goodpayup


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## powerjoke

big bird;444948 said:


> it has to suck to SALT sidewalks it better pay goodpayup


not really sure what this qoute meant but i think he meant that he would rather set in his warm truck and laugh at all the old people falling busting hips so he can have a NEW contract every year? i guess birds get cold idonno

i have a buyers saltdogg poly with steel frame and it spreads bulk salt verry well, i think it holds 100lb and cost about $150 and worth every penny, i didn't get the stainless because it was almost twice as high and i figured by the time the frame is gone its time for a new one anyway? just keep some FF on it and it'll last for years, we are on our 3rd year with this one, we also use a slide in, in a toolcat or kubota RTV with heat (big bird) LOL

Big Bird: why do you not salt sidewalks? do you do no comm's or just no salt? i guess if you don't salt you dont shovel?.....SMART! maybe your in the wrong buis. idonno


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## kmwharley

You can get an Earthway with a stainelss frame if you want to pay for it. I also have the expensive lesco stainless but it is heavy and did not spread nearly as well. I did like the salt dogg(a friend has one) but I spread 30 bags per event which is getting the spreader out about 20 times.....the earthway is the lightest that I found...it all adds up at the end of the night!


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## ptllandscapeIL

yeah,I have a lesco but i cant justify using my $400 spreader on salting i jsut bought to buyers salt dogs for 159.00 each i use to use the earthways key is just wash them down when ur finished with them and use silicone lube NOT wd40


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## sailscall01

Thanks for your input, I appreciate it..


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## Scottscape

I use the older lesco spreaders now that we replaced them with new ones.


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## Leisure Time LC

I use a regular broadcast fertilizer spreader and open the trap all the way open and it works great. Cheap and effective


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## equinn2005

If you look around i have two earthway push Spreaders and i love them both i have had the 50# for about 3 years and my 100# about 1.5 years. They both work awesome no problems and they get planty of use for winter salt and summer fertalizerrsport


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## earl964

I hear everybody using walk behind spreaders . Do you open up the chute all the way or do you set it at something . I do mostly residential driveways and a couple of my customers asked me about salting a driveway . The driveways are only 40x60 and not enough people to warrant a truck mounted spreader
Thanks


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## LwnmwrMan22

earl964;481780 said:


> I hear everybody using walk behind spreaders . Do you open up the chute all the way or do you set it at something . I do mostly residential driveways and a couple of my customers asked me about salting a driveway . The driveways are only 40x60 and not enough people to warrant a truck mounted spreader
> Thanks


Personally, I just open it up and run......

It's spreading at a rate that's related to what the product is supposed to be spread at / weather dependent.


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## treebeard82

*walk behind spreader*

i use and earthway 50lb and it works well. for a good walk-behind spread you need a few things. first, screen salt at top of spreader so you know it will fit through the bottom. get a spreader with a solid rod connecting the handle to the door, NOT a cable. i've had nothing but problems with cable operated spreaders for salt. since i spread on sidewalks and not driveways i installed a homemade deflector on the back and sides. offers more control and you dont get as much salt on you. i like to use a colored salt, usually powerthaw, so i can see where it goes.


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## kolkie05

When you guys say you wash down the spreader how are you doing that when it's below zero?


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## cretebaby

kolkie05;901061 said:


> When you guys say you wash down the spreader how are you doing that when it's below zero?


Heated Garage.


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## tigertownman

For washing out spreaders . If you dont have a heated garage , some car washes have heated indoor facilities to wash your truck and walk behinds.. Or u can ask real nicely if you can wash them out in the bath tub , if your wife will let you..


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## kolkie05

tigertownman;902032 said:


> For washing out spreaders . If you dont have a heated garage , some car washes have heated indoor facilities to wash your truck and walk behinds.. Or u can ask real nicely if you can wash them out in the bath tub , if your wife will let you..


LOL....She doesn't even want me washing the dog in the tub could you imagine me bringing the salt spreader in it...:laughing:


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## NuverPlawd

*stupid earthway spreader*

not to offend anyone, but i bought a red 50lb earthway spreader, brand new. paid $16 for it. i used it 3 times. each time i used it im running around kicking it while pushing it. do you know how hard it is to kick while running on ice? very dangerous. people are looking at me like i'm crazy running kicking spreading jumping bumping banging swearing. DAMN it that thing pissed me off almost as much as my stihl br 600 that only starts when you don't need it to.

i even cut a bigger hole in the thing so it didn't get jammed up, which just resulted in a thick line and waste of salt, needless to say that thing ended up in one of my customers dumpsters. they probably had a good laugh about that too.

in this line of work you pay for what you get, unless you luck out and find something in good condition used (rare). even then it seems like you spent more time looking for that great deal than you even ended up using the tool, time is money.

if you are looking for a good deal a pickle bucket and a good pair of gloves does the trick, i tossed 600lbs the other night, good workout i figure.

but i figure when i'm not using my tailgate spreader i would like to have a good walk behind. i've taken some folks advice and next run i'm getting the salt dogg, best $ plus it'll match my TGS07, lord knows i'm allll about color coordination.

Eric


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## NuverPlawd

*Update*

Well, I did even more research on spreaders since yesterday. One thing I'm learning during my first professional snow and ice management season is that there's a lot of time between storms to do things that we can't in other seasons. Research.

It turns out there's mmmaybe 4 major spreader designs. What I began to see was small changes between these 4 designs, color being the major difference.
It was funny to me seeing one guy say aw the SaltDogg was a POS but that the Spyker aw man that thing is a beast.. etc. And so on and so forth.

So, I picked out a major spreader, the Meyers HotShot 70HD stainless. $400.
Wait a minute that looks identical to my buddy's Shindaiwa RS76s and maybe 1 other. same price though. Difference? Tires and color.

With my new knowledge I went onto craigslist (yes the search for a good used one, I know). But found one called the Prize Lawn Bigfoot.

I went and checked it out. Its the identical in every way to the Shindaiwa,

except that it uses all stainless hardware (for the most part). ANNNNND...

it has a completely bottom feeding chute, not a 1" somewhere on the sideish bottom like the SHIN and MEYER models. NOW>>> it has a removable switchable plate that you flip around and can interchange between a 3 hole to a humongous rectangular hole. best yet the plate stays there so you won't lose it. AWESOME!!!

It also has a handle lever to not only shut off (meyers and shin) but also regulate so you don't have to reach all the way down to the barrel for the a-z regulator, which the meyers and shin don't have, and I was like wait a minute I know it'll break in a year or two, but if I'm paying yadayada for it why do i have to stop rolling and reach way down there to...

I know I'm picky, but I found what I like-finally and hope that if you are as picky as me this might help you.

Eric


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## Snow Command

I bought a SnoEx SP-65 a few months ago. I've been happy with it so far. Here's my review video... I first looked at a Boss walk behind, but couldn't find any reviews.


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## cj7plowing

I have had lescos stainless spreaders for 8 years now and the only thing I have replaced (on 4 of them) was a 2 spinners (from the guys braking them throwing them in the back of the truck and 1 bin that got crushed between 2 trucks. they get washed once in a while. then hosed out good at the end of the year. they have run close to 80 pallets of ice melt, cal, mag through them.


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## KFX450RXC

Although we don't do nearly the volume of ice melt as you guys up north do, I use nothing but walk-behind spreaders because the properties I serve, a truck mounted spreader just wouldn't do as well.

I used to use the regular Lesco fertilizer spreaders but it was breaking the pin inside the gear housing too often. I switched to the Prizelawn spreaders at the recommendation of my plow dealership. I bought two and they have been perfect this winter.

We put out 398 bags this winter and after I washed them off, they look almost brand new.

https://www.prizelawnspreaders.com/spreaders/commercial-s-s--broadcast-spreader-est-6


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## gusdust

I've run a Boss walk behind spreader for two seasons now. No issues. It has a lot of adjustability for different types of salt. Fine and coarse .Have not tried rock salt like the type used in V boxes though.


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