The manufacturer says you’ll see results in as little as 5 days, but most people saw noticeable changes (i.e. good enough for a before-and-after photo) within 7-14 days. That’s still an impressive timeframe, and ideal if you want to make your lawn presentable in time for a family event or you just want proof that you’ve spent your money wisely. Rotary/broadcast spreaders can be either handheld, or have wheels and need to be pushed manually. Handheld spreaders are better suited to a small garden. The Greenkey deluxe seed and fertiliser spreader is certainly easy to use, with minimal controls and no tedious assembly required. In fact, the only controls you have to deal with are the four aperture settings which are selected using the switch on the handle with your thumb, and the crank handle on the side to operate the spreading mechanism. Drop spreaders, as you can guess, ‘drop’ the fertiliser straight down and not out to the sides. While this makes them a little slower to cover the same area when compared to a rotary model, it also makes controlling where the feed goes much easier. This is particularly useful for smaller gardens, and for working on parts of the lawn that are next to vulnerable areas such as flower beds and ponds. Please be aware that the battery and charger don’t come with the feeder as standard, and you will have to pay extra for them, quite a bit extra actually, and that is the biggest flaw of the Einhell Power X-change feeder. It’s an excellent product and gives you a really even and uniform spread. It is also very easy to use and requires no physical shaking or turning of handles either. However, it is quite expensive when you compare it to other handheld lawn feed spreaders, and I think that unless you have money to burn, or you plan on using more tools from the same range, the price might put you off.

It has a max spread width of 0.53 m, so achieves an accurate application and everything is kept firmly under control. However, because of this, it may be a better choice for smaller lawns, or perhaps medium spaces, rather than large areas. People looking for a reliable autumn lawn feed with several sizes to choose from, including more affordable options for smaller projects.

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These kinds of spreaders will automatically throw out and granular feed as you push the tool along across your lawn, and will increase the width of this the faster you walk. At an average pace, the spreading width is around 150-180cm, but it can be as much as 340cm with a little effort.

What I definitely appreciated though was the stand. I can just rest the spreader upright whilst I load it with seed – without the stand I would be pulling my hair out. Here’s a picture of what I mean: All being said, this is the best lawn feed spreader from testing, especially when you consider the price. It has a good hopper capacity and is easy to get a uniform spread of feed or seed on your lawn, once you get to grips with the walking pace, and a few other little quirks. For smaller gardens, this Vitax Green Up Liquid Lawn Feed works well to ‘green up’ the lawn whilst eliminating smaller weeds.We found it easy to use the spreader – the nozzle spout did a good job of evenly distributing the feed on the ground, and the built-in handle was comfortable to hold in one hand. You can see the feed on your lawn, so it’s easy to identify which areas you’ve covered already. Folks looking to spruce up their lawn in the spring and summer months and supply the essential nutrients needed to support rapid, healthy grass growth for a greener lawn in 5-7 days. There are a few specific rules that you’ll need to follow to get the application just right, including walking at a brisk pace of 1.5 metres per second, ensuring the spout is at least 45cm off the ground, and raising the spout whenever you stop walking to stop the flow of granules. You might find it easier to use your own more comprehensive spreader that works at a pre-determined height and spreads fertiliser evenly regardless of your walking speed.