Our Guide to the Best Lawn Spreaders Under $50

The CHAPIN TurfPro is a handheld bag spreader that carries 25 lb. A padded shoulder strap takes the weight, a gate and flow control set the rate, and a rear baffle keeps product from spilling backward. The gears are enclosed, the bag is waterproof and zippered, and the maker positions it for residential seed, pest control and fertilizer.

The bag is what lifts it above the rest. Against the Agri-Fab handheld, which holds about 6 lb of fertilizer, you carry four times the product between refills, and the strap spares your arm. Against the SHALL, you crank by hand but pay about $18 less.

Buy it for a yard of a few thousand square feet or oddly shaped beds where a push spreader will not fit. For a perfectly flat lawn, a push spreader is faster.

The Agri-Fab handheld has a one gallon hopper that holds about 6 lb of pelletized fertilizer or ice melt, or up to 3 lb of seed, and spreads up to 12 ft wide. You fill it, turn the adjustment knob and crank for controlled spreading, and it handles seed, fertilizer, weed control, salt and ice melt.

The 12 ft width is the standout: it is more than double the 5 ft throw of the Brinly in the cheaper tier. Compared with the CHAPIN it holds a quarter of the product, so you refill often, but it is lighter and costs $10 less.

Buy it for patches and small lawns where you want a wider throw than a shaker gives. For anything bigger, take the CHAPIN.

The SHALL runs on a 7.2V rechargeable motor with a 2.0Ah lithium battery, a 3.3 L hopper and eight settings. Settings 1 to 3 are for fine grass seed and 4 to 6 for larger granules, and a paddle adjusts the throwing width. It is rated for salt, de-icer and fertilizer as well.

Its maker warns that seeds stuck under the dispersing wheel can block it, and not to force the paddle. That is the cost of a motor: it does the work of cranking, but a jam needs clearing. Against the CHAPIN you give up the 25 lb bag and pay more, in exchange for a steady rotation speed that a tired arm cannot match.

Buy it if cranking is the problem and your yard is moderate. For the largest capacity at the lowest price, take the CHAPIN.

This is a hand-crank seeder in PP material, measuring about 9.45 by 9.06 by 8.27 inches. You fill the hopper and turn the crank to spread seed or fertilizer across lawns and garden beds, and it is light enough to carry anywhere. The maker says the PP build resists cracking better than thin plastic spreaders.

It is simpler than the Agri-Fab, with no published capacity or throw width, but it costs $4 less. Against the VKPLITE shaker it gives you a crank rather than a wrist-driven shake.

Buy it for a small bed or to top up bare patches. If you need a stated throw and hopper, take the Agri-Fab.

The VKPLITE is a plastic shaker with a twist-off lid for spill-free filling and a grip with room for larger hands and bulky work gloves. The maker positions it as one tool for salt in winter, seed in spring and fertilizer in summer.

Its opening adjustment is the only control, so spread depends on how you shake. Compared with the Manual Hand-Crank Seeder it is simpler and a few dollars cheaper, while the CHAPIN gives you a metered gate and a strap.

Buy it for walkways, pots and light seeding. For lawns, move up.

The Holibanna is a plastic seeder pitched with distance control and a portable drop design. Its listing is mostly generic gardening language, with no capacity, dimensions or opening sizes.

That leaves it behind every other pick: the VKPLITE tells you the lid and handle design, and the Agri-Fab gives a gallon and a 12 ft width. This one is a plain dropper for planting.

Buy it only for sowing seed into pots or rows. For spreading, choose any of the picks above.