SOLOSolo 421 20-Pound Capacity Portable Chest-mount Spreader with Comfortable Cross-shoulder Strap - 421S, White, 20lb

I have about 1/2 acre that I needed to get some fertilizer down on following my soil test results as I prepared for planting. I could have gotten something much more expensive to pull behind my ATV but eventually settled on this Solo. I’m glad I did. Very simple to use and did a great job spreading 150lbs of fertilizer. 20lbs per go around made this quick work and good exercise.

This works really well. Doesn’t take up a lot of space as a drop spreader would. I like how the gears are sealed. May actually last a long while.

I’ve tried so many different bag spreaders that seem to always let me down. This spreader has worked flawlessly everytime I’ve used it. I do a lot of remote food plots and having your spreader take a crap on you when you’re a mile in on foot sucks. I know I can count on this to not let down when I need it.

Of all the spreaders I have owned for spreading snow melt material (NOT Rock Salt, but snow melt material made of much smaller and finer granules) this one is by far the best made and engineered. This is a high quality product which will last for a long time if maintained. It spreads the material up to 30 feet wide. The flow adjustment and the hand cranking speed have a big impact on how wide and dense the material spreads. There is also a broadcast plastic flap shown in one of the photo's above which controls the material width.The spreader minimum width is about 6' from my experiences, so you have to angle it down towards the sidewalk to focus the material there, but it's easy. The material flows well and it broadcast it very well for either seeding or snow melt application. Here are my issues with this spreader as to why I didn't give it 5 star rating.1. The control for opening the material flow is the red plastic lever shown in the photo above. When you are wearing the spreader, this control is on the back of the spreader and you can't see it as it is up against your chest. So you have to "feel" for the flow control to open and close it, which is awkward at best and cumbersome.2. The spreader weighs about 6 pounds empty, ready to use. By time I filled it with snow melt material, it weighed over 30 pounds. Granted, the snow melt material is likely the most dense and heaviest material you could or would use in this spreader. Grass seed would be just the opposite and very light. The weight of the 30 pounds hanging on a strap around my neck after having had previous shoulder surgeries was very uncomfortable. I wore it just long enough to salt the driveway and then immediately take it off. I can't imagine wearing this for 20 or 30 minutes to spread material over a large area. If you haven't had shoulder surgeries, I hope you never have to as they can change your life.3. The material flow adjustment is the plastic knurled threaded post which the red material flow handle stops against when you open the flow control. I give the manufacturer a lot of credit for making the pieces of this spreader out of high quality materials, I just found the adjustment of the material flow very sensitive. Perhaps this isn't meant to spread snow melt material, as the material and it's weight and flow in the hopper were the main issues I have with this spreader. I will try it in the spring for grass seed and lawn fertilizer and I think it's going to work great.This spreader is for right handed spreading and cranking only. That's fine but for people left handed, it seems awkward at first. I can honestly say I have not seen another spreader built with the quality of this item. The strap over the shoulder is the easiest way to put this on and off and I don't know of any alternative that would work as well. I just found the weight and pressure down on the shoulder and around the back of the neck quite uncomfortable.If I were to give this spreader a score out of 100 for overall design, quality, ease of use and every other aspect, I would definitely give it a 95 out of 100.....If there was a way to make the flow control and the material on and off lever easier to reach and find and the weight of this wasn't uncomfortable to wear, I would give this 100.I am going to try to add just enough snow melt material for each time it is used on the driveway, instead of filling the hopper. This will lighten it dramatically. I would imagine for the driveways which I use it on, perhaps filling it 1/3 to 1/2 would meet the need. Lightening it by 12 to 15 pounds will help with the weight on the shoulder. I carry this spreader on the carry all of my tractor and when I am done plowing snow, I grab the spreader and walk up and down the incline on the driveways, spreading material. I will have to carry another supply of snow melt to refill the spreader after each use on the driveways, as I take care of several driveways in my neighborhood.All in all, this is an excellent product that just needs a couple of modifications. Perhaps I can fit a wider piece of soft plastic over the shoulder strap to help reduce the pressure the strap applies to my shoulder. As far as a functioning spreader, this one is by far the best quality with serviceable components meant to last for many years.I would say this is the only TRUE COMMERCIAL quality hand held or carried spreader I have owned and I have had several of the hand carry and crank units, the Wizz which just doesn't work well in the cold and the material plugs it up.I will find a way to make this spreader work because clearly, its the best made, highest quality spreader I have found and I have looked at and owned over 8 different ones over the years. So, if you need a "carry spreader", give this one a try and you will likely be pleased. Its not perfect, but its the closest to perfect I have found after years of searching and trying these portable, hand powered and carry spreaders.If I could give this spreader 4.5 stars I would because it's that close to being "PERFECT". Buy this knowing the issues I pointed out, don't avoid it because of the concerns I raised. There is much more good and even great about this spreader than problems or disappointments.

Works excellent for grass seed and fertilizers. Good adjustable spread pattern.

I bought this 5 years ago to replace an expensive wheeled broadcast spreader (that I sold used for double what this spreader cost new). The wheeled spreader had to be moving to be broadcasting, which did not suit my so-called technique. With the Solo, I can stand in one place and turn the crank and spray seed or fertilizer into the nooks and crannies of my yard. As a bonus, when a person I loaned the spreader to broke the deflector shield today, I was able to order a replacement from Solo for less than two dollars. Very glad I found this item.

We spread diatomaceous earth on our organic vegetable plants to keep squash, potato beetles, japanese beetles and flea beetles off our plants. Works especially well on soft-body development stage. Easy to use, comfy, doesn’t clog. Durable and price is right.

Works exactly as hoped!Great for spreading new grass seed.Thank you!