In the 21st century, the population has been increased to a great extent and the demand for agricultural products (seeds, fertilizers, salts etc.) has been greatly increased. For that reason, large areas of fields are being heavily used for production. But plants are not just simple planting and harvesting. They require fertilizers at a high amount and with manpower, the task is not only costly but also time-consuming. But at present, the task is to be performed as early as possible.
How can it be done?
The answer is by using a UTV mounted spreader. A typical UTV spreader has a big loading capacity and a high-speed rotating impeller or distributing fan, which uniformly distributes fertilizers to a large extent, covering a large area within a very short period. Apart from just distributing fertilizers, a typical UTV spreader is also effectively used for seed sowing, salt spraying, and other free-flowing material application to a great extent. The application of a UTV mounted spreader greatly reduces the time for fertilizer and other applications and reduces the application cost a lot.
But in the market, you will see thousands of models of UTV mounted spreaders. The question is which one suits you most? No need to worry because in this article you will get the 5 best UTV seed spreaders which will provide the requirements you need.
The Top Choices at a Glance:
I have shortlisted all of the best UTV seed fertilizer spreaders and found the best value for the money:
- Buyers Products UTV All-Purpose Spreader
- ForEverlast Galvanized Steel UTV Spreader Hitch-Mount
- Guide Gear UTV/ATV Receiver Mount Spreader Seeder
- Titan Attachments 12 Volt ATV/UTV Broadcast Spreader
- Field Tuff AS-80ATV12 Receiver Mount Spreader
What is The UTV Seed & Fertilizer Spreader?
UTV comes for ‘Utility Task Vehicle’ or ‘Utility Terrain Vehicle’. The vehicle is especially suitable for farming purposes. Don’t mess this up with ATV (All-Terrain Vehicle) which is different in appearance and purpose.
A seed and fertilizer spreader is that tool which spreads them within a very short period and at long width. UTV seed and fertilizer spreader is that type of spreader that can be attached or mounted on the front or rear side of the UTV for spreading materials.
The spreader consists of mainly two parts: hopper and impeller or spinner attached to a 12v motor, which runs at 540-570 rpm. The spreader is used for fertilizing, seed spreading, salt spreading purposes on a medium-large area within a short period.
Choosing The Best UTV Seed or Fertilizer Spreader
There are thousands of fertilizer or seed spreaders in the market from the lowest qualities to the highest qualities and for different usages. Some are found at a cheaper rate but provide fewer qualities than price where some come at a very high price but provide qualities that are not required for everyone. It creates a problem to select the right one and most suitable one. But if you bear the following criteria in mind in case of purchasing a spreader, you will be heavily benefitted.
Price: as the common maxim goes, ‘you get what you pay for. In the case of buying a spreader, it is true. The more money you will provide on a spreader, the better qualities you will get. Qualities may be the spreading range or durability of the product or load-bearing capacity or even getting a warranty for that product. But not always a costly spreader suits everyone. If taking care of a spreader is not a tough job for you at all, then you can simply go for a steel-made spreader, which you can get for under 100$. Or if you have a smaller area then you should not waste money on a heavy load-bearing spreader. Decide for which purpose you want the spreader and whether you can take care of that spreader properly.
Load-bearing capacity: different spreaders come with different load-bearing capacities ranging from 50 lbs to 400 lbs. The more the capacity will be, the shorter and convenient it will be to spread materials. But you need to remember that not always a high load-bearing capacity spreader is suitable for you. If you have a small-medium-sized area, then using a 300 lbs capacity spreader is overkill for you. But the most important thing to bear in mind is the load-bearing capacity of your UTV. You need to know the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) and Rear Gross Axle Weight Rating (RGAWR) of your vehicle. You should never exceed the points and that means you should not purchase a spreader which, when fully loaded, exceeds the points. The points vary from UTV to UTV. Besides, you need to keep the weight of the spreader in mind. Though having a higher capacity, the higher the spreader’s weight will be, the lower the spreader can accommodate materials considering the GVWR and RGAWR points. In summary, don’t purchase a spreader that is overweight when loaded, consider your lawn/garden/field size and weight of the tool itself.
UTV compatibility: suppose you have spent a huge amount on a spreader that is not only great at performance, but the aesthetic quality is also nice. But when you are going to mount that on your UTV, you notice that the spreader is not mountable at all with the UTV. And a spreader is not a showpiece, right? That’s why you need to consider whether the spreader you want to buy is compatible with the UTV. Whether it is hitch-mounting or just simple front or rear side mounting, whether it is easily fitted to the receiver-hitch or crossbar-attaching you need to consider. Moreover, you need to know whether the spreader is convenient to mount. You don’t want to spend the whole day assembling and mounting on the UTV and de-assemble after a spreader. Select the spreader which is UTV compatible and easy to assemble and mount.
Product material: it is important to choose the material by which the spreader is made of. You may personally prefer steel or polythene. But product material is a matter to consider. Steel-made spreaders last long and come at a comparatively low price. But that makes too much noise and is not suitable for spreading corrosive salts. Besides, a steel-made spreader is heavier than a polymer-made spreader. A polymer-made spreader is light and durable (not as much as steel-made). Some materials may be unloaded on a polymer spreader faster than a steel-made spreader. But steel-made spreader’s spare parts are easier to find than polymer-made spreaders. Polymer is corrosive proof but steel is sensitive to corrosive materials. You can use almost all types of fertilizers on a polymer spreader but cannot use corrosive fertilizers on a steel spreader.
Product durability: you have purchased a costly spreader and have broken down after a few applications. Your product’s durability is very low. Steel-made spreaders normally have higher durability than polymer-made spreaders. When used on rough terrain, steel spreaders may get some tints but polymer spreaders can easily be broken down as the UTV gets a huge amount of jerking while working on rough terrain. You need to keep in mind that only high and premium-grade polymers can withstand heavy agricultural tasks. Apart from these, polymer doesn’t get rusted in any situation but steel though is galvanized, can easily be rusted which affects on durability and productivity of a spreader.
Spreading width: selection of a spreader with a larger spreading width is dependent on the size of the area you want to feed. A spreader having higher spreading width can cover a larger field within a shorter period than a low-spreading spreader. But a low-spreading spreader works fine on a smaller area than a high-spreading spreader as the latter spreads an excess amount of materials within a short area. Moreover, a higher spreading width spreader costs more than a smaller width spreader. You need to determine based on the area of land and budget.
Condition of the UTV: you have done everything and are ready to feed your lawn or field. But when you are about to mount the spreader on the UTV, you notice that the frame is in poor condition and can’t accommodate the least amount you want to use and some other vehicle issues. It will be a very annoying situation. That’s why it is advised to check the condition of any UTV before you mount or load materials. Check rack condition, brake system, fuel consumption, and other necessary vehicle components and when you are ready, then mount the spreader and rock and roll.
Types of UTV seed spreaders: Normally UTV spreaders are either polymer or steel. As manual spreaders, they come in various sizes and load capacities. But unlike manual spreaders, all of the UTV spreaders are motor operated i.e. the spinner or impeller is operated by a 12v motor.
5 Best UTV Seed or Fertilizer Spreader 2021
1. Buyers Products UTV All-Purpose Spreader
Buyers Products company is one of the most famous truck equipment and trailer accessories producing companies in America. The company has been serving its customers since 1946 with trust. Besides producing different equipment and accessories, the company has manufactured a UTV spreader that is mountable on almost all UTVs. Moreover, high quality and premium grade materials have been used to build the equipment, which provides better quality. The overall facilities the spreader provides and easy to use have made the spreader one of the best UTV fertilizer spreaders.
Mounting:
- Assemble the frame tubes, plate, plate weldment, and gussets and pin them as directed in the product manual.
- Assemble the hopper as directed.
- Attach the hitch mounting frame into the hitch and set it with pins.
- Place the frame into the hitch mounting frame and set the hopper vertically on the frame. Attach the spreader mounting pins and secure the spreader.
- First, slide the long end of the ‘gate control arm’ through the top end pore of the plate weldment. Then slide the short end of the ‘gate control arm’ through the ‘gate control’ on the bottom of the hopper. Set the collars and tighten.
- You can previously mount the impeller with the motor. If not, attach the motor with the impeller and connect the motor with wire. Plug the accessory adapter into the accessory outlet of the UTV.
- You need to ‘pull’ or ‘push’ the ‘gate control arm’ to control the opening size of the end of the hopper, allowing it to control the spreading of fertilizers or free-flowing materials.
Operating:
- First, close the shut-off gate fully and load with the desired amount of fertilizer into the hopper (calculate first the amount required for covering the area of the field). Close the hopper with the hopper cover. Turn the switch on to start the impeller rotation and open the shut-off gate to start spreading.
- Adjust the ‘shut-off gate’ by controlling the ‘gate control arm’ to control the size of the end of the hopper to control the spreading of fertilizer or free-flowing materials.
You will find the average speeds of the UTV required for spreading ranging from 2.9 mph to 9.5 mph at the half opening and 7.1 mph to 18.9 mph at full opening. But you should calculate strictly and measure the required speed of the UTV for spreading the fertilizer you want to apply.
Pros:
- The high and premium grade materials make the product rust-proof.
- The hopper is made of polymer but can hold up to 150 lbs of materials and the spread width is up to 30 feet.
- Hopper cover ensures no extra fertilizer will fall from the hopper due to jerking.
- Light in weight and very easy to handle.
- Polymer hopper greatly reduces noise.
Cons:
- The cost is very high.
- Easy to handle but assembling is time-consuming.
2. ForEverlast Galvanized Steel UTV Spreader Hitch-Mount
When you are out for hunting games, one of the most important things is to attract them to your desired location. How can you attract them? Yes, by providing bets. Normally you can spread some bets with your hands but that will work for small animals.
What if you want to hunt deer or something like it? You need to spread the bets at a large area and with the hand that will be very hard. You need something to spread the bets. ‘ForEverlast Galvanized Steel ATV Spreader’ is the required spreader for you. ‘ForEverlast’ is American’s one of the most favorite trailer manufacturing brands which have been keeping its customers happy for over 24 years and proved to be fully dependable.
Compared to the versatility of the product, it comes at a reasonable price which is very rare to get and other special features have made the product one of the best feeders or corn spreaders.
Assembling:
- Get the tailgate feeder, bolts, washer, lock washer, nut sets, bracket, and hook bars from the box.
- Grab a Phillips head screwdriver and a metric 10 wrench or socket.
- Locate the pre-punched pores on the back left and right edge of the gate feeder and punch out the pores. If they are not out, do not hammer or apply force. Use a drill to create pores there. The center holes are for hitch attachment and you may not need that.
- Position the bracket over the two pores on the outside of the feeder and secure that using bolt, washer, lock washer, and nut sets. Attach the other bracket like this. Make them tight using the screwdriver and wrench.
Mounting:
- Align pores of one hook with the pores of a bracket and attach them with bolt, washer, lock washer, and nut sets. Attach the other one as the previous one.
- Mount the whole feeder on the back or the desired side of your UTV, ATV, etc.
- Connect the end of the 12v motor with a power source so that you can control the spreading of the feeder from inside of your vehicle.
Operating:
- Fill the feeder with corn at your desired amount (less than 50 pounds) and cover it with the hood pre-attached to the feeder.
- Lock the other side of the feeder.
- Turn on the power switch and you are good to go. Turn off the switch when you are done and control spreading turning on or off the switch as required.
Pros:
- Not only for UTV mounting but also for almost all types of vehicles which have made the product very versatile.
- The fully galvanized steel body protects from rust and corrosion.
- Contain up to 50 lbs. of corn.
- Specially made spinners reduce feed waste.
- Comes with a 12v cigarette lighter adapter which further reduces feed waste.
- Price is comparatively low.
Cons:
- The steel body creates lots of noise.
- Product weight is comparatively high.
- Only for spreading corn or other feeding materials.
3. Guide Gear UTV/ATV Receiver Mount Spreader Seeder
Guide gear is worldwide popular for its hunting and hunting related and camping products. Apart from this purpose, the company has manufactured a typical spreader which is a multi-tasking tool. From garden use to cleaning purposes, even the tool can be used for hunting purposes. The versatility, easy to use and other special features has made the spreader one of the best seed spreaders.
Assembling
- Take everything (nuts, bolts, washers, hopper, tubes etc.) out from the box.
- Attach the deflector plate to the crossbeam tube using hex bolt, big flat washer, and nut and tighten them. Connect the assembled crossbeam tube, connecting rod, and hopper assembly tube with hex bolt, flat washer, and hex lock nut.
- Set the extension tube with the connecting tube assembly using a U bolt, washer, and a hex nut.
- Connect the hopper assembly tube with the spacer plate. Connect it with the connecting tube.
- Insert a switch into the hole of the gauge base plate, plug in the cable, and connect the other end of the cable with the cable of the motor. Secure the gauge base and cable assembly with screws and flat washers and mount the clamp press plate.
- Set the hopper assembly with a hopper assembly tube.
- Connect the gauge base plate, center spacer bushing, and hopper assembly. Then connect the lower hole of the gauge base plate to the hopper assembly.
- Set the gauge base plate assembly on the gauge base plate.
- Set every part with bolts, washers, flat washers and nuts (as directed on the user manual).
- Tighten all the bolts, washers, and nuts properly and make sure no part is kept loose.
Mounting: drive the receiver tube into the 2 inches standard receiver hitch of your vehicle.
Operating:
- Fill the hopper with some of the fertilizer.
- To perform a test run, adjust the handle on the gauge assembly for a convenient setting. Tighten the wing nut on the gauge to adjust the desired opening, allowing the operator to set the opening while driving the vehicle.
- Adjust the handle on the gauge so that materials fall on the turning plate.
- Flip rocker switch to begin spreading.
- Adjust the gauge setting until you get the desired width and unit amount.
- Turn the rocker switch off to stop spreading.
- Calculate how much for the land you need to apply and load with the amount (not exceeding to 80 lbs.)
- Apply in that area following the above steps. Clean the tool immediately after application.
Pros:
- can accommodate up to 80 lbs. of materials.
- Is easily mountable on any UTV or ATV (2 inches receiver).
- High speed motor spreads up to 12 feet wide.
- The hopper is rust-proof.
- Spreading setting is adjustable from the driver’s seat.
- The rain cover will protect from rainfall.
Cons:
- Product cost is very high.
- Quite heavy and need to be handled with caution.
- Consumes much time at assembling and disassembling.
4. Titan Attachments 12 Volt ATV/UTV Broadcast Spreader
Titan Attachments is a well-reputed company that manufactures tractor and tractor attachments and trailers. Products of the company are famous around the globe apart from America. The company manufactures exceptional products and almost all the products have made the customers satisfied. ‘Titan Attachments 12 Volt ATV/UTV Broadcast Spreader’ is also manufactured by the company and is an editor’s choice spreader. The excellent qualities provided by the spreader and aesthetic look have made the spreader one of the best broadcast spreaders for fertilizers and other free-flowing materials.
Assembling:
- Carefully unpack the box and get the all-set hopper, J-bolts, nuts, press plates, and frame tubes out of the box.
- Take a screwdriver and a small hex-like wrench.
- First, insert the J-bolts into the holes of the press plates and set the nuts. You can do it later but it will help if done at first.
- Decide whether the trailer will be mounted on the front or rear rack. If mounted on the rear rack, you need to set the control assembly on the right rail, and in the case of the front rack, set on the left rail.
- Now align the control tube with the pores of a desired rail so that you can insert the screws. Tight the screws with the screwdriver. Repeat the process for the other tube.
Mounting:
- Check whether the desired side rack is properly tightened.
- Align the assembled spreader vertically to the side luggage rack on the UTV.
- Join the short ends of the tubes of the spreader to the nearest crossbar of the rack with the pre-assembled J-bolts. Make sure the J-bolts are in a face-to-face direction and hold the crossbar and tube. Set nuts and tighten with the wrench.
- Attach the motor adapter with the power source of the vehicle.
Operating:
- Determine the amount of material (less than 80 lbs.) you want to apply (perform a test run to calculate necessary things).
- Pour into the hopper.
- Put the rain cover over the hopper.
- Set the gauge at your desired setting and turn on the switch. Set the gauge off and turn off the switch when you are finished.
Pros:
- Fully made of heavy-duty polymer, which is liable for 11lbs weight and easy at handling and provides durability.
- The spreading setting is adjustable from the driving seat.
- Can accommodate up to 80 lbs. of fertilizers or feeding materials and spread up to 12 feet.
- The 12v motor is vinyl coated, protects from materials and rainfall, providing durability and longevity to the motor. The wire is also protected from rain and easy to install to a power source.
- Can be mounted on almost all types of UTVs and ATVs.
- The heavy-duty rain cover protects the inside and spreads materials from rainfall.
Cons:
- Can’t be hitch mounted. Need to attach with front or rear rack crossbar using bolts and nuts.
5. Field Tuff AS-80ATV12 Receiver Mount Spreader
Field Tuff is a UTV and ATV implements manufacturing company that works under the parent company Tri Global Enterprise Inc., which is notable for manufacturing a wide variety of industrial, field, and yard equipment. Not only American’s, but people all over the world also use the products manufactured by Field Tuff and admire them. Like other products, Field Tuff presents before you a spreader known as ‘Field Tuff AS-80ATV12 Receiver Mount Spreader’. High-quality components have been used in production. Compact size, durability, ease to handle, and other special features have made the spreader one of the best fertilizer and free-flowing material spreaders.
Assembling:
- Get the hopper, hex bolts and nuts, washers, tubes, and all other components out from the box.
- Attach the deflector plate to the crossbeam tube using hex bolt, big flat washer, and nut and tighten them. Connect the assembled crossbeam tube, connecting rod and hopper assembly tube with hex bolt, flat washer, and hex lock nut.
- Attach the extension tube with the connecting tube assembly using a U bolt, washer, and hex nut.
- Connect the hopper assembly tube with the spacer plate using hex bolt, washer, and nut. Connect it with the connecting tube assembly and rightly tighten the bolts, flat washer, lock washer, and nuts.
- Insert a switch into the hole of the gauge base plate, plug in the cable, and connect the other end of the cable with the cable of the motor. Secure the gauge base and cable assembly with screws and flat washers and mount the clamp press plate.
- Set the hopper assembly with a hopper assembly tube using hex bolt and nut.
- Connect the gauge base plate, center spacer bushing, and hopper assembly using bolts, washers, and nuts and tighten them. Then connect the lower hole of the gauge base plate to the hopper assembly with nuts and bolts and washers.
- Set the gauge base plate assembly on the gauge base plate with bolts and nuts.
- Tighten all the bolts, washers, and nuts properly and make sure no part is kept loose.
Mounting:
Drive the receiver tube into a 1.25 inches or 2 inches standard receiver hitch of your UTV or ATV.
Operating:
- Fill the hopper with some of the material you want to apply.
- To perform a test run, go on a paved area and determine how much and at what width you should apply in the field.
- Adjust the handle on the gauge assembly for a convenient setting. Tighten the wing nut on the gauge to adjust the desired opening, allowing the operator to set the opening while driving the vehicle.
- Adjust the handle on the gauge until the desired amount of material falls on the turning plate.
- Flip rocker switch to begin spreading.
- Adjust the gauge setting until you get the desired width and unit amount.
- Turn the rocker switch off to stop spreading.
- Calculate how much for the land you need to apply.
- Load the amount (less than 80 lbs.) into the hopper and start the vehicle. When finished, clean the tool.
Pros:
- Made of heavy-duty material, providing long-lasting durability.
- Holds up to 80 lbs. of materials and 8 gallons of grass seed and small grains.
- Lightweight provides perfect handling.
- Spreads materials up to 12 feet in width.
- Comes with a rain cover, ensuring the longevity of the tool.
- Can be mounted easily on almost all models of UTVs, tractors, or ATVs.
- Comes with a 1-year limited Manufacturer’s warranty.
Cons:
- Very time-consuming at assembling.
- Costly.
Benefits of UTV Fertilizer Spreader:
A fertilizer spreader is an ideal tool for feeding lawn grass, large areas, or spreading seeds in a field. Here are some of the most important benefits you get from a spreader:
- Reduced time and cost: a fertilizer or seed spreader reduces the time for fertilizer application a lot. Suppose you have a 3000+ sq. ft area and you want to apply fertilizer on the land. Suppose you have decided to spread with manpower and imagine how much time it would take to accomplish the job. Besides, it will cost a lot. Where you can perform the task with a single UTV mounted spreader which saves a great amount of time as well as money.
- Even distribution: a spreader is designed in such a way that evenly distributes fertilizers or other free-flowing materials. So, there is very little or no chance of uneven growth and development of fertilizer materials.
- Reduced wastage: the amount of fertilizer required for land is almost equal to the indicated amount in the product label if you use a spreader. Since it evenly distributes and can be adjusted from the driving seat, the product waste is also very small.
- Other usefulness: a UTV mounted spreader not only just spreads fertilizers and seeds, but ice-melting salts can also be spread on the parking lot or walkway. People in icy regions normally use such spreaders to melt ice.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Can you spread seed with a fertilizer spreader?
Answer: the answer is yes. You can easily spread seeds with a fertilizer spreader. Mostly, it depends on what type or the diameter of the seed. If the seed is too tiny like grass seed, then you need to set the gauge at the optimum setting for that type of seed. If you want to spread other seeds having almost the same diameter of a normal fertilizer granule or corn-size, then you can spread them as normal fertilizer. The most important fact to remember is to set the gauge at an optimum setting which may vary from machine to machine.
2. What type of Spreader should be used to spread grass seed?
Answer: it is better to use a rotary broadcast spreader if you want to spread grass seed. Titan Attachment or Field Tuff mounting spreader is an ideal choice in this case. As grass seed is very small in size and the two machines are very handy to control spreading gauge, you can use any of the two for spreading grass seed on your lawn apart from just fertilizer spreading. When you can perform such a job with a fertilizer spreader then there is no merit in purchasing a grass spreader. Moreover, even a simple seed spreader costs more than 40$ and you don’t want to use that amount for just a simple job.
Conclusion:
Before you purchase, we strongly recommend you to check our buying guide so that you can purchase the right product for the right job. But you can check any of the products described in this article because all of them cover the buying criteria. Among them, we consider ‘Titan Attachments 12 Volt ATV/UTV Broadcast Spreader’ to be the most suitable from price to performance. Others are also great but come at a higher price. we hope that you will select the right one for you. If you have any machine-related quarry, ask instantly without any hesitation. We will try our best to respond to your quarries with the best results. Till then, be safe and keep your family safe