Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I read all the reviews on every spreader I could find. Everyone seems to complain that they tip over (stability) and that the gears that run the spreader mechanism are made of plastic or cheap metals, and they fail after only 1 or 2 uses. (Durability.) It's not a bargain if it falls apart. This Chapin Spreader is solid and feels like professional grade. My yard is the size of a football field and so hilly I had to put axle weights on my John Deere tractor in order to mow safely. Those hills are no problem and this spreader has never tipped. The gears are made of brass - not plastic or cheap metal, and the gear box is sealed and has steel zerk grease nipple fittings so you can do a professional job of lubricating the gears. Assembly wasn't too bad. Read the directions. It took me about 40-45 minutes. The only (mild) surprise was the setting option for the feed. You know how most fertilizer says "If you use a (brand) spreader, then for this stuff set it on x."? Well that won't work on this because it doesn't use those stupid settings that vary by brand. The feed setting is strictly "X pounds per 100 square feet." But that's not a problem. I have discovered every bag of seed or fertilizer I have purchased has (somewhere in the instructions on the bag) "Apply at a rate of x pounds per 100 square feet." This is actually much more accurate than assuming that every brand's settings are accurate. And, that setting locks on, it is very exact and won't move on you. So, why buy a cheap one that won't last. Spend a little extra and never have to buy one again. (No, I don't work for Chapin, or Amazon, or any of these folks...)