The application of fertilisers and snowmelt has become much easier in recent years with high quality salt and lawn fertilizer spreaders becoming more widely available to a far greater number of people. There is no doubt that applying expensive snowmelt, salt or lawn fertiliser by hand was a hit-and-miss process where the results were often far less than consistent. By employing the services of a spreader, it is possible to exactly calculate the amount of applicant necessary to get the job done, thus negating the often considerable amount of wasted or poorly applied salts and fertilisers that can often amount to considerable expense. It is worth considering the type of use you can get from your spreader as many types of garden spreader are equally as effective at applying lawn fertilizer during the summer as they are dispensing ice melt or salt during the winter months. If you area commercial operator or have a responsibility to clear snow and ice from public areas, a dedicated salt spreader is your best bet; it will have special features that enable it to deal with snow clearing substances.