There are two types of Fertilizer Spreaders, Drop Spreaders and Broadcast Spreaders. Drop Spreaders distribute the fertilizer from a large capacity hopper onto an auger that drops the material through calibrated, adjustable holes. Maximum coverage is based on the width of the spreader. Broadcast Spreaders generally have a smaller capacity, but are able to broadcast the fertilizer up to a five foot path by dropping the appropriate amount of fertilizer onto a spinning horizontal disc.