Multi spreaders are built to handle lime, compost and fertiliser; a spreader marketed purely as a fertiliser spreader may not have wide enough spread vanes or a strong enough drive for lime's density and clumping tendency. Check the individual listing if you need to spread more than one material type.

Ground-driven spreaders use the wheel rotation to drive the spinner, so spread rate is tied to your travel speed — simple and reliable, but less precise. PTO-driven spreaders run off the tractor's PTO independent of ground speed, giving more consistent spread rate control, particularly useful on hilly or uneven ground where travel speed varies.

Match hopper size to how much area you're covering per fill, balanced against what your tractor can safely carry on the linkage — an oversized hopper full of fertiliser can overload a smaller tractor's rear lift capacity.

Spread width and evenness depend on ground speed, PTO speed (for PTO-driven units) and the spreader's vane/disc setting — check the product's spread chart if supplied, and do a test run on a tarp to check pattern before spreading a full paddock.