Plantmates 76900 Powder Mill Dust Applicator

I read an earlier review where the person gave this a poor rating because they were spilling powder and wasting it. When i received the powder mill, put it together and saw a what looks like a gaping hole under the powder i bin, i wondered how on earth this thing could hold anything! Well now that i've used it twice to dust my house with diatomaceous earth (a very fine powder) i can say this thing works wonderfully. It makes a nice light cloud and really does spread powder evenly. I opened the holding bin after use and am amazed at how little i've used. I would definitely recommend this product.

I bought this duster to apply DE in my garden and lawn. I moved out to the country in Arkansas with my garden in pots. They are spread and I would guess the area is equivalent to about 3 raised beds 4'x8'. My lawn is about 3 acres. I needed DE more for the lawn since I have lots of chiggers and ticks. I have been bitten all over every time I go outside so DE was supposed to be my nontoxic solution. One are has chickens, no ticks there but chiggers are too small for chickens to help. DE together with keeping lawn short should do the job so my kiddos can be outside. Oh my! If I had to do 3 acres with this duster it would take me weeks and I would need muscles of a superman! My little garden required lots of strength. The crank seemed easy at first, but every 2-3 full rotations I need to shake it quite vigorously to have any DE dust to come out. When it does it's a big cloud (too big). It just shoots a big amount, then barely anything.... I have to keep on shaking it while cranking and it's just exhausting (I'm not a whimp!). This duster might be ok for a few pots, maybe one 4'x8' raised bed. That's it... IMHO too pricey for such limited application. Might as well use a strainter.... it would require less strength and would throw just as much blob of DE as this "duster". I wish I would have had the time to check it out within 30 days, it would have gone back to amazon, but my move took longer, there were priorities and I didn't get to check it till past 30 days :(. Now I just use it on a few plants on my 4'x4' box plus a pot or two, some ant hills etc... Works on ant hills better as it spits out way too much, so there it's ok... = grabbing a handfull and throwing it there. I would put this product in gym equipment more than gardening :D Forgot to add: I've used it a few times, so I don't know how fragile it is, but I am not sure about the part where handle connects to the duster. It's all plastic and it looks like it would wear out quickly, plastic parts where screw goes will be done after a season if lucky to last that long! I wasted money, looking for something better for DE applications. If you know of a good duster, please, please, let me know!

This item produces a good dust cloud, but way too much product leaks out from the air intake. Consequently, you get rotenone, or whatever, all over the place, and wastes most of the dust.

Produces just the right amount or dust to air, and will blow it several feet, so plants can be covered by simply walking down the garden rows, if one pays attention to which way the wind is blowing. Nozzle can be pointed to hit the undersides of the leaves, where the dust is most effective. Far more efficient application of product than the pitiful Shaker Cans most dust comes in these days. A quantum leap. Just a little dust goes a long way, a shaker can/dispenser wastes a lot. Works fine with Sevin or Dragoon Dust. Does not work well with most Diatomaceous Earth: that stuff is too fluid-like, pours out too fast, and jams the bearings quickly. These units are not as durable as they could be. This is my sixth unit. I garden a half-acre, and with several applications over the season, a unit usually last no more than 2 seasons. The original versions lasted longer, this newer model not quite as durable. I save the extra nozzles from the worn-out units to make the air tube longer than stock, so I can reach right down to ground level without bending over.

Very pleased with this device as it works as advertised and was a decent price. I would definitely recommend it. Use it to spread diatomaceous earth around our home to control pests especially scorpions in a way that is non-toxic to people and pets.

I bought this to use with Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth (powder) to get rid of a bunch of ant mounds and a plethora of beetles and earwigs in a large yard. I don't like to use pesticides and after learning about Diatomaceous Earth I thought I had a decent solution. After putting the powder in the hopper, it would work for 1 or 2 cranks and then clog in the hopper. I would have to shake it or stir it to work again for 2 cranks. VERY disappointed. The powder was perfectly dry.... I ended up using a flour sifter - couldn't use the crank - too much came out, so I would lightly tap the sifter with a screwdriver. Takes much longer with the flour sifter, but at least it works. Can't put the pwoder down when the ground is wet and we had a series of rains that postponed use of the Powder Mill Applicator... by the time everything dried out it was too late to return it. I'm going to try it with grass seed - I already have a hand held grass spreader, but maybe it will work for something. Very disappointed. This was several months ago - I did another part of my yard yesterday - the D. Earth was still perfectly dry so that was not the problem. The problem is the design of the tool.

Handle cheesy, don't overfil hopper won't spray. Wil work if you shake it frequently while using. Material must be bone dry.

This duster was useless. It leaked dust from the crank device and when we cranked too hard the top poped open and the dust blew everywhere. Not sure what use it could be for dusting rodent burrows or direct areas. Sorry