Roller pump 4/6/8 and type?

[2manyrocks]

My plain cast iron roller pump is leaking to the point that I think I need a new pump to spray glyphospate herbicide on Kudzu again. I see pump prices starting at about $100 that go up pretty quickly depending on the number of rollers and seals and whether its a silver or whatever type roller pump.

So where's a good place to buy a pump and does it make a big difference how many rollers? If I were to flush the pump after use, would it make that big a difference between buying a cast iron pump versus the other types?

 

[art]

To answer your question.
The things that are needed to know are the boom width.
The gallons to the acre.
the pressure needed.

To rinse a roller pump after every use, Mandatory!!!!

 

[Bird]

Thoroughly flushing with clean water is necessary, but even that will not prevent the cast iron ones from corroding and seizing. I had some experience with two of the Hypro 6 roller pumps. However, after rinsing, if you fill it with antifreeze or oil and plug or cap the inlet and outlet, it will not corrode and seize.

 

[2manyrocks]

I was mainly interested in the more general answer of why (if?) 8 rollers is better than 4 and whether the coatings really made enough of a difference to pay the extra $200 or whatever compared to a plain cast iron pump.

I think whatever pump I have now is just the basic cast iron cheap pump. It was used when I got it, and I've rebuilt it twice already. There's no pressure gauge on my system.

 

[kennyd]

I store my pump with diesel fuel in it, keeps it all lubricated inside.

 

[Bird]

I was mainly interested in the more general answer of why (if?) 8 rollers is better than 4 and whether the coatings really made enough of a difference to pay the extra $200 or whatever compared to a plain cast iron pump.

I think whatever pump I have now is just the basic cast iron cheap pump. It was used when I got it, and I've rebuilt it twice already. There's no pressure gauge on my system.

Have you read the comparisons on the Hypro Roller Pump website. There's differences in gallons per minute discharge, slight differences in the maximum rated rpm, and differences in pressure, but I don't know whether the differences in the cast iron, Ni-Resist, and SilverCast are worth the difference in cost or not.

 

[art]

The 8 roller would be more volumne as well as pressure and would be used on larger booms like 40 foot. A four roller is for 20 foot! Without rinsing just buy the cheap pump. Other wise soaking in oil out of season of use is great and a little wd-40 after rinsing between short term use sure does increase the life.

 

[2manyrocks]

Thanks for the tips. Had our kudzu knocked down, but now it's come back pretty bad so I need to get another pump.

 

[forester2]

What about a rebuild kit for the old one?

 

[2manyrocks]

I had trouble finding a rebuild kit for the old one and ended up using grease seals. So they didn't last long.

I ended up buying a new silver pump, but haven't used it yet.