Backpack Sprayers

[forgeblast]

I have the solo, its about 6 years old now. I was pumping up one of the cheap ones and the pump handle broke off. I use pump armor on it every winter. I have a small 1 gallon tsc special for spraying folar ferts, but the back pack one is 5 gallons. I need to spray in our CREP area.

 

[om21braz]

I have a Solo (diaphragm type). Has worked perfectly and been very dependable for many years now.

- Jay

+1 Dealer noted this model seemed to have less problems with granular (Quikpro). Three years later, it's still working well.

 

[RedNeckGeek]

+1 on the Solo diaphragm sprayer. Mine's four years old, gets a lot of use in the spring and pretty much sits empty the rest of the year. It's a weed control machine for spraying Roundup and brush-b-gone generics. I make sure it really is empty, wand and all, before it gets put away. The straps could have a little more padding on them, but other than a little dirt and dust on the outside, this one looks and works like new. They cost a little more than the TSC brand, and a LOT more than what you'd get at Harbor Freight. In return you get a tool that works without fuss when you need it. That's more than worth it to me.

 

[nolefan]

I bought a Stihl about 4 or more years ago and have been very pleased with it. 1st backpack sprayer i've owned so I don't have anything else to compare it to but would definitely recommend it. Forget the model but it is a 4 gallon if I remember correctly.

 

[California]

I'm cheap, I bought the Harbor Freight 4 gallon backpack sprayer. Its sometimes $20 on sale; I've seen $17.99. Maybe less if you can apply a 20% coupon.

The quality seems better than a lot of HF stuff. So far as I can see this is the equal of sprayers costing far more at Home Depot etc. No complaint at all on quality.

I added Tractor Supply's stainless wand with spray tip, for double the reach without getting off the tractor. I think the TSC wand has a better spray pattern, fully adjustable from fog to long range stream.

There's a disadvantage to this lever-pump type of sprayer vs the pressurized-tank type of 2-gallon sprayer which has a plunger on top: after pumping this backpack sprayer's handle it will only spray for a few seconds before it needs pumping again. The piston area holding pressure is tiny. With the pressurized-tank type, the one with a plunger on top, you pressurize the whole tank so you have spray pressure for far longer before it needs pumping again. I prefer that type for smaller projects.

Edit: Here's AgriSupply's $40 model. Look familiar?

 

[RedNeckGeek]

<SNIP>There's a disadvantage to this lever-pump type of sprayer vs the pressurized-tank type of 2-gallon sprayer which has a plunger on top: after pumping this backpack sprayer's handle it will only spray for a few seconds before it needs pumping again. The piston area holding pressure is tiny. With the pressurized-tank type, the one with a plunger on top, you pressurize the whole tank so you have spray pressure for far longer before it needs pumping again. I prefer that type for smaller projects.

I buy tools at HF as well, but only if the reviews are good. I haven't checked them for the HF sprayer, but it sounds like the catch might be the constant pumping. The Solo I've been using for the past several years will last several minutes before it needs a few strokes on the lever. If the pumping gets to be too much I switch to a 15 gallon FIMCO tank sprayer I purchased at Tractor Supply. That one mounts on an RTV900 Kubota and runs off the battery