Sprayer Help... Acceptable uses for PTO sprayers

[getut]

I know the normal uses deal with spraying weed killers, lawn fertilizing, etc. Add a wand and use it for spraying fence lines and the like. Also good.
I only have 5 acres with about 3 in pasture. I am FAR from what I call a yard freak. I WON'T be using it to fertilize the lawn, it just means I'd have to mow more. I would use it for weed killing the general lawn as well as getting a wand to do the fence lines. With only those two uses alone I can't justify the cost of the spray rig.

Here is where the real question begins... My house is cedar sided. Many people use low pressure sprayers to apply water sealers either alone or with stain in it. I also have lots of deck space to water seal as well as the whole exterior of the house every couple of years. Will these PTO spray rigs work for water sealants, or water sealants with stain without ruining the spray rig... OR without messing it up just enough to where it still works but only for that purpose from that point on (not suitable for lawn tasks anymore).

If they can be used for those additional tasks, I think I've just sold myself one because it would a tremendous time saver.

 

[have_blue]

My guess is that it would be OK, but you would have to clean it very carefully after use. Probably need to run quite a bit of paint thinner through it, and soapy water just for insurance.

 

[jeffinsgf]

I would not put anything that was not water soluble through my sprayer. Clean up with mineral spirits would be expensive, time consuming, and messy. When I clean mine I ususally fill the tank with clean water, park it over my gravel driveway, turn on the PTO pump and come back in half an hour when it is about done to clean the wand. I would think that even being stingy, you would need about 5 gallons of mineral spirits to clean up the sprayer, and then you would have to clean out the mineral spirits.

I've got a good quality hand pump sprayer that is reserved for water sealer, diesel fuel (for concrete forms), and other petro based sprays.

 

[getut]

Ok.. alternate question to reduce the amount of cleanup. Would it be possible to use the PTO pump and the sprayers pickup and bypass/return system to feed right out of the cans. In other words, bypass the tank altogether?

If the chemicals won't physically damage anything.. then cleanup is the only issue. And it would take a LOT of fillups to spray my whole house, 1 large deck and 1 small deck with a pump up sprayer.

 

[Bob_Skurka]

I can't see why it would not work to suction straight out of a bucket.

But just for curiosity's sake, why are you looking at a PTO pump instead of one of the far less expensive 12-volt pumps? I ask that only because in your first post you mentioned cost justification.

 

[Soundguy]

I believe thompsons makes a water mix / solubable water seal....

Perhaps valspar as well.

soundguy

 

[getut]

Bob, I would occassionally need lots of volume. My land is completely flat and if/when I get lazy and forget to clean gutters, I have had the crawlspace on my house get some standing water that I may need to pump out. I can also foresee myself using the pto pump to water a small garden from a pond on occassion.

Even though I am money conscious on the purchase the difference in the total amount to go with a PTO pump over 12v is not a concern. If I justify the cost to do it, which it sounds like I have, then I'll most likely opt for the larger volume/more capability.


Heck.. with my tractor.. I can even stand on the bucket work the steering wheel and HST pedal with strings and use the wand to get the high spots. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[getut]

Soundguy, I havn't been able to find any water sealers that say they are water soluble or water cleanup. Pure stains are a different story though. I'd love to know there are water soluble sealants out there.

 

[Soundguy]

I'm almost certain the last time I was in the hardware store that i saw a plastic bottle of thompsons and it said water cleanup, and not to mix with the 'metal' can thompsons, which was mineral spirits cleanup.

Soundguy

 

[Soundguy]

I just calle dthe hardware store. Valspar does indeed make a 'soap & water' cleanup water sealer. Instructions say it needs a couple hours cure time before 'rain'..

Soundguy