sprayer came in, hose kinked

[nancyk]

Finally the Workhorse LG4253pt 40 gallon boom sprayer came in to Lowes. Brought it home and started finally assembly. The manual was truly less-than-helpful, I just could not figure out the schematic for putting together the boom brackets. I called Workhose and while we were talking(found out Wokrhorse was purchased a few months ago by Simco, the rep agreed the Workhorse manual was pretty bad). I mentioned the intake tubing from the tank looked very kinked to me and I felt uncomfortable using it that way. I sent a picture to the rep(who was super helpful) and she agreed it did look kinked and if the pump did not function correctly they could send a new hose. I asked for a new hose/different connection before I even use it, as a new hose would only have the same concern as the original, and unless I am missing something, there is going to be a problem. Could you look at the attached picture and see if I am over-reacting or had better wait until I get a new connection before turning on the pump? We never did get a real answer on connecting the boom brackets together. Thanks

 

[BleedingOrange]

Hi Nancy, are you able to push the kinked hose into the tank some more or is it molded as one unit with the rubber ring that is mounted in the tank from the factory ? If you can push it into the tub an inch or two so it becomes more of a 90 degree bend, it might be enough to get the kink out of the rubber hose.

 

[WranglerX]

New hose is probably going to have same problem..... My sprayer can with rigid pickup tube and prevents the kink situation...

You might cut hose and put in 90° elbow and fix problem forever... Something like below from big box or hardware store should do it....

Pipe Fitting, Nylon Hose Barb Elbow, 90 Degree, 3/8-In. ID

3/8" i.d., 90&degree. Nylon hose barb elbow.

countrytruevalue.com

 

[oosik]

I think the hose - as shown in your pics - will probably create flow problems. A new replacement will likely have the same problem.

I would suggest the solution that WranglerX suggests. Cut the hose and install a rigid 90 degree elbow.

 

[Stonehaller]

Reach in the tank and pull the hose down some. I have 25 Gallon Workhorse with 5.3 GPM pump. The suction hose on mine is flattened out some at the bend, but it works fine.

 

[nancyk]

It turns out that the kinked part is NOT on the intake to the pump, that connection looks fine. If you look at my second picture, the kinked part is one of three adjacent outlets and this morning I noticed they were labeled Boom, Bypass, Wand. The middle kinked one is the Bypass one, and I have no idea what it is for. The boom outlet and the bypass outlet both have shutoff valves but the wand does not, I will look into either getting a cap for that outlet or a shutoff valve. Any ideas what the Bypass outlet is for?
The assembly directions and diagrams were very poor, I was about ready to pack the rig up and take it back to Lowes. A friend stopped by and looked at the diagrams and said, I do not understand this. Not quite sure how, but between us we got the boom together, I have plenty of tools and extra bolts & nuts. Then I went ahead to attempt to connect the hoses and nozzle tips. Luckily I still have our old sprayer which I could look at to see what the nozzle tips should look like. Tightened up all the nuts, cleaned out the inside of the tank(lots of plastic shavings inside) and put a bit of water in the tank. As the powering system, which was supposed to be from the pump to the tractor battery and had small alligator clips, was not long enough, I put a 12v battery that I use to power my front gate next to my seat and turned the system on. A few leaks were remedied then it was taken out on the gravel driveway to see the spray pattern. Not bad. As the battery next to the tractor seat is not practical , a 7 way SAE plug will be hooked up for powering from the back of the tractor. I do hope this system works well and holds up for more than a few years as I do not want to go through this assembly process again. Very frustrating.
Thanks for inputs.

 

[Stonehaller]

With the bypass valve open, pump flow goes back into the tank. Partially close the bypass valve to create pressure for spraying. The more you close the bypass valve the higher the pressure. The pump will shut off when the pressure reaches the pump's limit. If you close the bypass, the pump will pulse on and off as you spray. Best to adjust the bypass valve so the pump runs continuously as you spray so you have even pressure. Leave the bypass open with the pump when transporting and not spraying as this will keep your spray mixture stirred up. Practice with just water in the sprayer so you can figure the best pressure settings and travel speed.

 

[nancyk]

Since the bypass hose is kinked(the company said they will send a new one, I requested a more flexible one, or a more solid hose with a 90 degree angle), I will leave the bypass valve closed. Even when I get a new fitting/hose,I do not see any reason to keep it open. When the sprayer is not spraying I will turn it off. All I will use the sprayer for is spraying with glyphosate the gravel roads on the property, which total at least a mile, counting all side roads. I have sprayed twice this year already and need to spray again, this new sprayer will give a few more feet width, and looks to be a better overlap of spray pattern. Yes, I will practice for a few minutes before adding to the water. I need to figure out the height of the heads off the ground.

 

[oosik]

I use the bypass on my sprayer to mix the water/chemical solution. It's fast and does a complete mix.

 

[nancyk]

the following is the response I received from Workhorse about the kinked Bypass hose- "PART# 5149148, this hose has a nut on it, so you would take the barb out on the manifold, then screw this on right on there and should fix this issue." I have no idea what this means.
Before I start spraying I agitate the current tank with an old short broom handle. I have assumed that as the tractor moves, from then on the mixture will remain agitated enough.