Opinions on weed sprayers handheld stainless or backpack

[Bill G]

I am wondering what weed sprayers folks use regularly and have had good luck with. I am sick of the poorly made plastic China crap I have had the last number of years. In the 1970's and 80's we had tough steel 3-4 gallon handhelds that stood up. You could use all types of chemicals and in the fall use oil/diesel to spray chains. Now all I find is cheap junk. I called a local bug exterminator and asked what they used and she said hands down the B and G handhelds and Flow Zone back pack units. What are others using?

 

[RCBS]

Chapin has industrial quality sprayers still. The blue ones with viton and tank liner are what I like.

 

[ammoaddict]

I bought a Smith Brothers 4 gallon backpack sprayer 10-12 years ago. Never gave a minutes trouble.

 

[Bill G]

I bought a Smith Brothers 4 gallon backpack sprayer 10-12 years ago. Never gave a minutes trouble.

Is it battery or pump

 

[ammoaddict]

Is it battery or pump

Hand pump but it's easy

 

[Sloughfoot]

Got a 4 gallon hand pump backpack that I've used a lot. Name brand, but don't remember who. Oregon I think. Had it to do over again I'd get a battery backpack with a hip belt. What I have is awkward getting on and flops around when full. Works well though.

 

[ammoaddict]

Got a 4 gallon hand pump backpack that I've used a lot. Name brand, but don't remember who. Stihl maybe. Had it to do over again I'd get a battery backpack with a hip belt. What I have is awkward getting on and flops around when full. Works well though.

The older I get the harder mine is to handle. I have a 25 year old riding mower that I recently got running again. I made some brackets and mounted a 15 gallon electric sprayer on it. That's what I plan to use now. It will work for 90% of my spraying.

 

[Dustin4185]

I am wondering what weed sprayers folks use regularly and have had good luck with. I am sick of the poorly made plastic China crap I have had the last number of years. In the 1970's and 80's we had tough steel 3-4 gallon handhelds that stood up. You could use all types of chemicals and in the fall use oil/diesel to spray chains. Now all I find is cheap junk. I called a local bug exterminator and asked what they used and she said hands down the B and G handhelds and Flow Zone back pack units. What are others using?

We use mostly Solo backpack sprayers for places I can’t get a tractor or UTV. We use them with herbicides for regular weed killing and for larger scale “hack and squirt” or stump treatments after TSI/FSI work. I keep a couple rebuild kits on hand, but usually don’t have issues. The occasional O-ring is usually it. Flow zone isn’t bad, and Ive heard the Stihl sprayers aren’t bad either.

 

[Sloughfoot]

The older I get the harder mine is to handle. I have a 25 year old riding mower that I recently got running again. I made some brackets and mounted a 15 gallon electric sprayer on it. That's what I plan to use now. It will work for 90% of my spraying.

Yeh, I've taken a few tumbles with mine. 90% of my spraying is in wooded areas my lawn tractor can't get to or I'd rig something up too. Most of what I do is tag blackberries here and there.

 

[cus_deluxe]

i really like the birchmeier closed system sprayers, can just swap jugs out instead of having to keep refilling.

 

[Bill G]

i really like the birchmeier closed system sprayers, can just swap jugs out instead of having to keep refilling.

I have not heard of those. I will take a look.

 

[dangerousatom]

My Dad has been using a Solo 4-5gal backpack sprayer for years. The hand pump seals did go out after he forgot to empty it over the winter with fruit tree spray in it, But....I installed a tire valve up near the filling lid and he keeps a small cheap drill type battery air pump attached to it. Now when the pressure goes down he just pulls the trigger for the air with one hand and sprays with the other. If you keep the OE pressure relief valve installed on the tank you will never over pressurize it.

He also has what he calls a "pressure jug" it kind of looks like this. He can pressurize it to 120psi off the garage compressor. I believe there is a rating on the side of his to max 180psi. He uses that to get to the tops +35ft of the oak trees to kill the lace bugs that only feed on the tops/new leaf growth. We did look at these online and the price is high $300-500 before we snatched it up at the local salvage/scrap yard for $30. Ours is somewhere around 12gal?, id say really 9-10 with room for air

 

[Mad Professor]

Solo backpack sprayer.

 

[sixonetonoffun]

Old stainless fire extinguisher tanks can be repurposed to similar effect.

 

[Bill G]

Old stainless fire extinguisher tanks can be repurposed to similar effect.

That is what we used to wash out the stock car radiators