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Best backpack sprayer for the money?

8.4K views 14 replies 11 participants last post by  quattljl  
#1 ·
I'm looking to upgrade from my little handheld sprayer.

What's the best backpack sprayer for the money?

I'll be using it for liquid fertilizers, selective herbicides and possibly for glyphosate on a couple of areas.

I'm not necessarily constrained to a particular budget, but I do want to spend my money wisely on this.

Thanks.
 
#8 ·
TommyTester said:
Love my M4.

+ Variable speed pump (60 PSI)
+ Two wands
+ Multiple nozzles
+ Takes TeeJet nozzles
+ Uses long-life Low-cost replaceable rechargeable 12V Gel Cell
+ Over 100 gallons per charge at full speed
+ Battery level indicator
+ Many optional accessories
+ Free Shipping
This looks great! I have my Sprayer Plus and I'm super happy but I may buy this one in the future. I which they made push behind sprayers :)
 
#10 ·
I have the M4 and like it for the reasons Tommy highlighted above but mostly because it has a .75 GPM pump which is enough flow to use a two nozzle boom. But it still takes a long time with many refills to spray a large lawn.

Got a $220 16 gallon 2.2 GPM Northstar sprayer and three nozzle boom mounted to the back of my mower to take care of that. I use the M4 for smaller jobs and to spray fence and driveway borders before the Northstar goes to work.
 
#12 ·
I have a Jacto backpack manual pump sprayer. It was great for 2 years then for some reason it won't hold pressure anymore. Checked all seals, connections, etc. I don't know what I missed but couldn't get it to hold pressure anymore. Wound up picking up the M4S. I like it a lot, but in hindsight I would have gone with the Sprayers Plus.
 
#13 ·
Gilley11 said:
I have a Jacto backpack manual pump sprayer. It was great for 2 years then for some reason it won't hold pressure anymore. Checked all seals, connections, etc. I don't know what I missed but couldn't get it to hold pressure anymore. Wound up picking up the M4S. I like it a lot, but in hindsight I would have gone with the Sprayers Plus.
Thanks
Why the Sprayers plus? ive never heard of it but ill check it out.
 
#14 ·
It probably performs the same as the M4S, but the M4S has a cheap feel to some of the components. It's priced great, the customer service is second to none and everything on it is replaceable and serviceable for extremely reasonable prices. Some of the components just have a cheaper feel to them and it bugs me. I definitely a little pickier than some, though.

The Sprayers Plus 105ex seems like a more quality built unit for about the same price. No matter which you go with you'll be happy.
 
#15 ·
I picked up a Strom QA101 sprayer to replace my cheapo 2gal hand can (which will now be demoted to spot spraying only). Here's what I like about it:
  • The pressure washer style quick connect makes it super easy to switch tips without having to take everything apart.
  • It comes with a couple different sprayer nozzles for various applications which is nice. However I purchased through GCI Turf and bought his sprayer nozzles to go with it and mainly use those (I like them much better).
  • It has 2 pressure settings instead of a variable knob/dial so I know exactly what my calibration is for any particular combination.
  • Long battery life. I have used it a handful of times now spraying approx. 11ksqft in total (not always all 11k at once) and have yet to need to charge the battery.
  • 4 gallon capacity with markings on the side in gallons and liters for easy ballpark measurements.
  • Large mouth opening makes it easier to pour chemicals and fill without worrying about spilling vs the smaller opening on my 2gal pump sprayer.

I'm sure I will discover more things about it the more I use it but so far this is what I like about. In my limited use so far, here's what I don't like:
  • There's no flow control valve so it does drip some after you let go of the trigger. It's not terrible but it is sort of annoying. I saw a thread that Ware started about his nozzle setup where he added the ability to have that along with TeeJet nozzles on a quick connect style. I will likely modify mine to add this in as well at some point. Even with this, there will still be some drippage when swapping nozzles due to the liquid that is held in the wand between the trigger and the nozzle.
  • It has a storage location for the extra nozzles on the side of the tank near the top, however I can't reach them when wearing the sprayer. So when I want to switch nozzles I actually have to take the backpack off, set it down, swap nozzles, then put it back on. It's especially cumbersome because I usually only need to switch nozzles when going from my trim nozzle to my regular nozzle so the tank is still really full when doing this.