Best motorized backpack sprayer?

D

DonnyCoffey

Participating member
I’m looking for a quality backpack sprayer for target applications. Soil injections and smaller ornamentals. Nothing huge. I have a JD-9 and soil probe. SOLO?
 
Best? Birchmeier.

I personally like Field King (Smith) better than Solo - but I've only used a couple of each.

What kind of PSI do you need?

What products (and volumes) are you soil injecting?
 
Most of my injections are going to be liquid fertilizer/nutrients, insecticides/fungicides for shrubs and small ornamental’s. I don’t plan on using any powders or granular. I don’t think I really need a high psi, only to reach the height that I need. I can calibrate whatever I need based on my psi for rates.
 
The volume of my injections are going to be pretty low. We are talking injections for boxwoods, arborvitae, the smaller diameter hemlocks
 
Why do you need motorized? For a few small doses here and there a hand pump sprayer should do just fine.

Birchmeier does make a battery one. Never used it.

I also have a Field King battery sprayer. Verdict is still out on that... it did not do well with Garlon 4 mixed in a basal oil carrier (low teen temps...got a little slushy after a while). To be fair, it does say not to use with petroleum products so I'm still hipeful. When I clean it out and run water through it, it seems to do very well. Hoping it will do a better job with RoundUp once things start to grow. But it doesn't have enough PSI to get things into the ground with injections.
 
The reason I want to be a motorized is for those tall ornamentals or the Bradford pears, Plant material that is 30 feet and below.
 
20-30' is a bit much for a backpack sprayer. Besides PSI which you can get enough out of the engine-driven backpack sprayers (doesn't look like you can from the battery-powered sprayers though), you still need GPM to build a column of liquid to reach some height. Also a tree that tall usually has some spread to go with it so you need several gallons to get good coverage. While 4 gallons will cover a lot of those small trees/big shrubs, it takes a while to get 4 gallons out of a backpack. Then you'll need to refill after every tree.

It can work, but honestly not the best tool for that job. But if it fits what you are trying to do, then I think Solo is the best option I have seen...but I haven't used it so no first-hand experience. A hand pump sprayer can easily get 15-20' on a calm day - again, you are going to struggle to get enough volume.
 
I bought fastpacs when they first came out. They were great. My next ones will be milwaukee brand because I have the batteries already from my milwaukee m18 fuel purchases. They have containers that can be switched out, so you can have 10 4 gallon containers loaded, one base with the pump motor in it, and however many batteries. Maybe check and see if your battery tool line has something similar?
 
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ATH said:
20-30' is a bit much for a backpack sprayer. Besides PSI which you can get enough out of the engine-driven backpack sprayers (doesn't look like you can from the battery-powered sprayers though), you still need GPM to build a column of liquid to reach some height. Also a tree that tall usually has some spread to go with it so you need several gallons to get good coverage. While 4 gallons will cover a lot of those small trees/big shrubs, it takes a while to get 4 gallons out of a backpack. Then you'll need to refill after every tree.

It can work, but honestly not the best tool for that job. But if it fits what you are trying to do, then I think Solo is the best option I have seen...but I haven't used it so no first-hand experience. A hand pump sprayer can easily get 15-20' on a calm day - again, you are going to struggle to get enough volume.
Click to expand...

I agree with @ATH - 20-30 feet is ambitious for my backpack sprayers. You'd have to position right underneath it and lob it onto the top, while avoiding the falling spray. Not my idea of a good time. Stilts will get you 3 more feet, which is not enough, plus you'll be wearing a backpack while on stilts...

Usually, Bradford pears are accessible. Might want to get that 50 gallon tank sprayer with the Honda gas engine, or whatever you can find with solid gpm and ~ 40 psi to reduce aerosolizing.
 
Sounds like you’re looking for a Maruyama
You can plug in your jd9, a fert needle or an HTI with the right attachments.
You won’t be reaching 30’ tho.
 
As far as battery-powered backpacks, I have a Dramm that I really like for shrubs, but there’s no way it has enough ass to spray trees. Maybe a mist blower like the mosquito companies use would work. I’ve actually recently been considering getting one for a fungicide application on a contract I just landed where the trees are in a location that dragging hose to will be a giant pain in the neck. Solo’s website says their unit can hit 38 feet with a supplemental booster pump. Anyone have experience with one?

https://us.solo.global/mist-blower/6-451-backpack-mist-blower.html
 
It's an old thread I've found, but I need help with buying a new sprayer. I have a Solo 425 rn but I don't like it that much. The spray wand is plastic. Straps keep getting loose. No handle. Which one will be an upgrade?

I thinking about vivosun 4 https://www.amazon.com/VIVOSUN-Battery-Powered-Backpack-Electric/dp/B07VBYY8SN/ - good reviews and price.
Also, I really like m4 my4suns and this petra a lot, but the price is steep.

Maybe someone has experience owning one of these models?
 
Last edited:
I'm not sold on a battery sprayer. The Field King I referenced above did OK...but doesn't get as much pressure as a Field King hand pump. The only time I liked the battery sprayer better was going through thick underbrush. The handle on the hand pump sprayer gets caught on everything, so it is nice to not have that. Otherwise, it just didn't spray as well - especially when there was 1/2 gallon or less.

Between the 2 I used a bunch this year:

Amazon.com : Field King 190515 Professionals Battery Powered Backpack Sprayer, 4 gal : Garden & Outdoor

Amazon.com : Field King 190515 Professionals Battery Powered Backpack Sprayer, 4 gal : Garden & Outdoor
smile.amazon.com
and

Amazon.com : Field King Max 190348 Backpack Sprayer for Professionals Applying Herbicides : Lawn And Garden Sprayers : Garden & Outdoor

Amazon.com : Field King Max 190348 Backpack Sprayer for Professionals Applying Herbicides : Lawn And Garden Sprayers : Garden & Outdoor
smile.amazon.com

I liked the hand pump sprayer because:
*Better wand
*More comfortable harness
*Lighter weight
*Better PSI/distance
*More consistent spray
*Can spray until empty (If I'm gonna carry around that last 2-3 pounds of liquid all day, I want to spray it, not walk back to the truck for more!)
*Able to spray Garlon 4 in oil carrier

I'm all for battery-powered tools...but can't remember why I thought it was a good idea to get a battery backpack sprayer!
 
One of the best sprayers I have found is a no name from China (until I broke it by charging it wrong - but I ordered replacement switch for $3.84 incl shipping as general part numbers are written on parts inside). No dead volume, great pressure and pattern. Crappy uncomfortable harness but works and is strong.


Picked up at auction for small $... fitting new parts this week.

after looking inside compartment - don’t be afraid to pick one with a harness you like and good volume and pickup that doesn’t leave dead volume, and upgrade pump as required.
 

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