# is a sprayer necessary?



## krubs (Jun 24, 2018)

i was using a lawn company to do my weed & feed and recently determined it's in my best interest to do it myself after they did a blanket spray of post-emergent with a temperature threshold on a 90+ degree day. I already ordered a $200 lesco spreader but i was wondering if I could get away with only using granular products for a while or do i need to also invest in a sprayer?

I have a 10k sq ft yard.


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## Spammage (Apr 30, 2017)

You can get by without it if you aren't wanting to try pgr apps to slow down the growth rate, but with pre-emergent apps, blanket apps of post-emergent herbicides, fungicide apps, and insecticide apps, my sprayer has already paid for itself because the products are so much cheaper than granular products.


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## Ecks from Tex (Apr 26, 2018)

krubs said:


> i was using a lawn company to do my weed & feed and recently determined it's in my best interest to do it myself after they did a blanket spray of post-emergent with a temperature threshold on a 90+ degree day. I already ordered a $200 lesco spreader but i was wondering if I could get away with only using granular products for a while or do i need to also invest in a sprayer?
> 
> I have a 10k sq ft yard.


Sprayer not necessary right now because you're in excessive temps. You can find granular for any applications you might need like a fungicide. Good call on taking over. But at the end of the day I think a small investment in a sprayer is a must; liquid products are cheaper and some of the best lawn products you will use are only in liquid form. You could easily wait until the fall or even next January to get your sprayer.


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## krubs (Jun 24, 2018)

What is your guys opinion on a hose-end sprayer, like the Ortho dial n spray?


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## Ware (Jan 28, 2017)

krubs said:


> What is your guys opinion on a hose-end sprayer, like the Ortho dial n spray?


I think it's fine for some things, but I wouldn't use one for most of the things I spray.


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## Ware (Jan 28, 2017)

I'm going to move this to the Equipment & Tools subforum so the cool season guys might join the discussion. Good topic.


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## jessehurlburt (Oct 18, 2017)

I got a $50 manual pump Chapin backpack sprayer at walmart this spring and I love it. I looked at the cost per app of pre-m granular vs spray- the backpack sprayer does pay for itself quickly. Compared to hose end sprayers, they let you get a much finer mist for better coverage and allow you to target your lawn pests much more efficiently. The hose end sprayers are nice for some things, like spraying humic, or dish soap.


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## Movingshrub (Jun 12, 2017)

krubs said:


> What is your guys opinion on a hose-end sprayer, like the Ortho dial n spray?


They have their places. I used one for a while when I first bought my house and the lawn was all weeds. I was broadcast spraying three-way. I also have used one when broadcast spraying glyphosate. I wasn't concerned about overdosing - I wanted everything to die.

With that being said, I've seen videos of people using hose end sprayers for their pre-emergent apps, but I personally don't have enough trust that the tool is going to provide an accurate measurement. I did try using on of the Chapin hose end sprayers when spraying insecticide around my house and the machine just wasn't pulling the concentrated mixture out very well (might have been too thick).


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## ForsheeMS (May 21, 2018)

I have a 2 gallon pump sprayer and a 31 gallon pull behind for a 1/2 acre lawn. The pump sprayer is for spot spraying herbicides and works well for that. Using it for a blanket spray would take days! The pull behind is mainly used for pre-m and fungicide apps where a blanket spray is necessary. As others have said, the spray type chemicals are much cheaper than their granular counterparts so over a few years the pull behind will easily pay for itself. I consider both of these as must have tools.

I'm not a fan of hose end sprayers. Just way too much that could go wrong and definitely not as accurate.


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## Killsocket (Mar 16, 2018)

I don't think sprayers are NECESSARY. But I do think sprayers are WORTH IT. I am one calendar year into this lawn care stuff and the piece that I love most is the Chapin backpack sprayer.

I have zero interest in hose end sprayers. I don't want to lug around 100' of hose around my yard unless it's for irrigation.


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## ken-n-nancy (Jul 25, 2017)

A sprayer isn't strictly required for good lawn care.

However, an inexpensive hand-pump sprayer, suitable for use on lawns of less than about 15ksqft or so, only costs about $15 at a big box store.

Having a sprayer will open up opportunities for "spot spraying" of selective herbicides and pesticides, which is a good thing to do reduce herbicide / pesticide usage (using it only where needed) and cost-savings.

Either a small hand-pump sprayer and/or a backpack sprayer will pay for itself in cost savings vs. use of broadcast-applied granular products within a single growing season.


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## gene_stl (Oct 29, 2017)

10,000 square feet is starting to be a good sized lawn. Depending on your age, physical condition and inclination to drag around by hand or on your back a sprayer, I would say get the Chapin drag around or one of the other battery powered sprayers. I am never going to pump again. I too don't care much for hose end sprayers. They mainly for people who don't want to invest the time space money effort in proper equipment. The best chemicals are way too expensive and way too potent to risk using in such imprecise things.
https://thelawnforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=170
https://thelawnforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=74


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