# DIYish boom sprayer



## NightShiftNinja (Jun 15, 2019)

I'm starting this thread today even though I am probably a couple weeks away from starting the actual project, I still need to pick up a few more parts and do some research on which nozzles I am going to end up buying.

Today I picked up this unit


It's a 15 gallon spot sprayer designed for an ATV rack. With a 2.2gpm pump.

I got it for $129 Canadian.

My plan is to build a trailer for it and a boom system. Thinking a collapsible 10ft wide boom as I have 65k to cover. While still keeping the spot sprayer.

The $129 is an awesome deal considering the same store sells the exact pump on this unit for $129 for just the pump. And most other places want between $4-500 for similar units.

This thread will serve as a build log and research thread.


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## Dkrem (Mar 16, 2019)

I think for 65k you will quickly want a much larger tank. 15gal is 4 fills if you lay down 1 Gal/M.


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## craigdt (Apr 21, 2018)

Excited to see what you come up with! 
I always like to see feedback from members with large yards


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## NightShiftNinja (Jun 15, 2019)

thanks @craigdt i am trying to do a bunch of research on the teejets, but it doesnt seem that they are as readily available here in canada as they are down there. one question i have for you dased on your build thread is why did you go with the overlapping spray patterns vs larger nozzles and just butting the sprays against each other? (more even coverage im sure, but with 65k to deal with, fewer passes would be better for me.


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## TommyTester (Jul 3, 2018)

craigdt said:


> Excited to see what you come up with!
> I always like to see feedback from members with large yards


@craigdt Here's a new channel by a guy near me with a BIG LAWN. He could use some new subs.

[media]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ylIxgkfinWA[/media]


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## TNTurf (Mar 20, 2019)

I'm not a pro but looking at the numbers, here is what I see. It has a 2.2 gpm pump, so 1.1 gpm ideally for spraying and 1.1 gpm for agitation. If you want a 10ft boom, 20 inches off the ground and 20 inches apart you will have room for 7 nozzles. With 1.1 gpm to work with you have about .15 per nozzle. Looking at the Tee Jet charts, assuming you go with 40 PSI, you would be a green nozzle and at 2 mph you would be applying .5 gallons per thousand. I like the project idea but at least one detail wants to be different. You want a smaller boom with less nozzles or you want a bigger pump. The interesting part is if you can get Tee Jet you will have spent about as much on the boom as you have on the tank.

That said, I dont know if this pump runs at 40 psi, if not the numbers will move a bit. I dont know if the tank has agitation as it sits, it may only be setup to pump and spray. The photo on the box suggests this is the case. Many of the things we spray we want agitation in the tank for mixing. I like the project and the best part here is the size of the tank. With the amount of area you have to cover you want something at least this size. I hope I dont come across as negative, I just dont want you to get too far in and find you are lacking pump for the nice boom setup you plan.

If you went with a 5 ft boom, 4 nozzles, you could go with a blue tip and at 2 mph you would have about a gallon per thousand. That would be more ideal. If the tank has no agitation you will have more delivery to the nozzles but then your tank would not mix. Just throwing out thoughts.


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## Babaganoosh (Apr 21, 2019)

I don't want to rain on your parade but that tank is too small and the pump is too small. I've got 20k of turf and I have a 21 gallon sprayer. You are going to have to fill that thing 5 times.

The pump won't be able to handle a 10 foot boom. You want nozzles every 20 inches. That's 6 spray nozzles. That pump can't handle support that volume.

Go bigger. I'd shoot for a 30 to 35 gallon tank.


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## Jgolf67 (Apr 27, 2018)

Babaganoosh said:


> I don't want to rain on your parade but that tank is too small and the pump is too small. I've got 20k of turf and I have a 21 gallon sprayer. You are going to have to fill that thing 5 times.
> 
> The pump won't be able to handle a 10 foot boom. You want nozzles every 20 inches. That's 6 spray nozzles. That pump can't handle support that volume.
> 
> Go bigger. I'd shoot for a 30 to 35 gallon tank.


I have regularly sprayed an acre of turf with 20gallons. All done with a 2.2 gallon pump running 4 nozzles and a jet agitator covering just under 7 ft spray width. It is definitely doable, he just needs to play will all the variables of spraying.


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## Babaganoosh (Apr 21, 2019)

Jgolf67 said:


> Babaganoosh said:
> 
> 
> > I don't want to rain on your parade but that tank is too small and the pump is too small. I've got 20k of turf and I have a 21 gallon sprayer. You are going to have to fill that thing 5 times.
> ...


4 to 6 nozzles is almost a 40 percent increase. I really don't think the pump could handle the volume needed. You can spray low volume buts it's much riskier.

If you are going to go down the sprayer road it's better to do it right. It might be more expensive initially but just wait and save up. Buy once cry once.


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## llO0DQLE (Dec 4, 2017)

NightShiftNinja said:


> i am trying to do a bunch of research on the teejets, but it doesnt seem that they are as readily available here in canada as they are down there.


Try MKRittenHouse, they have an online Canadian store

Or just order from SpraySmarter they ship and arrive quickly.


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## Dkrem (Mar 16, 2019)

I also think that this, while an interesting project, will be far from ideal for you. It should be a fun build and end up completely functional. But it won't be ideal.

Starting with the 15gal tank, at 1 gal/M you are looking at ~4-5 tank loads to treat the whole yard, but maybe you don't spray the whole yard but once or twice a year so big deal.... Maybe you decide to do applications at 1/2 gal/M so you average 2 tanks for a full spray, which isn't super annoying to do at all.

For pump capacity, if you decide to have all or nearly all GPM going to spray it may be workable at your desired boom width, and driving through the yard may be agitation enough. I'd for sure setup some short lengths of tubing and nozzles and test what the pump will support before laying out and assembling your final boom width with nozzles on it.

I'd say for your property that the design features of the NorthStar 282585 tow behind would be about ideal, but it is quite a bit more $$ than you have invested so far and would likely ever spend upgrading that base setup.


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## NightShiftNinja (Jun 15, 2019)

Thanks for the good conversation guys... yes I do know this is not ideal, and is a rather small tank pump combo, but it is a huge step up from the 15 to 20 backpacks and hours of pumping I have been doing for the past 2 seasons....

If this works I will keep my eye out for a larger tank and larger pump and upgrade down the road.... my diy mentality doesnt fear that. Yes it may cost me more in the long run but I can suck that up....


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## TNTurf (Mar 20, 2019)

NightShiftNinja said:


> Thanks for the good conversation guys... yes I do know this is not ideal, and is a rather small tank pump combo, but it is a huge step up from the 15 to 20 backpacks and hours of pumping I have been doing for the past 2 seasons....
> 
> If this works I will keep my eye out for a larger tank and larger pump and upgrade down the road.... my diy mentality doesnt fear that. Yes it may cost me more in the long run but I can suck that up....


I follow you and do agree its better than a backpack but maybe consider less boom width until later when you can get more pump. That is really my point. Start with a 5 foot boom and 4 nozzles. If you find you could do more, make the boom bigger and add nozzles.


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## NightShiftNinja (Jun 15, 2019)

gsmornot said:


> NightShiftNinja said:
> 
> 
> > Thanks for the good conversation guys... yes I do know this is not ideal, and is a rather small tank pump combo, but it is a huge step up from the 15 to 20 backpacks and hours of pumping I have been doing for the past 2 seasons....
> ...


Sounds like a good plan.... adding nozzles would be easy.


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## FlowRider (Apr 7, 2019)

I don't think the size of the tank will be too much of an issue as long as your area to refill the tank can be reached in a reasonable amount of time. I know you live in beautiful Alberta, so you probably won't get as hot as it does down in Texas, but after 16 gallons, that is about 15 minutes spraying, and in Texas that is about time to refresh your beverage any way. Plus I want to get out of the hot sun for awhile and cool off in the shade, so 15 minutes is a good time to take a break and refill.

The electric pump beats a hand pump any day of the week. You can also add agitation on the tank, which will be useful when filling the tank or driving out to the area where you left off when spraying - let the mixture agitate while you drive.

I thought about building my own rig, but in the end it came out to about the same amount of money to build one as it did to just buy one, so I bought a ready-to-spray unit instead. It only has a 90 day warranty, so the warranty didn't change the evaluation of build versus buy. I just wanted to get my unit and go get my spray on. And a cold Heineken in my cupholder!

Getting my sprayer changed the way I can take care of my yard for the better, and I look forward to going out to spray on!

I am the FlowRider. 

:lol:


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## Art_Vandelay (Nov 20, 2018)

That pump and tank combo would be good for 2 maybe 3 nozzles. And if you did 2mph you'd be hating life. 4mph is way more doable. Most of those sprayers like that will do around 14-16 gallons per acre at 4mph.


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## JWAY (Oct 16, 2018)

I tested my 2.2 GPM Northstar pump with 3 and with 4 TeeJet XR11004 nozzles.
With 3 nozzles each nozzle delivered the full TeeJet stated nozzle capacity of 51 oz/minute at 40 psi and 58 oz/minute at 50 psi.

With 4 nozzles the max pressure the pump could deliver was 38 psi and the output for each nozzle was 49 oz/minute which is close to the nozzle capacity.

So if your pump has the same pressure capability you can get away with 4 but to add more nozzles you would need to choose nozzles with lower capacity which would reduce the gallon per ft2 of carrier fluid you apply.


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