# Building Walk-Behind Boom Sprayer



## sanders4617 (Jul 9, 2018)

After applying PGR to my lawn with a 2 gallon backpack sprayer, I've determined that it is in my best interest to build a walk behind boom style sprayer.

I think I can use my Earthway 2170 as a base for the sprayer. Sit a tank down inside of the hopper.

I'm currently looking at pumps to use. I'm looking at either the NorthStar 4GPM or the NorthStar 5.5GPM. Should I pay $20 more for the extra 1.5 gpm? I know that excess GPM can be used for agitation, but I don't know what is recommended rates for that.

I think I'd probably be happy with a 60"-80" wide path. At 20" apart on the nozzles (seems to be the norm).. That puts me at 3-4 nozzles on the boom? I just need to make sure I can store this away properly and it not be a disaster getting it put away and all that.

I'm probably going with a 12 gallon tank. That gives me the ability to possibly spray the front, sides, and back yard with 1 tank.

And then I also want the ability to turn off nozzles so that I can spray smaller areas. (between sidewalk and house)
I assume I could T of the main hose (on the boom) and put the shut off valves after the T if I wanted the ability to spray the far end nozzles without having the middle nozzles spraying?

I know there are a ton of threads out there on sprayers.. but I'm not sure I want to go with the Chapin. They're asking nearly $400 for that now. I'm hoping to get a list of parts together and have something similar in price but with more bang for the buck.

So my first question is about the pump size.. 4gpm vs 5.5gpm. It's only $20 difference, but each dollar counts once you start piling the parts down on the list.


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## Ware (Jan 28, 2017)

4gpm is fine for 3-4 red nozzles - but if you are starting from scratch, I would probably go ahead and get the bigger pump.

To turn off individual nozzles you will want these:








This has all been done before - check out these links for inspiration:

Mightyquinn's Franken Spreader-Mate

Just Completed my Franken-Sprayer

95mmrenegade's Push Sprayer

Converting Muck Cart into Push Sprayer

Muck Cart Converted to Push Sprayer Completed

Lawn Sprayer 2.0


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## sanders4617 (Jul 9, 2018)

Never knew of the Chemsavers @Ware .. Thank you very much for that recommendation. I will go through those threads and put together as much as I can for mine. I know what I will need to do though.. is go ahead and buy what I know I will use. I find that if I go ahead and start purchasing stuff, I will be more motivated to finish it.


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## chrismar (May 25, 2017)

Sweet! Been thinking about doing something similar w/ my 2170! Please keep the thread updated with your build!


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## stotea (Jul 31, 2017)

I too would recommend the bigger pump for only $20 more.


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## sanders4617 (Jul 9, 2018)

Well... I've just submitted orders on about everything I need. Some things I will source locally, but I've dove in head first now.

So spraying 8000 sq ft with a 2 gallon backpack sprayer was enough motivation. Then I looked into 4 gallon sprayers.. and thought to myself, I'm BARELY making this easier on myself.

So decided on possibly building this...

And then... I looked at the Greenkeeper App and saw that I will have to reapply PGR in 12 days. I was clicking 'Add to Cart' as fast as possible lol.

Now I will be able to put 8 gallons of water in the tank.. add my PGR (or whatever else).. walk around and spray the yard making 5Ft swaths at a time. I may not have it ready for the next application, but I can't wait to use it.

PGR, Insecticides, Humic, Pre-Emergent, Fertilizer.. gonna be so much easier.


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## TNTurf (Mar 20, 2019)

I started with a 4 gallon backpack, then bought the Gregson Clark drop in sprayer for my Lesco spreader, made my own two nozzle setup then bought the 4 nozzle folding boom. You're getting right to the point and making a decent width boom and yes I would go with the bigger pump for $20. My setup has a 3.3gpm which is enough for 4 red Tee Jet nozzles but for the small cost the bigger pump is not a bad thing to have. What did you go with for parts? Curious is all.


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## sanders4617 (Jul 9, 2018)

I went with 5.5gpm pump. 
12 gallon tank. 
I sourced most stuff from Spraysmarter. They were cheapest I found. 
Already have the spreader. 
Battery from eBay. 
Amazon for a switch plus some other things.

Which parts are you curious about in particular? Sorry my order from spraysmarter was like 40+ parts. Lol


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## chrismar (May 25, 2017)

All of them, please!


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## sanders4617 (Jul 9, 2018)

I got most the parts from a Connor Ward video who I think did a Mightyquinn clone of some type? But if you go to the video that Ware linked above, there is a part list in the description. I used that as my guide and just went with less parts on a few things because he built a 5 nozzle setup.


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## chrismar (May 25, 2017)

Hrmph. 

Hoping you'll change your mind and give a full parts list with lots of pics once you get and build everything.

The benefit (for me) is that I have the same spreader that I'd be looking to use, and I know many other folks around here would certainly appreciate details of such a build as well.

Good luck with your build!


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## sanders4617 (Jul 9, 2018)

I'll definitely post pictures and all... I didn't write out a parts list because it's neary 98% identical to Connor Wards. I lowered the quantity on a few things that makes it different. Not trying to snub the question or anything, it's just that it's already posted. I'll post details of the build once I get the parts in.


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## chrismar (May 25, 2017)

I'll even take a copy/paste or a screenshot of the confirmation. 

"98%" doesn't exactly tell me what I don't need.

Looking forward to the build and pics!


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## ericgautier (Apr 22, 2017)

chrismar said:


> I'll even take a copy/paste or a screenshot of the confirmation.
> 
> "98%" doesn't exactly tell me what I don't need.
> 
> Looking forward to the build and pics!


I was thinking about buying a used sprayer setup (something like this - https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/2418647744823189/) and just use the guts from it. I just need to get a tank that'll fit and transfer stuff over.


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## StarRaider (Jun 29, 2019)

@chrismar here's a link the the parts list from the video:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2p5co1qKfpBcFpId3FHQll1eENnRWNTM1Y1d3JHSDhFNlFJ/view

Edit - click the arrow in the upper right to go to the google drive page.


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## stotea (Jul 31, 2017)

FYI to everyone, www.spraypartswarehouse.com is generally a bit cheaper than www.spraysmarter.com. They are also extremely quick to fulfill orders and ship. I've placed multiple orders there and have had nothing but a perfect experience each time.


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## sanders4617 (Jul 9, 2018)

@stotea Thanks for that recommendation. I didn't even see that place to check. If I can find time this morning, I wanna compare pricing and see if they have everything.


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## Reel Low Dad (Jun 1, 2017)

Thanks @stotea I am looking to upgrade mine with better agitation and a spray gun. Definitely will check out that site. Also need to upgrade pick up hose to 3/4 per Connor's recommendation.


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## sanders4617 (Jul 9, 2018)

I looked into that website, and they are generally a little cheaper. But unfortunately didn't have everything I ordered. Still probably easier for me to order all from one place and avoid double shipping, etc.

Here is a shared drive with a document showing what I ordered from Spraysmarter. I will try and update this folder with more documents as I go.
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1TGqzj6DenuQod-P1aWv6Y6QRQam8usc8

What did I do different than Connor?

The micro valve that is at the bottom of the list. I only ordered 1 of those. That is to turn off the flow to the boom so that the tank can be agitated.

The reason I didn't order the amount that he had listed is because I am going with manual Chemsavers on each nozzle body. This allows me to turn the nozzle on and off at the body and effectively will also allow me to run any particular nozzle that I want. It comes in more handy if you've got a 3-5 nozzle setup. That way, I could run the far end nozzle and turn the others off. The way he does it, you would cut the flow off through the main line (using a valve) and so if you want to run a nozzle on the end, you also have to run any nozzle between the Tee and that one. Hope that makes sense lol.

I only ordered 3 of the nozzles vs 5. I'm doing a 3 nozzle boom setup. And may actually build it so that I can make it bigger if I decide to do that later on.

So anything else I changed from that point is basically only because I went with 3 nozzles vs 5. So I didn't order as many nozzle bodies, etc.

Hope this helps.

I will update this document as I go through the process.


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## stotea (Jul 31, 2017)

Here's my 4-nozzle sprayer parts list: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1p6gW_AmBtHLwgMKyMNhf1eceGD6FkSQl/view?usp=sharing.
I left out shipping, taxes, and misc. mounting hardware. I also didn't include an on/off switch, wiring, and other electrical items as I haven't completed that stuff yet.

And here's how it currently looks (boom isn't mounted, electrical incomplete, etc.):


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## sanders4617 (Jul 9, 2018)

Something I thought about doing with this build is having a wand that I can turn on and use as well. So maybe I want to spray something in a flower bed (maybe PGR or some kind of Humic, etc).. I can just pull the wand out and spray easily without having to also mix up the backpack sprayer. Will probably be something I do at a later time, but I feel like it would be beneficial.


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## bp2878 (Feb 13, 2019)

Do the tanks on these DIY sprayers have to seal/pressurize?


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## FlaDave (Jul 10, 2018)

bp2878 said:


> Do the tanks on these DIY sprayers have to seal/pressurize?


They do not, you should actually have a breather on the tank/lid to draw in air as it empties.


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## sanders4617 (Jul 9, 2018)

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1TGqzj6DenuQod-P1aWv6Y6QRQam8usc8

In this folder I have also included the PDF for the tank that I ordered. It may answer some other questions that you may or may not have on the tank.

@bp@bp2878


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## sanders4617 (Jul 9, 2018)

Quick question.. I'm assuming it doesn't matter since everyone sets up a straight single boom... does it matter if the nozzles are all on the same plane (distance from the tank)? Do the sprays interfere with each other? Has anyone offset the nozzles just enough to allow the sprays to be somewhat uninterrupted?

May be a dumb question..


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## stotea (Jul 31, 2017)

sanders4617 said:


> Quick question.. I'm assuming it doesn't matter since everyone sets up a straight single boom... does it matter if the nozzles are all on the same plane (distance from the tank)? Do the sprays interfere with each other? Has anyone offset the nozzles just enough to allow the sprays to be somewhat uninterrupted?
> 
> May be a dumb question..


Assuming you're using TeeJet quick connects, the nozzles will automatically offset. Check out this post: https://thelawnforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=27&start=20#p15626.


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## sanders4617 (Jul 9, 2018)

@stotea Oh nice! I've noticed that the nozzle I use on my sprayer now isn't straight and had no clue why lol. Thank you


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## MasterMech (Sep 24, 2017)

I'm very curious on the cost of just the sprayer setup, excluding whatever chassis/spreader is chosen. I took easy street and just ordered a SpreaderMate B and a Lesco 80lb all in one fell swoop. It had all the features I was looking for and saved me a ton of time planning/shopping/building. For those who have built their own, what unique features did you want/incorporate?


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## dmouw (Jul 17, 2018)

Got the start to my sprayer build. A 12 gallon stainless steel spot sprayer.


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## sanders4617 (Jul 9, 2018)

MasterMech said:


> I'm very curious on the cost of just the sprayer setup, excluding whatever chassis/spreader is chosen. I took easy street and just ordered a SpreaderMate B and a Lesco 80lb all in one fell swoop. It had all the features I was looking for and saved me a ton of time planning/shopping/building. For those who have built their own, what unique features did you want/incorporate?


The cost is probably gonna end up in the $550 range (give or take some). Just depends on your patience to find deals on the items or even free shipping offers.

I bought the Earthway 2170 for $100 last year. So lets say $700 total for all of it.

Spreader Mate B is $829 (not sure if they add shipping/tax). Plus whatever you need to spend on a spreader that will house the unit.

SMB:
9 Gallon tank
3.0 GPM Pump
Retractable Boom (very nice)
15" wand with self retracting hose (very nice)
4 nozzles

Custom:
12 Gallon tank
5.5 GPM Pump
Straight Boom
No wand as of now.
3 nozzles but 2 different varieties to choose from (cost of maybe $20 to add another nozzle combo to extend width)

If you just want to have it completed, the SMB is probably the way to go. If you want to save some money (maybe not a lot) and customize it however you'd like, then go that custom route.

Having the 5.5gpm pump is nice to have in case you want to do more.. and the 12 gallon tank is nice if you've got larger areas. And I want to eventually add a retractable hose/wand.

I'd love to have retractable boom as well, but that will probably jump the cost up.


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## Blackshirtproud (Apr 7, 2018)

I am curious as why not just purchase a package from any of the retail stores? I am wanting to get one for my lawn as I hate hand canning it. It just seems that it would be way more economical to purchase a pre-made one and modify as needed.

I have been looking at one like this. https://barndoorag.com/workhorse-15-gallon-atv-2-nozzle-economy-sprayer-atv1502/


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## dmouw (Jul 17, 2018)

Blackshirtproud said:


> I am curious as why not just purchase a package from any of the retail stores? I am wanting to get one for my lawn as I hate hand canning it. It just seems that it would be way more economical to purchase a pre-made one and modify as needed.
> 
> I have been looking at one like this. https://barndoorag.com/workhorse-15-gallon-atv-2-nozzle-economy-sprayer-atv1502/


most of the time you cant get a small 8-12 gallon tank with a larger 2+GPM pump in store bought spot spayers. Also most all shaped for fitting on the back of a quad but would make an awkward push sprayer. I ordered my spot spray from a local ag sprayer manufacturer and am going to build the chassis and boom my self.


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## MasterMech (Sep 24, 2017)

sanders4617 said:


> MasterMech said:
> 
> 
> > I'm very curious on the cost of just the sprayer setup, excluding whatever chassis/spreader is chosen. I took easy street and just ordered a SpreaderMate B and a Lesco 80lb all in one fell swoop. It had all the features I was looking for and saved me a ton of time planning/shopping/building. For those who have built their own, what unique features did you want/incorporate?
> ...


A not-so-well published option on the SM is the 5gpm pump upgrade. I forget what the cost bump was but it was under $50 IIrc.


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## sanders4617 (Jul 9, 2018)

Ah that's not too bad. Add $50 to the $830 = $880.. plus another $90 or so for shipping. Right under $1000. It's def cheaper to build yourself, but it's definitely not everybody's cup of tea.


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## Ware (Jan 28, 2017)

For me the most attractive feature of the Spreader-Mate was getting a tank that is molded to fit a Lesco 80lb hopper with a natural sump. Also the spring-tensioned folding boom arms are nice. Nothing wrong with rolling your own, but I haven't seen a cleaner DIY setup.


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## sanders4617 (Jul 9, 2018)

Ware said:


> For me the most attractive feature of the Spreader-Mate was getting a tank that is molded to fit a Lesco 80lb hopper with a natural sump. Also the spring-tensioned folding boom arms are nice. Nothing wrong with rolling your own, but I haven't seen a cleaner DIY setup.


You got that right.. super clean spraying setup. Mine will probably look weird with the Earthway spreader haha. Most everybody's I see is used with the Lesco (Spreader-Mate or DIY).


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## bp2878 (Feb 13, 2019)

I plan to build my cart out of unistrut with 4 pneumatic tires, like the ones on the spreaders. Will build my own tank out of leftover acrylic from when I used to build fish tanks. All of this I already have on hand so it will keep my cost down a little. Plus I will have my tank low and on four wheels, Hopefully making it easy to push.


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## sanders4617 (Jul 9, 2018)

Would something like this https://www.lowes.com/pd/Steelworks-L-x-1-in-W-x-1-in-H-Aluminum-Plain-Square-Tube/3053565 be strong enough to support a boom? I'm trying to find something I can mount to my hopper and then also mount the boom to it.

Would you guys suggest a minimum distance of mounting the boom from the hopper? Like maybe 1ft in front or even more? I wanna make sure I'm spraying the grass and not the wheels. I know that product will end up on the wheels from pushing it, but just wanna make sure the spray itself isn't hitting it.

20" from the ground (measure from the tip of nozzle)... 20" spacing between each nozzle.. and possibly 12-20" in front of hopper?


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## sanders4617 (Jul 9, 2018)

Some pictures of the process. I'm done for the day, but maybe can get it finished tomorrow or Thursday. Just some thoughts... I'm debating on either cutting slats (like on a bed to hold box spring/mattress up) or building a frame for the spray tank.

The tank will not fit correctly into hopper of the Earthway. Not quite wide enough to fill it up. So if I do slats, the slats will go down on the ledge inside the hopper and act as a base for the tank. Easy enough, but I want to make sure the tank doesn't move around from front to back. Which is where I could cut slats that run front to back (the others would be side to side)... and those slats would keep the tank from moving back. And then I could maybe mount the battery to those slats.

I dunno.. will figure it out over next couple of days.


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## sanders4617 (Jul 9, 2018)

Finished up everything except the wiring. Only thing I'm not thrilled with is that the tank doesn't sit very far inside of the hopper. Nothing I can do about it really without a different tank, but it may not pose any problems. Only time will tell.

I will adjust the angle of the nozzle and the boom distance from the sprayer once I get it ready to spray. All easily adjustable at any time.

This picture shows how I'm doing the boom. I decided on going with PVC. I can slide the PVC through these straps and easily adjust where I want the boom to be in relation to the spreader. Once I figure out exactly where I want it, I may drill holes to drop a pin down so that I've always got it set properly. 



Here you can see that I split the difference of 20". Can't change this now, but I figured the longer nozzle and shorter nozzles changed where 20" is?? 
So I just kinda averaged it out.


Quick setup to make sure everything was going to work. Being that it's all PVC and not glued together, I will be able to add more nozzles on the fly with ease. Not sure how much the PVC would hold up at greater widths though. 


Some pictures of a rough "final" product. Not the prettiest, but should work just fine. I sprayed the PVC red to match the hopper. Got scratched a little going through the straps. Will touch it up. Also, when I disconnect the boom, I'll just dethatch from the PVC T fittings and leave the long pieces in the straps on hopper.


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## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

I think it will be wise to fill the tank up with water and do a walk around the yard. It looks top heavy.


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## sanders4617 (Jul 9, 2018)

@g-man Looks too heavy for what?


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## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

Top heavy. Autocorrect.


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## sanders4617 (Jul 9, 2018)

g-man said:


> Top heavy. Autocorrect.


Gotcha. Yeah I'm worried. And also probably hurts visibility. I may try turn the tank 90degrees and seeing how far I can go down into the hopper that way. I'd then have to move my leveling rods down, leaving open holes (which I assume I can find rubber fillers or put a short screw in there to fill it)

Hopefully I can get this worked out, cause the rest of the build should work fine.


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## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

Test the weight now before you continue down a path that could give you trouble. You will also need to lift the weight enough to get the back legs from hitting the ground while the nozzles are still pointing down.


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## sanders4617 (Jul 9, 2018)

@g-man I'll test it this evening when I get home, before doing any other work to it. I may end up getting a muck cart after all if this doesn't work. I'll have to make sure this tank will fit into one though.

Trying to use what I already had for the base.. may not work for this tank 

Yeah I may could find another tank as cheap as the muck cart, but at least with the muck cart, I'd have a separate device completely for spraying and no moving stuff on and off all the time.

Just thinking out loud lol


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## bigmks (May 22, 2018)

Looking good! How much do you have into the build price wise? I have a spreadermate A


stotea said:


> Here's my 4-nozzle sprayer parts list: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1p6gW_AmBtHLwgMKyMNhf1eceGD6FkSQl/view?usp=sharing.
> I left out shipping, taxes, and misc. mounting hardware. I also didn't include an on/off switch, wiring, and other electrical items as I haven't completed that stuff yet.
> 
> And here's how it currently looks (boom isn't mounted, electrical incomplete, etc.):


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## Ware (Jan 28, 2017)

sanders4617 said:


> Here you can see that I split the difference of 20". Can't change this now, but I figured the longer nozzle and shorter nozzles changed where 20" is??
> So I just kinda averaged it out.


Something to consider - it looks like you took that measurement with the spreader resting on its legs. The nozzles will be lower when you lift up on the handlebars, rotating the spreader into a comfortable pushing position.


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## sanders4617 (Jul 9, 2018)

@Ware - I had the spreader handle bar propped up so that the hopper was in a "level" position. So that back feet were off the ground for measuring. I better enjoy keeping the hopper parallel with the ground. It is definitely MUCH higher when the legs are resting back.


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## Ware (Jan 28, 2017)

Must be an illusion - it sure looks like they're on the ground in that photo.


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## stotea (Jul 31, 2017)

bigmks said:


> Looking good! How much do you have into the build price wise?


The $510 in my parts list was the actual amount I paid for those items. Add maybe $40 for shipping and taxes = $550. Then add another $50 for various mounting/fastening hardware and electrical stuff (wire, switch, relay, etc.). So about $600 in the end, excluding the spreader, of course, which I bought used for $200.


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## sanders4617 (Jul 9, 2018)

Anybody using this 12 gallon tank, https://barndoorag.com/ace-roto-mol...H3bvIbYXVFzPT6lUoE44AcBpjA2r4XiMaAkZnEALw_wcB

Any tips on getting the most product out of the tank and limiting waste at the bottom? Once I get around a gallon or so, it's tough to get a consistent spray.


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## EricDS4634 (Apr 8, 2020)

I had followed this thread to avoid filling my backpack sprayer 5 times per application, and could not find a used spreader that could support the weight of the tank, but I did find a trailer dolly on amazon for 50 bucks. Added a platform. Thanks for all the tips in this thread.


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## Ware (Jan 28, 2017)

EricDS4634 said:


> I had followed this thread to avoid filling my backpack sprayer 5 times per application, and could not find a used spreader that could support the weight of the tank, but I did find a trailer dolly on amazon for 50 bucks. Added a platform. Thanks for all the tips in this thread.


Post some pictures - I'd like to see it!


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## EricDS4634 (Apr 8, 2020)

Ware said:


> Post some pictures - I'd like to see it!


Sure...still some finishing touches, will paint it all matte black when the weather is nicer, may add a 4th nozzle. Will probably have to adjust the tank platform based on weight distribution, would look better if used metal and I could weld.


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## ABC123 (Jul 14, 2017)

Try to make the handle 3-4ft wide, trust me it makes spraying so much more enjoyable and simpler to control on hills.


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