# Pull Behind Sprayer



## Still learnin (Sep 9, 2017)

Does anyone have any experience with a pull behind sprayer? After failing with a 2 gallon sprayer, infighred I'd try dragging a hose around an acre or so and use the ortho dial spray. Now I have blue hands and quit after a 1/4 acre or so. I have a 25 gallon sprayer, but it would be hard to latch to my mower and is boomless, just has a wand. Worked ok for roundup, but I think an even application of herbicides would be hard.

This is what I'm considering. Or buying a trailer for the 25 gallon and connecting a boom, but I think that would end up costing almost as much if not more.

https://www.ruralking.com/country-way-15-gallon-directional-sprayer-sno-11-015a-rk.html?gclid=EAIaIQobChMInP_s8ZqL2gIV0eDICh0C2ADyEAQYAiABEgLC3vD_BwE


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## Rackhouse Mayor (Sep 4, 2017)

I'm on an acre, and I use the Chapin 4 gallon 20v backpack sprayer. I plan to eventually move to a sprayer mounted to my riding mower. Pete1313 has a good setup on his John Deere (here) that I plan to emulate. Check it out and see if this is what you're looking for. I really like how he calibrated the mph.


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## J_nick (Jan 28, 2017)

I use a spray trailer. It works good for what it is. Corners are not fun but if you have long straight stretches it works great. I normally skip the corners and come back with the wand.


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## Cory (Aug 23, 2017)

Have a 15g chapin mounted to the back of my rider. Didn't want to tow it because I have a lot of spots I need to back up against. Mines not as fancy as pete1313 but it works great.


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## J_nick (Jan 28, 2017)

The next upgrade I do to my sprayer will be to mount it to the 3 point hitch on my lawn tractor to get away from the trailer.


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## GrassFarmer (Sep 21, 2017)

here is the one i built the tank was just something we had laying around.


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## J_nick (Jan 28, 2017)

GrassFarmer said:


> here is the one i built the tank was just something we had laying around.


Awesome, the scale of your projects cracks me up. I have 7 acres my wife wants me to spray but with a 35 gallon tank and 40" boom I told her it wasn't going to happen.


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## Still learnin (Sep 9, 2017)

GrassFarmer said:


> here is the one i built the tank was just something we had laying around.


I'd say that would get the job done!


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## Still learnin (Sep 9, 2017)

I'd love to convert my 25 gallon to a boom and mount it. I'm just not even sure where to start in mounting it.


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## ABC123 (Jul 14, 2017)

I use a northstar sprayer 21 gallon. Used it on almost 4acres for 2 years and going to use it to supply a homemade walking boom on my next house of 8k sq ft.

https://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200646314_200646314

The nozzles drip when you turn the pump off and take a second to prime back up. Could fix that with a checkvalve though.

They offer a boom extension kit and I really wish I had that upgrade but couldn't justify the price.

They also sell pumps/tanks/kit easy to make whatever you want.


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## Ballistic (Mar 19, 2018)

I have been looking for a spray trailer but any of the ones i like are ether way too big of a tank (Dont need 40+ gallons) or cost too much for what it is.

Planning on buying a golf cart with utility bed and just building a boom sprayer off it.


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## ABC123 (Jul 14, 2017)

Look on northern tool. They sell up to a 7gph 12v pump. These tanks will almost mount the pump with a kit.
Tanks https://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/category_lawn-garden+sprayers+sprayer-tanks+northstar
Kit https://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200631852_200631852

Only downside is I believe it doesnt come with the bolts to screw it onto the tank.


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## Pete1313 (May 3, 2017)

@GrassFarmer I love your equipment! Bigger is better! I wish I could play around with those toys in your yard.

Mounted is the way to go to get a more precise spray, if you can figure out a way to mount it. I like what @Cory did. Do you have any more pics of how it's mounted?



Cory said:


> Have a 15g chapin mounted to the back of my rider. Didn't want to tow it because I have a lot of spots I need to back up against. Mines not as fancy as pete1313 but it works great.


As far as making a boom, I think that's the easier part. There are a few calculations to get the nozzle spacing right and make sure you don't exceed you pumps GPM but all the parts you would need are listed in the back of the teejet catalog. Once you have the part numbers you can just plug them into the spraysmarter.com website and get everything you need to mount to a square tube that you can pick up at home depot.


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## pennstater2005 (Jul 17, 2017)

@Cory

I'd be interested in exactly what all you have in that setup and how it's mounted.


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## Cory (Aug 23, 2017)

pennstater2005 said:


> @Cory
> 
> I'd be interested in exactly what all you have in that setup and how it's mounted.


It's not pretty, originally I was gonna make it out of wood but remembered I had an old storage shelf I wasn't using so made the frame out of the uprights from it. It's all bolted together with carriage bolts and mounted where a grass catcher attachment is suppose to go. The tank is strapped with the straps that came with it. The boom is a chapin 3 nozzle, should have just bought the pipe and tee jets but it works for now. I ran a shut off up next to the seat so I wouldn't have to constantly turn around and reach over the tank to shut off the spray.


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## pennstater2005 (Jul 17, 2017)

@Cory

Thanks! You're giving me ideas. I like the idea of the mount versus pull behind as well becaus of backing up and general storage space limitations.


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## Cory (Aug 23, 2017)

pennstater2005 said:


> @Cory
> 
> Thanks! You're giving me ideas. I like the idea of the mount versus pull behind as well becaus of backing up and general storage space limitations.


 :thumbup:


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## Ballistic (Mar 19, 2018)

If you guys are looking for a good place to buy tanks, i have bought quite a few different tanks for work from here: http://www.plastic-mart.com


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## HoosierLawnGnome (Sep 28, 2017)

Still learnin said:


> Does anyone have any experience with a pull behind sprayer? After failing with a 2 gallon sprayer, infighred I'd try dragging a hose around an acre or so and use the ortho dial spray. Now I have blue hands and quit after a 1/4 acre or so. I have a 25 gallon sprayer, but it would be hard to latch to my mower and is boomless, just has a wand. Worked ok for roundup, but I think an even application of herbicides would be hard.
> 
> This is what I'm considering. Or buying a trailer for the 25 gallon and connecting a boom, but I think that would end up costing almost as much if not more.
> 
> https://www.ruralking.com/country-way-15-gallon-directional-sprayer-sno-11-015a-rk.html?gclid=EAIaIQobChMInP_s8ZqL2gIV0eDICh0C2ADyEAQYAiABEgLC3vD_BwE


I have the 25 gallon version of this sprayer. 2 seasons into using it, it clogged up and needs fixed. I think the hoses need replaced as I have no pressure and the pump just runs. I feel a lot better about getting even applications out of it than my 4 gallon solo. Get some extra tips for different spray types.


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## Still learnin (Sep 9, 2017)

I think this will be my plan going forward:

Figure out a way to attach my current 25 gallon tank to my Dixie chopper.

It has a 1 gpm pump, so I may need to upgrade that.

If no upgrade is needed, or once it's upgraded, I'll make a book and add it on with a pressure regulator, shutoff, and hand control. Among anything else that's needed to make it work better.

It seems to be the consensus that a mounted tank is the best to maneuver with and as was stated in another thread, a backpack sprayer would be extremely annoying and tiresome when I attempt to do the full 2 acres.


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## gene_stl (Oct 29, 2017)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-g3NQk8ku8M&t=17s

I like that they stuck the sprayer on the front and hosed the output back so that it sprays behind the zero turn.


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## Cory (Aug 23, 2017)

Still learnin said:


> I think this will be my plan going forward:
> 
> Figure out a way to attach my current 25 gallon tank to my Dixie chopper.
> 
> ...


I only have 1/2 acre, used the backpack once to spray Prodiamine in the fall and that was enough for me. You spend more time mixing and refilling than what it's worth.


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## HoosierLawnGnome (Sep 28, 2017)

Cory said:


> Still learnin said:
> 
> 
> > I think this will be my plan going forward:
> ...












I just put out prodiamine on 1.4 acres using a 4 gallon backpack sprayer. Can't wait for my ZT to get out of the shop so I can pull my 25 gallon sprayer again!


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## GrassFarmer (Sep 21, 2017)

wow i cant imagine spraying that much with a hand sprayer how long that take?


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## pennstater2005 (Jul 17, 2017)

I'm surprised at the selection that the Rural King has that is close to me. It has many mountable and pull behind options. Might be taking a trip this weekend. Backpacking 15k sucks! Doing 1.4 acres like @HoosierLawnGnome sounds worse :lol:


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## Still learnin (Sep 9, 2017)

pennstater2005 said:


> I'm surprised at the selection that the Rural King has that is close to me. It has many mountable and pull behind options. Might be taking a trip this weekend. Backpacking 15k sucks! Doing 1.4 acres like @HoosierLawnGnome sounds worse :lol:


Rural King has quite a bit. That's where I got my 25 gallon, but I didn't plan ahead and will have to upgrade it or the whole thing eventually. They have pretty good prices usually as well.


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## HoosierLawnGnome (Sep 28, 2017)

GrassFarmer said:


> wow i cant imagine spraying that much with a hand sprayer how long that take?


2 hours. :crying:


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## Still learnin (Sep 9, 2017)

HoosierLawnGnome said:


> GrassFarmer said:
> 
> 
> > wow i cant imagine spraying that much with a hand sprayer how long that take?
> ...


Exactly why y'all convinced me to rig something up on the mower. Have to convince the wife that I can do that and purchase all herbicides and fertilizers for less than the company that currently sprays. And that I can make it all work. 🤣


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## HoosierLawnGnome (Sep 28, 2017)

Still learnin said:


> HoosierLawnGnome said:
> 
> 
> > GrassFarmer said:
> ...


My arm was SOOOOO tired :lol:

My ZT is in the shop (ready for pickup now!), and the pull behind doesn't pump. The pump runs, but no pressure builds. I think I have an air leak somewhere.

Anyways - I want to mount it to the front of my ZT and run the boom to the back - it will be less work on the engine than towing it, less storage space, better spraying, easier to clean, etc..


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## TigerinFL (Mar 29, 2018)

i used a 25 gallon pull behind connected to my wife's lawn tractor spraying 5 acres. It would take me about 4 hours to complete and by the end of it I was tired. the wheel bearings didn't last more than two seasons before they needed to be replaced.

but we had an amazing 5 acre lot that looked like a golf course!


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## pennstater2005 (Jul 17, 2017)

Has anyone ever heard of this model? It's intriguing. Price with tank seems a bit steep.

https://www.mowerboss.com/info/electric-broadcast-sprayer/


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## DaBanker (Dec 4, 2018)

Hey Cory! Just wanted to say thanks for your post! I actually first saw your pictures on an Amazon review which convinced me to purchase one of the sprayers. Then I spent some time trying to figure out how to build something like you've got. Your pics have given me some great ideas!



Cory said:


> Have a 15g chapin mounted to the back of my rider. Didn't want to tow it because I have a lot of spots I need to back up against. Mines not as fancy as pete1313 but it works great.


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## Still learnin (Sep 9, 2017)

gene_stl said:


> I like that they stuck the sprayer on the front and hosed the output back so that it sprays behind the zero turn.


I wonder how the spray is on that. How even,y it covers and if it would tend to get on landscaping,trees, etc... outside of the grass.


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## Cory (Aug 23, 2017)

@DaBanker no problem! Looks a little jerry rigged but works great for me. I want to build a new platform for it this year that goes on and off the mower easier cause it gets in the way with my aerator's handle and has to come off for me to aerate.


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## tgoulart (Jun 21, 2018)

pennstater2005 said:


> Has anyone ever heard of this model? It's intriguing. Price with tank seems a bit steep.
> 
> https://www.mowerboss.com/info/electric-broadcast-sprayer/


I am seriously looking at an option like this. I spoke with these guys over the phone early this summer and they seemed legit. If I keep my current tractor, I will do something in the spring and this is high on my list. Not sure if I'll buy the whole rig or buy the sprayer separately. Conveniences over $$ I suspect is what I'll wrestle with.


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## Cory (Aug 23, 2017)

@tgoulart I saw that one before I bought and made mine, it's was the inspiration for my setup. The price is the reason I didn't buy it, It didn't seem like it was worth $500 at the time. But the platform would be nice and the boom is nicer than the plastic 3 nozzle Chapin boom I bought. It probably works well if you can justify the cost.


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## Delmarva Keith (May 12, 2018)

I've had my eye on these:
https://www.greenpartstore.com/John-Deere-25-Gallon-Click-n-Go-Mounted-Sprayer-LP22862.html
https://www.greenpartstore.com/John-Deere-15-Gallon-Mounted-Sprayer-LP53283.html

The 15 gal. one is compatible with D100 which has basically a flat plate for a rear frame. If it will mount on D100 should be easy to adapt to just about anything for mounting.


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## jdc_lawnguy (Oct 30, 2018)

@Delmarva Keith I had landed on the 15 Gallon option and ran across a deal I could not pass up. Logically speaking it appears to give the most flexibility


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