For power sprayers, you have to pay attention to everything, not just the big stuff. When buying a sprayer, the little things matter too. Take a look at this photo:
This is at the bottom of a 50 gallon poly tank. The tank fitting, elbow fitting, hose and clamp are all JUNK! These fittings are low quality and will not stand up to heat, cold, bumps, chemicals, hard use, etc. The way this power spray rig is plumbed means that if any problem occurs in any of these parts, the tank will drain. There is no way to shut off the flow and you now have a 50 gallon chemical spill on your hands.
Interestingly, I was giving a presentation on spray equipment safety and showed this photo. A spray technician raised his hand and said that exact thing happened to him. He had a brand new weed sprayer. As he was leaving the lot, he hit a bump and an elbow fitting (like the one in the photo) broke and he spilled 100 gallons of herbicide. Fortunately, he was still on his lot and was able to hit it with lots of soak up.
Examine your power spray equipment for weak links like this. When buying a new sprayer, make sure you know who you are dealing with and what you are getting. Don’t create problems for yourself.
Comments? If you think we know what we’re talking about, Please:
