Chris,
I
continually use my backpack sprayer, both at home and when guiding my 40
gardeners through maintenance chores at work. I have used the same Birchmeier
sprayer for 15 years. Over the last few years it has become a nightmare for
parts, but has some incredible features! This model has a pressure regulator
and uses removable 2 ½ G plastic containers. The same size Ag and Hort products
like soap and oil are supplied in.
http://www.dickenssupply.com/BIRCHMEIER%20BACKPACK%20SPRAYERS.htm
In the old
days I’d keep a jug filled with Nutrisol to flush between chemicals. This meant
I could have Roundup, Trimec, Surflan, or any number of nasties ready to spray.
These days I have tea, soap, oil, Bt, mycorhizae, and Beauveria jugs ready. I
really like the spray shield Birchmeier has available. I found one at
Rittenhouse. http://www.rittenhouse.ca/asp/Product.asp?PG=691
I don’t
have ANY problems with the gentle curves in the half dozen or so wands we’ve
used at work. Having a good parts diagram is helpful in locating those damn
screens most sprayers use!!
I am
needing a new sprayer if I can’t replace the last of my backup parts. I’ll make
my choice on the easy access to repair parts and documentation.
Here’s a
link for a Rittenhouse product.
http://www.rittenhouse.ca/asp/Product.asp?PG=223
They post
manuals,
http://www.rittenhouse.ca/tech_center/pdf_manuals/spo&sp1.pdf
Parts
breakdown;
http://www.rittenhouse.ca/asp/Product.asp?PG=224
AND stock
all the repair parts. Oh and they were the source for the clog free nozzle!
I also
liked the “Spray Vest”,
http://www.rittenhouse.ca/asp/Product.asp?PG=666
SP systems
also have what is called an “agitation kit”,
http://www.dultmeier.com/product.asp?pf%5Fid=SXEK484&dept%5Fid=%2782%2E3%2E2%2E1%2E%27
http://bugsource.com/agitator_regulator.html
It seems
the same manufacturer produces a unit like my Birchmeier. If I can be assured
of repair parts the SP10 will likely be my replacement.
http://bugsource.com/sp10.html
BTW the
SP1 and SP10 are diaphragm sprayers!!
WOW, In
the process of reading and responding I’ve just sold myself on the SP1 and
SP10!
Tom Jaszewski
www.livesoil.com
702-595-7012
-----Original
Message-----
From: chris reid
[mailto:reidchris@earthlink.net]
Sent: Sunday, July 13, 2003 5:54
AM
To: compost_tea@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [compost_tea] Backpack
Sprayer Comments for Novice Applicator
Thanks for your suggestions about not using a backpack sprayer.
The list has a mix of people on it, from interested homeowners using teas
in
their gardens to people such as James who have very large landscape
businesses using teas. Let me provide some context so people can
understand
why I would consider a backpack sprayer and also maybe get a flavor for
some
of the people on the list who are not large agricultural concerns or major
landscapers. This is the biggest challenge of the list -- to
translate what
the big operations are doing into something smaller that I can use.
I am a solo practitioner who does shrub pruning and perennial garden/rose
garden/small landscape maintenance on small properties. Buying the
truck
comes first (before the big sprayer), folks, and we ain't there yet!
Tea
application is going to be --once I understand firsthand what it can do --
one of a number of things I do within the context of maintaining gardens
and
small residential properties. The large scale suggestions are not
appropriate for this year, but I'll keep them on file for the future.
I work in Connecticut, and believe me, there are numerous companies that
are
big, pay to have their trucks washed every week so they "look
professional"
and wear color coordinated outfits to work on the property. Some of
these
companies are good, and some of them are just "looking
good". In several
cases, I have come onto the property in their footsteps, and see what has
happened. My focus is more at this point, although small, to invest
in
BEING good. Since I know by reputation that James is VERY good, he
can add
the icing on the cake and look good too, at this point.
I may not be a savvy businesswoman, but my focus is to know what the heck I
am doing before I inflict it on others and charge money for it. There
are a
number of balls to juggle in starting the business -- all the technical
info
one must master within the area in which one is working, the tax and
accounting info, figuring out vendors to use, making professional
alliances,
developing good sources of information, scheduling, working out rates, to
name a few. I find that by limiting my client list, I can take the
time --my time, not the client's -- to learn, research problems, explore
areas that are new to me, and build a body of information/experience that
makes it easier the next time to do the job more quickly. So as
regards
tea, where I am in the learning curve is stark beginner: even
figuring out
how to brew a good "cup of tea" and how to apply it thoroughly
and correctly
to get the results I want. I can afford a backpack sprayer or other
small
sprayer as an investment in learning, and as I learn and see what I can do
and for whom I can do it, I can always trade up.
Backpack sprayers are commonly used around here to make spot applications
on
parts of large properties where a truck can't easily go. The property
in
question is dozens of acres, and the rose gardens aren't anyplace I'd want
to drive a motorized vehicle anyhow, and I don't think the owner would be
too keen on it.
So when you picture my company's image, imagine: I drive a 10 year
old
station wagon, and I wear clean clothes but don't have a snappy outfit to
wear to work. I buy good tools -- hand tools -- and look forward to
the day
when I can buy a brand new truck with a logo on it. Meanwhile, to
picture
my company's work, imagine: once I take my Taurus off the property,
it
looks pretty good (the property, not the Taurus ;). Someday perhaps
I'll
read this post and laugh, but the tortoise has spoken.
Now, about that backpack sprayer. I am looking for a small sprayer I
can
use to apply tea to small gardens and properties or spot apply to selected
shrubs. Backpack sprayers sometimes have pressure regulators.
As far as I
know, small, handheld tank sprayers do not. If the backpack sprayer
is
limited to a 70 lb maximum, is the actual pressure important to know (i.e.,
should a regulator be part of my purchase consideration)? Since a
backpack
full is more weight than I can easily handle, (I am neither a hoss nor a
hossette), I figured I'd use it half full and refill. Because tea is
applied quickly, from what I have read anyhow, it seems pointless to get a
smaller tank sprayer and have to keep refilling it, but I would like to
know
others' experience.
Somebody mentioned that straight wands don't clog as easily as the bent-tip
ones. And somebody also mentioned a good floodjet nozzle from
Rittenhouse
that doesn't clog easily. So -- about clogging. In order to
spend less
time unclogging things, are there design considerations one should keep in
mind? And what about cleaning -- do certain sprayers clean more
easily than
others? Does use of tea tend to make certain features more important
to
have, or to avoid?
Chris Reid
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