When it comes to spray rigs, the first thing to think about is the products you’re putting down, says Joel Marden, owner of Green Up Lawn Care in Louisiana.
“There are tons of options when it comes to tank materials, and you’ve got to know what’s going to work best for you and what you’re working with,” he says.
Marden uses a combination of backpack sprayers and a skid sprayer with two separate tanks – one for total kill and one for other applications. But no matter what, he says cleaning out the systems has to happen at the shop.
For his applications, fiberglass is the way to go for both backpack sprayers and the skid sprayer.
The size of the properties your crews will be visiting is also a key consideration. “You want to make sure your guys aren’t running back and forth to fill up the tank,” he says, noting that while you can carry extra tanks on trucks, he prefers one tank per day to avoid spillage or accidents.
Each crew is routed for application of a single product to avoid misapplications as well. Because different lawns will require different rates and products, he says careful routing is the key to efficiency.
“You don’t want to mess around with this stuff,” he says. “I always tell my guys to check application rates, read the labels and follow instructions. The last you want is dead spots or ruined lawns. Callbacks aren’t going to fix something as big as that.”
He wants to make sure that his hoses are set up to minimize mistakes as well. He outfits his spray rig with a double pass hose, rather than a single pass, since they’re stronger and can handle more pressure.
“No point in taking risks where you don’t have to,” he says. His crews are also responsible for flipping the hose every month to cut down on wear and tear. And they inspect the rig and backpack sprayers regularly for leaks, pressure issues and clogs.
“Keep it running smoothly and you’re going to save yourself so many headaches,” he says.