Piston vs Diaphram Sprayers

[tony7295]

Need to get a new sprayer. It seems as though diaphram last longer and need less maintenance. I will be spraying crabgrass and clover pesticides as well as chemicals for the shrubs.

Which way should I go?

This is a truely great site and thanks for any advice.

Tony

[tremor]

I have a 22 year old Solo piston & a broken 2 year old Solo diaphragm in the garage. This doesn't speak to either design. 20 years ago bother were good. Today neither are. Just avoid Solo like the plague & keep whatever you buy clean & it should last.

[olive123]

I AM USING A BIRCHMEYER 4 GALLON (188.00) ITS GOOD , DONT KNOW WHAT ALL THE HYPE IS ABOUT. mY FAVORIATE BACKPACK IS THE ONE I GET AT HOME DEPOT. 79 BUCKS LASTS FOREVER. BRASS ADJUSTABLE WAND.

[grassguy_]

I've used backpack sprayers for years and they will work well as long as they are maintained, but for as much grief as my guys have had with them , either leaking, strap issues, diaphrams wearing out its become more an issue of efficientcy. The hand held Lesco sprayers still work more efficient in getting the job done for spot treating the lawn or ornamental apps than dealing with the hassles of backpack issues and the added costs of using them. Just MHO!

[TurfProSTL]

A good piston pump will last a long time if your just using the sprayer for liquid pesticides. Diaghram pumps do better with wettable powders.....

[seaweed]

i have both piston and diaphram pumps- if you are not spraying up over your head (for trees or eves of a house) either pump should work. they say piston pumps wear out faster with wettable powders - i've got a piston pump that i run about 200 gallons of wp throgh it every year and it's still going after 5 years- maybe i'm lucky with this one.

[GreenUtah]

Originally Posted by tony7295

Need to get a new sprayer. It seems as though diaphram last longer and need less maintenance. I will be spraying crabgrass and clover pesticides as well as chemicals for the shrubs.

Which way should I go?

Tony

Whatever your choice, you should consider two packs, one for your herbicides and one to keep free of herbicides for your shrub/flower/etc. mix. Although there are plenty of tank cleaners and plenty of people that will swear you can just clean and go to the next mix, you gamble running a tank that has been used for herbicides on possibley sensitive plant material, like flowers and some shrubs.

[Harley-D]

Originally Posted by tony7295

Need to get a new sprayer. It seems as though diaphram last longer and need less maintenance. I will be spraying crabgrass and clover pesticides as well as chemicals for the shrubs.

Which way should I go?

This is a truely great site and thanks for any advice.

Tony

If you can get one for each type of spraying, do so. If not, I personally like the piston better. The diaphragm does have a quicker pressure with less pumps. But, the piston is easier to fix. The diaphram by solo has rivots around the pressure seal. They are just about impossible to fix.

[seaweed]

someone sold me on the idea of cleaning my tank in between apps- thankfully i decided to try it out on my yard first- i fried a big section of my lawn. guess i'll go back to useing different tanks for different apps.

[Blazerfb]

Yeah I have separate sprayers for juuuust ab everything I do. Just simpler to me, I don't trust washing stuff out. When I do it takes forever bc I'm so paranoid.

Just bought my first diaphragm sprayer, one of my pistons broke, possibly from using non-liquid tank mixes. Either way I wanted to try one out. All my stuff is crappy Solo, would love to go Birchmeyer eventually, love them.
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