I’m in the market for a new sprayer. I own two Solo/Lesco sprayers, one backpack and one shoulder. The shoulder one is broken with leaking pressure at the top.
There are so many brands and models. I’m going to need a 2 gallon small to medium sized one for light to medium fruit tree and garden spraying, like copper and dormant oil. The backpack one is for lawn weed control and chemicals will be toxic to regular plants.
I use a 5 gallon capacity Rocket Sprayer that’s on rollers. I’ve had mine for 8 years
and like it very much, but I’ve totally rebuilt mine, with a larger pump and 50 ft, hose.
You don’t mention if you are looking for highest quality or best price. Stores like Home Depot have decent sprayers these days but I spent double for an SP industrial sprayer to have a high performing 2 gallon sprayer. It wouldn’t be worth the price for me if I didn’t use it so much. It sprays at higher pressure than similar looking sprayers so I can spray mature trees with it in a pinch (when my 4 HP Honda hand-gun sprayer isn’t in my truck).
Selection is a lot about relative budgets for home tools. In business, better tools pay for themselves.
Right now, I just need a durable medium sized one for casual use, maybe 4-5 times a year. In a couple of years I’ll need another backpack sprayer when my 40 grape vines are producing.
I could just get a 4-gallon backpack one now, but it feels odd to just to add 1 gallon of spray… For dormant spray, not a lot of liquid…
This Chapin backpack sprayer has worked well for me, it handles powders like captan well without clogging.
For the low end, I have been using a Harbor Freight 4g backpack sprayer now for a couple of years. I have found it works well, much better than the cheap 1g sprayers you find in the big box stores. My only complaint is that the straps are rather uncomfortable, and need some additional padding if you are carrying the full 4g load. You can find it on sale for $20-25 quite often.
I am sure it won’t last as long as the more expensive backpack sprayers, but for a single backyard operation it has worked well for me.