Birchmeier Backpack Annual Maintenance suggestions

There are four simple parts we suggest be replaced yearly on Birchmeier Backpack Sprayers to ensure proper working conditions. All four replacement kits can be found at QSpray.com.

 

Weed Sprayers - Know Before You Buy

Weed sprayers must stand up to hard use.  It is important that you buy a well designed weed control sprayer, built with quality components.  Here are some photos of a weed power sprayer that was not well designed and did not use quality components.

The client came to us and said she began having problems with this sprayer almost immediately.  She had purchased a low price sprayer to save some money.  She quickly realized her mistake.

We took one look at the sprayer and saw lots of issues.
1.  Homeowner grade, not professional grade.  Thin steel frame, cheap plastic fittings, cheap supply hoses.
2.  Client complained she couldn't agitate and spray at the same time.  The reason is the spray pump is undersized (GPM too low) for what she was trying to do.
3.  Filter was installed very close to frame and it was difficult to open.  Because it was difficult to open, she didn't check it as frequently as she needed to.  The filter was clogged and this affected sprayer performance.
 This is a homeowner grade engine, not a commercial grade engine.  At least its a Honda.
Weed control sprayer is on a steel skid that was installed too close to the trailer side rail.  When the engine pull cord breaks (it will), the recoil is too close to the side rail to remove.  The entire skid will have to be unbolted from the trailer to allow the recoil to be removed.  A 5 minute maintenace project becomes a two person, labor intensive operation.




This photo shows another design problem with this weed sprayer.

1.  Hose is rubbing against tank.  Hose or tank will eventually leak
2.  Really cheap plastic fitting will crack after hot summers, cold winters, bouncing trailer.




And last but not least:

1.  ball valve on supply line is needed to allow user to shut off flow and check the filter.   Problems:
1.  valve hard to reach
2.  turning the ball valve handle will put too much torque on the cheap plastic fitting.  Fitting will break, tank will empty.  Client will have a nice chemical spill to deal with.

Client had us make some significant modifications to this weed sprayer to get it to perform the way she needed it to perform.  It would have been cheaper for her and fewer headaches to spend a little more up front to buy what she needed.

Here are some key points to consider when buying a weed control spray rig (or any power spray rig).
1.  Know the Company you are buying from.
2.  Know what you are getting.
3.  Discuss your requirements with the vendor in detail before buying.  Consider how you will be using the sprayer, how will maintenance be done, etc.
4.  Even little inexpensive things like plumbing fittings matter.
5.  If the sprayer won't do what you need it to do, or if it continually has problems, you did not save money by buying low cost.
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Read more: http://www.qspray.com/blog/#ixzz2IRX0terC

Your Weed Sprayer - Even the Little Stuff Matters

Your weed sprayer makes you money.  If it is running.  If your weed control sprayer is down for repairs, it is costing you money.  It is important that you are aware of where your downtime risks are on  your weed spray rig.
This photo of a weed spray trailer is a good example:

The mechanic for a local government agency called us to look at a weed spray trailer he was having problems with.  His purchasing department went low bid and bought the sprayer you see here.
There were many problems with this weed sprayer.  The one that scared me most was the cheap plastic fittings under the trailer. In order to get the cost down, the manufacturer used cheap plastic fittings below the spray trailer.
If or when one of these fittings crack (think summer heat, bad roads, debris on roads, etc.), the entire contents of the tank will spill. There is no way to shut it off.  You've just dumped 200 gallons of herbicide on a public street.   Can you say evening news?


When purchasing a weed control sprayer, it it important to know everything you are getting.  If you already have the sprayer, do a thorough inspection so you know what you have.  If you see weak points or risk factors, fix them.   The cost and time involved in a chemical spill cleanup are much greater than the cost of buying right the first time or fixing it before you have a problem.

Read more: http://www.qspray.com/blog/#ixzz2HUpXtkga

Weed Control Sprayers - How Much Spray Hose?

How much hose do I need for my weed control spray rig?  This is a question I am often asked by prospects and customers.

The short answer to the question is that it is much better to have 50 feet too much hose than to be 1’ short. If the hose is too short, you can’t do a thorough job or you have to stop what you are doing and move the vehicle.  The cost of the extra hose is insignificant compared to the cost of not being able to do your job properly.

Most manufacturers bundle hose in rolls of 200’, 300’ and sometimes 400’.  That is how most distributors want to sell it to you.

To determine how much hose you need, review your route and figure out the distance from where you park your vehicle to the farthest point you need to reach with your spray hose.  That is a good starting place.  If you don’t have a route yet, look at the average property size in your trade area and determine the longest distance you will likely need to span.

Next, remember that the end of the hose wears out from use and will need to be cut away periodically to prevent leaks.  If you start off with exactly the amount of hose you need to reach the farthest point on the route, if you have to cut off 10’ of hose due to wear, your hose is now too short to do your job.

Some other thoughts:

-         -  If buying a long hose, make sure your weed control sprayer pump has the pressure needed to push water through the hose. 

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-    -If you only have 1 or 2 stops that require a long hose, consider making a jumper hose.  This is a length of hose on quick disconnects that is stored separately and only used for the few stops that require a longer hose. 

Pest Control Sprayers - PPE Required

When using pest control spray equipment or weed control sprayers to apply chemicals, the law says you must use personal protective equipment. I believe most spray techs use PPE when spraying.

The issue I see is all the other time. Anytime you are in contact with your sprayer equipment, you should be using PPE. I don't think this is what is actually happening out there.

Some examples:

1. Spray Tech brings his leaking gun into our shop for repairs. He is NOT wearing PPE.
2. Spray Tech shows us a leak in his spray hose. While unwinding the hose to find the leak, he is NOT wearing PPE.
3. Spray tech needs a replacement part. He does not know the name of the part so he sends us this photo. He is NOT wearing PPE.                

Everyone we talk to says they use PPE all the time.  Our own eyes tell us that is not the case.

Pest control & weed control technicians - you only have 1 body and 1 life.  Don't risk it.  Use your PPE anytime you are touching your power spray equipment.

Weed Control Sprayers - Problems to Avoid

This weed control sprayer was brought in by a new client who complained the spray never worked the way she needed it to work.  She bought a low cost power sprayer to save money and it shows.

When buying a pest control sprayer or weed control rig it is critical that you know what you are getting.  When looking at this sprayer from a distance it may look ok. But close up or in the field, here are some problems to avoid:
1.  Cheap plastic fittings won't hold up to temperature extremes and variations.  A cheap fitting can cause downtime or worse, chemical spills.  (See the black plastic fittings on the right side of the photo).










2.  The ball valve in the following photo is supposed to be used to shut off flow to filter so the filter can be checked and cleaned.  The valve is so difficult to reach, the owner rarely checks it.  This will lead to downtime and probably pump problems.  Note also the cheap plastic fittings at the bottom of the tank.  One turn on the ball valve can break a fitting and cause the tank to empty.




3.  In the following photo the line from the tank to the filter is way too tight against the tank.  The hose will vibrate.  Which will leak first: the hose or the tank?  Only time will tell.  It is also more difficult for a technician to service without adequate slack or room to work.  





4.  Engine.  This is a consumer grade engine, not a commercial grade engine.  For professionals, use the Honda GX commercial series of engines to stand up to the hard use.  Also, engine is mounted too close to the side of the vehicle.  Operator skins her knuckles every time she starts the engine.  On a GX series engine, the recoil could have been rotated 90 degrees to mitigate this problem somewhat.   



5.  Client complained that she couldn't agitate and spray the trees she needed to spray at the same time.  The pump is too small to do both operations.   When buying a power sprayer, be sure to take the time to explain to your equipment vendor how you will be using the sprayer so the correct spray pump can be installed.

Power Sprayer Emergency Repair Kits

Customer was in to refill his Weed Control Sprayer Emergency Repair kit. This is one of the best kits I have seen.       


Keeping critical pest control sprayer parts in the vehicle, reduces downtime & missed appointments and saves trips to the repair shop.

Emergency repair kits are great for power sprayers and manual sprayers such as B&G 1 Gallon Sprayers. The kit in this photo is the bosses. His employees all have smaller, more limited kits.

Weed Control Rig - Major Damage Is Expensive

Weed control sprayer diaphragm pump was totally destroyed, costing the company money, downtime and missed appointments.  Pump was run without oil.  Photo (click to enlarge) shows 1) metal fragments 2) scored shaft both from unlubricated operation.

Diaphragm pumps are great pumps for weed control spray rigs, deep root feeding rigs and landscape sprayers.  The pumps can handle a wide variety of materials while supplying good volume and pressure.  These pumps require oil for lubrication.  Most have an external oil reservoir that is visible to the spray tech.   The first lesson is that techs MUST check the oil reservoir BEFORE starting the pump.  If there is no oil, or there is a white milky liquid, do not start the pump.  The photo shows what happens if you do.

The second lesson is that sometimes the diaphragms fail while the applicator is working.  The pump will continue pumping.  There may be a change in pressure or the sound that the pump is making.  Train technicians to be aware of these things and to return to the vehicle and check the pump if they think there may be a problem.

The third lesson is don't wait for diaphragms to fail.  Perform preventative maintenance regularly.  Replace diaphragms (and other key parts) BEFORE they fail.
Finally, the pressure control valve on this pump was stuck in the highest possible position. The technician was spraying weeds at 360 psi!  Technicians must be advised that if they have a problem, they are to report it promptly.   This expensive issue could have been avoided had the technician been better trained.

Weed Control Spray Cart

Weed control sprayer. Client (a nursery) bought an off the shelf weed spray cart on the internet in order to save some money. Tank was damaged by an employee and brought in to us for repair (photo). 

When we contacted the manufacturer.  6 weeks lead time on this tank. That is a lot of downtime.  Make sure you ask about replacement parts/components when buying a power sprayer.

What is the true cost of this weed sprayer?

Comments?

Weed Control Sprayers

Client brought a weed control sprayer in for repairs.  The power sprayer used a fiberglass tank split into 2 tanks.  The tank was fine but the problem was the plumbing.  The company that built the sprayer ran the plumbing lines for the 2^nd tank through the middle of the 1^st tank.  One of these lines cracked, causing contamination as the chemicals mixed.  Here are some photos:



Notice how the pickup line runs through the wall into the other tank.


The small capped line at the top of this photo is the bypass line.  Notice how it runs through the wall into the other tank.  This line had cracked inside the other tank, causing contamination in that other tank.  We capped it and reran the line on the outside of the tank.

 
The photo on the right shows the exterior of the tank.  The red arrow shows the bypass line that we capped off.  We re-ran this line on the outside of the tank the way it should have been done originally.

The blue arrow shows the pickup lines for the two tanks.  You can see how both lines run into the close tank and therefore one of the lines runs through the first tank into the second.

This is obviously terrible design that caused downtime.  Cross contamination can be an expensive proposition (think post emergent in your preemergent tank).

The only reason we can think of for this design was to put all the hoses and fittings inside the tank to make the sprayer easier to ship.  This seems backward to us.  A rig should be designed for long term, productive use not for 1 time shipping.  Figure out a better way to ship it.  When we ship rigs we have specially designed boxes that go over the sprayers to protect them.

Spray Equipment - Small Problems Are Expensive

Many of the pest control spray rigs and weed sprayers problems we see in our repair shop are minor issues that only take a few minutes to resolve. In fact, quite a few of these power sprayer problems could have been fixed in the field if the proper part had been available.  I am struck by the amount of time spent driving from the job site to the repair site and back, just to make a small repair.  The downtime, gas, cancelled appointments, etc. are significant costs.

We encourage our clients to keep spray equipment emergency repair kits on their trucks.  There are quite a fe minor repairs that can be effected easily  in the field with a minimum of parts and tools.   Some easy fixes:

- Filter screens & gaskets
- B&G and backpack o-rings, gaskets, tips
- Spray tips
- hose clamps/hose repair kits (see photo on right)
- belts
- spray gun o-rings
Some caveats:
You should assess your equipment to determine what parts are easy to fix and what parts are worth carrying on the truck?
You should assess your (or your tech's) skill.  What repairs can you (or tech) effectively complete?

Comments? 

Spray Equipment - Purchase Price is just the Tip of the Iceberg

When buying weed control sprayer or pest control sprayer it is important to know who you are dealing with and what you are getting.   Customer solicited several bids and appears to have selected the low bid for 4 gator spray rigs  (we were not the low bidder).  All 4 sprayers were different & all 4 had problems that the client brought us to address.


In the first photo, the power supply wires for the 12 volt pump were run through the tailgate, crushing the wire (see insert, click on photo to enlarge).  This damaged the wire and will eventually result in downtime.  We replaced the wire, drilled a hole in the bed and ran the wire through a grommet in the hole.


On this sprayer, the power supply wire was run over the side of the vehicle bed.  This is a bad idea - the wire will snag on trees, techs, equipment, etc.  Again, this creates a risk of downtime and lost productivity.  Solution was the same, reroute the wire through the gator bed.

Puchase price is just the tip of the iceberg.  Client did not save money buying on purchase price alone.
Comments?