Sprayer thats not a POS

[Turkey Creek]

Ok so we brought a 25 gallon FIMCO sprayer from tractor supply early last Spring and this one has been an absolutely POS pretty much from the word go. Clean out plug leaks without constant added babying. Threads were crap not long after we bought it, then the pump went bad, now the line that has the bottom tank filter is leaking, there is not locking mechanism on the wand handle.......... rant over. Did we just win the lucky lottery on this POS? Or what brand of sprayers should we consider for the next one? We dont use the sprayer a lot, maybe 2x a month and we dont abuse our stuff. Seems like every time we go to use this one it has some kind of issue. Similar to the one pictured.

 

[Tree Spud]

Ok so we brought a 25 gallon FIMCO sprayer from tractor supply early last Spring and this one has been an absolutely POS pretty much from the word go. Clean out plug leaks without constant added babying. Threads were crap not long after we bought it, then the pump went bad, now the line that has the bottom tank filter is leaking, there is not locking mechanism on the wand handle.......... rant over. Did we just win the lucky lottery on this POS? Or what brand of sprayers should we consider for the next one? nWe dont use it the sprayer a lot, maybe 2x a month and we dont abuse our stuff. Seems like every time we go to use this one it has some kind of issue. Similar to the one pictured.

I've had problems with the drain plug also.

 

[Wind Gypsy]

I have a 15 gallon 2 nozzle model that has been a bit of a headache at times.

I've been lusting for one of the frost inc models. They cost a fair bit more than fimco but seem to be better thought out.

 

[Tree Spud]

I should say that the 1st Fimco sprayer like you showed that I bought 20 years ago only got mothballed because the motor mount broke. May have to re-surface that one.

 

[Mortenson]

These are probably 1 level of upgrade from fimco. I had decent luck from mine except for the normal pump and gauge replacement.

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[Turkey Creek]

We have a smaller FIMCO one that my FIL bought years ago. Replaced the pump on it, but at least it doesnt leak. Obviously not as convenient as it requires us to stop and refill more often.

 

[Triple C]

I bought that exact same sprayer 3 months ago from TSC to spray around trees and fence line here at home. Seems there are a lot of issues with these sprayers. So far, I've had none but only used it twice so far. Strap it in back of UTV and also bought a small lithium battery off Amazon as the battery connection cable wasn't long enough to reach my battery. Will post up issues as I use it more.

 

[Tree Spud]

We have a smaller FIMCO one that my FIL bought years ago. Replaced the pump on it, but at least it doesnt leak. Obviously not as convenient as it requires us to stop and refill more often.

I have dead streaks & trails across my lawn as I was not aware it was leaking.

 

[Ben.MN/WI]

I've had pretty good luck with my Fimco 25 gallon boom sprayer. I've had to replace the pump a couple times, but it is about 10 years old and still working well. I did learn over time I seem to have fewer issues with the sprayer now that I run about 1/2 a tank of clean water through the sprayer after every use. The better you clean it out after each use, the better the chance things work well the next time it is used. I also clean out the inline filter before each use.

 

[Howboutthemdawgs]

My goal in life is to start a company and half ass a product like fimco sprayers and make millions of dollars

 

[Wind Gypsy]

Anyone have issues/fixes with the hand wand leaking bad near the handle? I never use mine but when I spray clean water through it when flushing the tank I find it’s always soaked. Would hate to hold it when spraying chemicals.

 

[omicron1792]

You have to remove all hoses. Reattach and put new clamps on all connections. I then spray flex seal around them all.

Once I did all this cheap sprayers work much better. Be sure and do intake hose in tank too.

 

[Hoytvectrix]

I second properly cleaning the tank, hoses and screens after every use. One thing that we did was build a box for the tank and strap that to the equipment. This keeps pressure off of the tank as you ratchet it down and you get shift in liquids during transport. The second thing we did was replace some of the valves with our own longer hoses/nipples to make cleaning the screens easier.

 

[Turkey Creek]

We clean ours well after every use. I think the damn thread issue is the result of the tank being a relatively soft plastic and female connections a harder plastic which tears up the softer plastic a little each time you use unscrew and rescrew things together.

 

[Howboutthemdawgs]

Man was the nozzles and manifolds. The ball valve in the manifold would always stick. It’s a giant pain when it does. I carry enough replacement parts to rebuild one

 

[TomRC]

Got to say I've cussed quite a bit at my 25 gallon Fimco.

 

[omicron1792]

I’ve wasted more money buying cheap stuff then switching to real equipment than if I had just bought something good to start with.

 

[pilotpip]

I had good luck with a tow behind from northern tool. Unfortunately that one was stolen. I also have a cheapie 15 gallon spot sprayer from the local farm and home store that cost like $60. A little teflon tape on the drain plug threads took care of leaking. I run water through the sprayer to make sure it isn't leaking and replace hose clamps as needed. Also replaced the wands after a couple years on both with better ones.

Make sure you do a good cleaning after every use. Gly in particular really eats up the insides of everything.

 

[356]

I am having much better luck with my Moultrie sprayer than the FIMCO. However, I still have the FIMCO and use it on our remote property. Other than spending big bucks on a true ag sprayer, I found what Omicron said is wise...I would add that if you are going to keep the sprayer, order a better pump and wand. My FIMCO is 10 years old, the tank is still good. I put an aftermarket pump with higher GPM rating and a better wand. With the higher GPM I am able run an aftermarket boom that works good as well. I am still using the OEM hoses (amazing). If the plug can not be fixed, that might be the deciding factor.

 

[BOC]

Never had an issue with similar Northern Tool sprayers. Think they go by the brand North Star.