Solo 485 5-Gallon Professional High Capacity Backpack Sprayer, Bleach resistant diaphragm Pump

I purchased this sprayer for recreational land and wildlife management purposes. I have owned (at the time of this review) the sprayer for about 4 months. I've run probably 25-30 gallons through it so far. I have used it to water some small scale micro food plots (just to moisten with water after seeding). I've primarily used it for mixing herbicides (glyphosate) for spot spraying weeds around new trees and controlling wood/field edges. It has been one of my top purchases for land management where bigger equipment isn't always feasible. In the past, I used 2 gallon sprayers and found the nozzles or handles clogging, leaking, or not spraying uniformly not to mention the seals failing. More often than not, I would have to carry two small sprayers into areas to avoid having to make multiple trips. In the heat of the summer that is not fun. I like to spray, then do something else more fun.The sprayer is relatively easy to set up (probably 5 minutes) and comes with seals, nozzles of varying patterns for customized cone of spray, and a heavy-duty pump and handle. Here are pro's and con's:+ Well-built; better than the cheaper designs.+ Love the extra 1 gallon upgrade to 5 gallons over the 4 gallon - for longer trips out to spray, believe me, the extra gallon space is worth it!+ Can cover a lot of ground! (example: I can usually cover up to an acre or so; spot spraying around a thousand trees at full capacity).+ Reduces wasting time constantly filling up (as with small sprayers).+ Fits very well for an average person; snugs right to your back.+ Feels like a full backpack when walking.+ Easy set-up.+ Graduated symbols on the tank shows how many gallons are left.+ Has a continuous spray option if you are interested in band spraying.+ Adjustable stream for spray.- At 5+ gallons full/weight, I use a small bench to set it on and strap myself into the sprayer and then lift it off of the bench. A smaller person might have some difficulty strapping themselves in without help or the right set-up to lift the tank (ie. set it where you would like to strap into it, fill it, strap in to it so you can walk away with it strapped on rather than have to lift it to stand, etc).- Can be heavy at first; spray the easiest areas first saving the harder to reach terrain for when you have a gallon or two left.- Standard harness/strap is ok and is a little weak looking (did not use it), but I would recommend an upgrade to the better harness for heavy carry spraying for extra support and padding.- Can be a bit large if transporting (but it is streamlined for its size - 5 gallons is quite a bit), but for the most part it will sit in the seat of a car for example - the pump sprayer attached vertically.I have not mixed powder forms to the sprayer. It can take a wide range of contents.Summary: The sprayer is well worth it. Absolutely recommend it. The upgrade harness I recommend as well. Cost is pretty reasonable on Amazon (where I purchased it). With it you have the flexibility to go from 1 gallon to 5 gallons and then some depending on your needs. Happy spraying.

great,

Awesome. The large capacity helps speed up the process by cutting down on refills. Paired with this "Chapin 6-7781 3-Nozzle Poly Boom Wand" and its a perfect combo for lawn spraying. Maintains good pressure with moderate pumping even with the boom sprayer.

Arrived late and leaked chemical all over me. I called manufacturer and they said send it back! That means take it apart repackage it haul it to ups!

I wanted to love this sprayer. I bought it to replace a 3 gallon Landscape SP2 sprayer that I used successfully for about 15 years. I could not find this model and so decided to replace it with this Solo 485 5 gallon sprayer. First of all, and even though I know this review is not for packaging or shipping (I wrote a review for that also), I was unhappy with Amazon's choice of the USPS for shipping the product, as I am a rural customer, and the package was too large for the mail carrier's vehicle(s) and so I had to make a special visit to the local post office to pick it up.The real problem came when I saw that a nut and washer was missing from the package which was necessary to attach the pump handle to the pump shaft. The directions were not clear and were a bit hard to understand, but I finally figured out how to attach the handle and lever facing in the proper direction to enable the user to pump the sprayer when strapped in.The directions might have been more clear had they sent one for my particular model; the booklet I received had a picture of the 475 model, but also had others listed at the top. Still, the written directions were reversed for attaching the handle to the pump shaft to enable me to use the pump when I was strapped in; however, the pictures depicting this process were correct but quite hard to me to understand.Then it was immediately apparent that the holes in said handle and pump shaft were misaligned; the bolt would never have gone through even if there had been a nut and washer included. It is a good thing that I kept the cotter pin from my old sprayer which attached the handle to the pump shaft on that rig; it works as a substitute for now, but I don't know for how long, as it is just a work around patch for the problem.I probably should have sent the unit back, but there are several things that I like better than my previous rig; I bought the better harness for the sprayer and it is much more comfortable, and I also like that the tank holds two more gallons. The better harness should have come with the rig imho, and the unit certainly should have arrived with all the parts, and with the holes properly aligned in the pump shaft and the pump lever.About the harness as to fit: I am a 5'9" older woman in good condition weighing around 140 pounds; I have the chest and belt straps on the harness tightened as far as they will go, and although I can use the rig and be as comfortable as one can be doing this type of work ( and it is fairly strenous work after a few hours, which is about all I do at a time anyway!), I'd like to be able to take up the shoulder straps a bit more.I like the unit all right and although it is worth keeping if it holds up well, I would not purchase it again, as I don't like buying products which arrive incomplete and unable to be assembled properly. If the unit doesn't hold up well, I will amend my review.Edit:The cotter pin fix did not hold up well, as it left to much "play" in the handle which connects to the pump shaft, and the rig wouldn't build pressure. After some trial and error, I realized that if I removed the little washer and gasket that the instructions pictured placed on the shaft end, then the holes would line up where I could get a bolt through. Among loose odds and ends in one of my tool boxes at home, I found a bolt and nut that worked perfectly once I was able to get it though the holes. This sprayer has been a real pita to get up and going, but the special harness (purchased separately) makes it so much easier to carry this thing around, and the five gallon capacity is a plus, also. I still am giving 'er three stars; there is no excuse for selling products that do not come with all the parts completely as advertised, with confusing and misleading instructions, and that have to be jerry rigged to get them going.I will probably be looking at other brands of sprayers when I need to replace this one.I have to give a shout out to the reviewer who suggested using a lawn chair on which to place these backpack sprayers so they can be filled and "backed into" so that the user can actually get to their feet when strapped in. I live alone and have no one to help me get into the thing and I could never get up from a prone sitting position with five gallons of liquid strapped to my back! :o)

This a solid product. I read many reviews before making the purchase on the Solo 5 gallon sprayer. This sprayer does not leak and has great pressure. I've used this sprayer around my whole yard and loved it! I'm 250 pounds and lift weights so the backpack was fine for me, on the other hand it might be a little heavy for someone else lugging 5 gallons on their back. Anyone looking for a great sprayer this is it!

Anybody buying a Solo sprayer would probably want the diaphragm pump, does it all. This unit has the good diaphragm pump. Problem with this unit is mammoth size. I am 6' and active, but not big enough to tackle this giant. It is mislabeled as 5 gallon. Yes, it will hold 5 gallons, and more. Capacity marked on the side is 20 liters, with room to spare above that. Best price for a Solo diaphragm sprayer June 2015 is Costco. The unit there for $80 is a diaphragm pump, 4 gallon reservoir, with extra nozzles and includes the optional deluxe harness..