TECHNICAL


Knapsack and handheld sprayers both have maintenance demands to keep them operating sweetly. The knapsack sprayer is overlooked as a tool despite its importance in groundscare and it should be part and parcel of any maintenance programme.


Allan Wainwright, National Account Manager, Cooper Pegler and Berthoud sprayers explains how we prepare for the new season


S


praying serves a vital purpose, so why wouldn’t you want to maintain kit to high operational standards? The traditional March to


October operational window means sprayers can lay dormant in the shed for several months - plenty of time for innards to seize up and make 2020’s first spray a real bugbear.


If you’re a grounds professional, who dutifully gave your knapsack sprayers their pre-winter maintenance checks, your kit is likely to be ready and waiting for the new season. It’s far easier to prepare for that first outing by conducting best practice before storing sprayers away for winter. Failing that, pre-season maintenance may well pay off. There’s nothing more frustrating than finding you have a problem before you even start spraying.


Sprayers often have to survive heavy duty, but we can overlook them when it comes to servicing. I feel this is a major failing and, all too often, sprayers just carry on until they pack up - then the complaints start.


However, regular upkeep and care will reward you with lasting, trouble-free


operation for this key kit.


Sprayer choice can depend on what you want to apply and the size of your target area. Knapsack sprayers are designed to take most kinds of groundscare treatment liquids, as are hand-held units, but maintaining crucial parts is essential. Passing my PA1/PA6 has made me further aware of the value of visual checks, but like other groundscare equipment, it’s often what you cannot see that is as important as what you can.


That’s why a pre-winter (or pre-spring in this case) strip down and maintenance will keep precision parts primed. It’s always best to avoid bad habits by getting things right from day one - and you’ll rarely spend a more rewarding half-hour.


One customer recently told me he has chalked up twenty years’ use of his original Cooper Pegler CP15 Classic diaphragm sprayer. When budgets are tight, why risk needless outlay on cheaper equipment, when quality kit will last ... if it’s cared for. Today’s cheap sprayer market is vast, often with few or no spare parts available. The upshot is that too many units end up adding to the waste plastics mountain. You’ve paid good money for professional


PC February/March 2020 129


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