Solo Backpack Sprayer

Comfortable backpack - well balance and easy to pump. The spray head is great and covers a big swathe. I can now weed spray our 250 metre long gravel driveway with ease. Very simple straightforward design - easy to fill - simple filter, stands up by itself when filling tank. Can't fault it for the price.

Have a carpet cleaning business and have used these sprayers for a couple of years. just recently have had 3 split on the bottom along the join, the last one lasted two weeks before coming apart. now they won't replace under warranty. It's only a mild detergent for pre spraying.

I have used my 475 on a farm with a range of chemicals. If Solo spends another $1-00 during manufacturing, I would have given it an excellent rating.

As someone else mentioned, I have also had the plastic hose clamp work loose causing the hose to come off. If this was a metal clamp I doubt it would happen, but if a metal one was used and over tightened it could cause the tank fitting to fail.

The second issue is the hose needs to be about 30cm longer.

I would buy another one tomorrow and modify it with my lessons learnt.

I like the concept of having a backpack but I don't like the plastic type of spray nozzles... I will try to buy a brass one. I don't like the clip on the bottom of the strap that clips onto the bar. This often comes off. Why isn't it fixed and user can adjust the length. I like the 15 litre capacity.

1. The wand is short and not adjustable so if you are tall it will make your back ache.
2. The handpiece failed after about 6 months.
3. After about 2 years of casual use the pump failed so I went to order the parts to repair it and thought I would also order a longer wand. Turns out he parts are very expensive and I was better off buying a different brand unit which is much more comfortable. So the Solo is in the landfill.....

My old Solo sprayer died this morning when the frame broke up underneath the tank. I am a viticulturist and I checked the purchase date: It was in 1981! Sounds fair: 34 years. This is one of two Solo knapsack sprayers I have been using, along with a Solo airblast sprayer, which is 15 years old and starts first pull - still!

I can't believe all the negativity. I work with mine day in and day out. My best purchase ever, never lets me down. Like all bits of kit, it needs parts replacing. That is a given! I love my knapsack sprayer, wish my mowers would last as long. I'm a professional gardener. Have been doing this for 15 years. I know what I'm talking about!

Within the first 2 weeks the unit failed to pump and hold pressure. The metal (spring looking) o ring in the piston assembly failed and after going to the online instruction manual I have to purchase another one. In addition the Viton collar on the piston is warped. When I tried to disassemble according to instructions another o ring needs replacing and I was unable to remove the pump assembly as advised. The manual also advises to grease the piston. The piston was bone dry after approx. 2 hours of operation from new so it obviously had none on it from the factory.
Better off buying cheap one till it wears out and keep doing that....

I have worked in natural resource management for many years and have used various knapsacks including Birchmeier, Chapin, Kinchrome etc. In my opinion, Solo 475 is by far the most reliable and comfortable knapsack sprayer. We have multiple units at our workplace and they continue to perform well after 100's of hours use, with very little maintenance other than cleaning the filter in tip. Have replaced a broken handle, that's about it. Cheap knapsacks aren't worthwhile, you'll end up covered in herbicide and the unit will be in the bin before too long. I haven't used the Solo domestic units (425D), so can't comment on their quality.

I haven't used it much as first of all I found it hard to fit in the car as the handle only sat horizontally, not vertically. I then got on-site storage, and the second time I used it, I felt it dripping down the back of my legs before I put any pressure in it. So I went back to my old $30 backpack spray which I had had for 4 or 5 years.
Nothing much
Expensive, leaked on second use, handle position.

used the backpack a couple of times a week for the past 2 1/2 years, as an gardening contractor, and have had no trouble, previously had much cheaper hills backpack sprayer, that only lasted a year,
mine was the diaphragm solo 475 model, which i was recommended by the dealer !! I was given an old battered piston model by a gardening contractor friend, and found that to be reliable too,
very reliable, quite comfortable, alters for left or right hand
mine was quite expensive,