Commercial Sprayer Buying Guide
Whether you’re new to the GNC brand or commercial spraying in general, the following guide will help you consider what might be the best tank for your setup. Then, when you reach out to an authorized dealer, you’ll already have a good idea of what you need. Remember – you can purchase parts and accessories directly from us here on the website, but the sprayers must be ordered through an authorized dealer who can always assist with any service or maintenance questions, technical support, and warranty claims.
Commercial Spraying Components
To get started, let’s review what makes a commercial sprayer different from those you might purchase for personal use at home. Other than the size—we’re talking about hundreds of gallons rather than five or ten—the components are heavy-duty and durable. Starting with the tank, you’ll find the materials GNC uses to be much thicker than many others. In our industry, tanks can be blow molded, which tend to have a much thinner wall, or they can be rotationally molded. GNC’s UV-resistant, rotationally molded poly tanks are approximately 1/4-inch thick, allowing us to put mechanical agitation in our tanks—something no other manufacturer can do.
These tanks are then encased with a stainless steel frame that provides a secure base for all components and allows you to attach the sprayer to your truck bed, side-by-side, or trailer. GNC only uses stainless steel because it’s stronger than aluminum and does not oxidize.
Next, you have a pump that will pull the liquid out of the tank and disperse it through your spray gun at a specific PSI (pounds per square inch). GNC sprayers either come with a diaphragm or piston pump, but more often, customers go with the piston pump. Here’s why: a diaphragm pump works moderately well with abrasives at medium pressures (300-500 PSI) and can be run dry without damaging the pump…but, diaphragms can break without the operator’s knowledge and leak chemical into the drive-end oil sump, causing major damage before a problem is ever detected. Ruptured diaphragms can also cause oil and chemicals to spray out of the hose.
By comparison, a piston pump typically has a long life with regular maintenance, which tends to be easy and inexpensive. It operates well at all pressures and has no diaphragm pressure to reset. Although a piston pump does not operate well with undissolved abrasives, and it is not recommended to run it dry for prolonged periods of time, they can still run as the packing begins to wear out, and they can be rebuilt without removed the hose. For in-depth information and visuals on all types of pumps and how they work, see our article “Commercial Sprayer Pump 101.”
All sprayers constructed with a Piston P530 (8GPM) or P550 (15GPM) pump can be made turnkey, meaning they include a self-charging, onboard battery system prewired to the electric start engine and electric hose reel. The battery simply charges as the pump runs. This makes the unit completely self-contained and eliminates the need to wire your equipment to the truck battery. Read more about the turnkey option in our Field Notes.
Installed between the tank and your pump is a suction filter to collect debris prior to entering the pump. Screens inside the filter are available in different mesh sizes, so make sure you match up your screen size with your pump. Small electric pumps normally use 50 mesh, while diaphragm and piston pumps typically use 20-40 mesh. The suction filter should be cleaned out regularly to make sure your system works properly. Garry likes to tell a story about an upset customer who brought a new sprayer by the shop that “just quit working.” Upon a not-so-close inspection, Garry could see the clear suction filter was completely brown, so he pulled it off the sprayer, dumped out the packed leaves and debris, cleaned it up real good, and then started the sprayer without a hiccup. Bear in mind, it’s not always that simple, but if you see a decline in sprayer performance, the suction filter is a good place to start.
So how are these things powered? GNC has both electric and gas-powered engines with electric and manual start options. Most of our engines are either Honda or Vanguard.
Last, but certainly not least, you have your hose reel and hose options for commercial spraying. Our reels are available as manual or electric in 12-inch, 18-inch, or 22-inch options. 12-inch reels can hold up to 300 feet of 3/8-inch hose or up to 200 feet of 1/2-inch hose. 18-inch reels can hold up to 400 feet of 3/8-inch hose or 300 feet of 1/2-inch hose, while 22-inch reels can hold up to 150 feet of 3/4-inch hose.
The most popular sizes of spray hose are 3/8-inch and 1/2-inch. Remember, the smaller the diameter, the more pressure it will take to push volume through the hose. In addition to your spray hose, you’ll also see a suction hose and a return line hose on your pump. The suction hose must be sized for the pump – too small of a suction hose will speed up the solution to fast and damage the valves. Such as hose must be reinforced so it will not collapse and should be transparent so you can monitor the flow. Likewise, the return line hose must also be sized for the pump because too small of a hose will cause back pressure.
All components on a GNC sprayer are designed to work hard and perform well in the field. Commercial sprayers are certainly an investment, but when you depend on them for your livelihood, you want equipment that can stand the test of time, day in and day out.
Choosing a GNC Sprayer
We’ve just thrown a lot of information at you, so now how do you go about selecting the right sprayer for your business? First, consider your application type. Are you spraying lawns, trees, golf courses, or municipal grounds? Or are you in the pest control business? The application amount, type of chemical, and volume of chemical all plays into which configuration will work best for you.
You also must consider right off the bat what type of vehicle you’re using. Not only do you need to make sure that the sprayer will fit – you also must think about the weight of a full load. For most trucks and UTVs, 100-gallon tanks and under will be fine. A 200-gallon tank has a ½ ton minimum requirement, a 300-gallon tank has a ¾ ton minimum requirement, and a tank of 400 gallons or more will require a one-ton. However, do not solely rely on these guidelines. Always check the payload rating of your vehicle. Once all components, like the pump, engine, and frame, are considered, most full sprayers will average about 10lbs per gallon.
Also know that if you’re mounting on trailer or a flat-bed truck, you’ll need corner base brackets to provide additional mounting support. If left unstable, the sloshing liquid could shift the weight of the sprayer in a way that may damage your unit.
Depending on your application, you also need to look at the pump pressure requirements and number of products being applied. This will determine what type of pump and hose will best suit your needs as well as the number of tanks in your system. We have options for dual tank sprayers as well as multi-tank systems to make spraying multiple products faster and more efficient. With all that in mind, you can then decide what tank configuration works best with your setup. Here’s what all we make:
Standard Skid – A skid sprayer is a self-contained unit mounted on a frame that can easily be installed in a truck bed, in a utility vehicle, or on a trailer. Available in tank capacities of 50 to 500 gallons, skid sprayers can be laid out in a standard design with the hose and reel about the engine and pump, or for smaller tanks, we can put them side by side for a low profile. Another option for smaller tanks, like 50-gallons, is to place the hose reel, pump, and engine on the frame directly above the tank for a compact version.
Space Saver – The space saver is made for a truck bed, in the same shape as a toolbox that sits right behind your cab. This allows you to make the most of your space and leave room for other tools or products in your truck bed. The space saver is available in capacities of 50 to 400 gallons with split tanks in five combinations: 50/50, 100/100, 200/100, 300/100, or 200/200.
Space Maker – New to the market is the space maker configuration, which is offers the same capacities as a space saver, just with a taller design to create a smaller footprint in your truck bed and maximize storage space.
UTV – The UTV tank is a low-profile space saver design that sits flat in the bed of your side-by-side. Available with either a 75 or 100-gallon tank, the UTV sprayer has a low center of gravity and does not block your rear view.
Split/Multi Tank – Split and multi-tank systems are mounted together as one unit. They can use single or multiple pump units, but know that with a single pump, cross contamination will occur in the head of the pump and/or hose reel. To eliminate cross contamination, independent pump units and hose reel packages for each tank are necessary.
Custom – With all the different options and a facility that builds to order, we can put together a system that works just for you. Previous custom orders have included units mounted in vans; a 175/175/50 split with dual reels, pumps, and engines; a 300-gallon space saver with dual reels on opposite sides; and a 200/100 split with a 50 on top. Just reach out with your idea, and we’ll do what we can to make it a reality.
Lawn Rover – For those who have lots of ground to cover, our zero turn sprayer/spreader may be just the ticket. The Lawn Rover features a stainless steel frame, dual 25-gallon tanks, a 250lb hopper, and a 6-foot breakaway boom. Top-of-the-line Parker hydraulics eliminate the need for belts and pulleys, which coupled with a 13HP Honda GX390 electric-start engine, provides the same power as other units that require more horsepower.
Finally, you’ll want to complete your setup with accessories like spray guns, spray booms, and covers as well as replacement parts such as tank lids, suction filters, fittings, and valves. Sprayers are only available to purchase through authorized dealers, but you can order parts and accessories from our website and have them shipped directly to your door. We also have an array of resources available to you for troubleshooting and technical support, so be sure to bookmark our site and sign up for email updates so you know when we have sale items (including refurbished sprayers), new product announcements, or there’s a show or continued ed event in your area.
Sprayer Warranty Registration
At GNC Industries, we're committed to providing the highest quality products and services. To ensure that your product is eligible for warranty coverage, we require that you register your purchase within 30 days of receiving your product. To register, simply submit the online warranty registration form with your contact information, product identification, and proof of purchase. If you have any questions, please contact our customer service team for assistance.