Roundup Backpack Sprayer
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Editor’s Conclusion
While most home gardeners are familiar with Roundup herbicides, the company also offers some sprayers to help spread their product and other pesticides and fertilizers to lawns and gardens. The Roundup 190314 Backpack Sprayer combines the benefits of a piston sprayer with a diaphragm sprayer to produce a high psi system for distributing weedkillers and other liquid substances.
The features of this unit sound decidedly like the Field King 190328 or its upgraded model 190348. The reason for this is clear as both Roundup sprayers and those sold as Field King products, along with many other popular sprayer brands, are made by the same company – the Fountainhead Group. While each name brand has its rabid fans, the key features are pretty much the same.
The Roundup which weighs 10 pounds and with dimensions of 9 x 15 x 22 inches has a slightly different shape than the Field King, which weighs in at 12.6 pounds and measure 15 x 22.5 x 9.5 inches. The popular features such as the Internal No Leak Pump Design, easy access pump, mixing paddles, and high delivery rate of 150 psi is common to both units.
The features of this unit sound decidedly like the Field King 190328 or its upgraded model 190348. The reason for this is clear as both Roundup sprayers and those sold as Field King products, along with many other popular sprayer brands, are made by the same company – the Fountainhead Group. While each name brand has its rabid fans, the key features are pretty much the same.
The Roundup which weighs 10 pounds and with dimensions of 9 x 15 x 22 inches has a slightly different shape than the Field King, which weighs in at 12.6 pounds and measure 15 x 22.5 x 9.5 inches. The popular features such as the Internal No Leak Pump Design, easy access pump, mixing paddles, and high delivery rate of 150 psi is common to both units.
Editor's Pros & Cons
Pros
Internal No Leak Pump design
Internal piston pump delivers up to 150 psi
Functions as a piston and diaphragm sprayer
Easy access pump allows changing of seals in just minutes without tools
Premium, lockable shut off, and an in-line filter
4 nozzles included: brass adjustable, 2 flat fans, and foaming nozzle. Also accepts TeeJet nozzles.
User-friendly manual
Cons
Pricer than competitive models
Requires constant pumping to get proper pressure
Leaks can occur over time
Replacing parts can exceed the cost of the unit
The Rundown
Materials
With a poly housing, the Roundup 190314 also has internal parts made of the same material, including the tank with internal paddles that mix the weed killers and other products and a pressure chamber that expels the solution when the user primes the pump with the external steel pump handle. Viton seals around the lid, the tank bottom where the hose connects to the spray nozzle, and the poly wand prevent leaks.
The unit features a foldable steel handle that can be operated with either hand to accommodate users who are right or left-handed.
The slightly upgraded Roundup Pro 190413 has a steel wand.
When the Roundup sprayer needs declogging, cleaning, or maintenance, the user-friendly manual shows how to fix almost any problem, and parts are readily available for replacement. The unit is designed to be maintained by the user, but more information and replacement parts are available from the Fountainhead Group who manufactures it.
Notable Features
The Roundup 190314 sprayer has a No Leak Pump design and a one-way valve to prevent spillage in case the unit tips over, plus the extensive system of Viton seals to minimize exposure to chemicals. The sprayer has a trigger that controls spraying action, and the wand that includes the nozzle top has a lockable shut-off, brass components, and an in-line filter
Weed killers such as Roundup contain Glyphosate, the most widely used herbicide in global agriculture and the second most widely used home and garden herbicide. The chemical has been suspected of being a cancer risk. While the jury is still out on this point, users are cautioned to keep the product and alternative remedies away from the skin, eyes, and mouth. When putting chemicals such as Glyphosate in a backpack sprayer, the last thing the user wants is to have chemicals run down the back or even be overwhelmed by a gust of chemical fumes. Even though this sprayer tries to limit exposure, smart sprayers wear protective clothing, gloves, and goggles throughout and wash their hands and clothing after using the sprayer.
Performance
The 190314 uses a flat diaphragm secured by screws within the housing so the sprayer can use a versatile array of wettable powders, abrasive, or bleach solutions that may contain abrasive particles that will not damage the pump.
Equipped with a pressure regulator that delivers a continuous spray of 25 psi, which is ideal for spraying most herbicides and weed killers, the Roundup can spray at pressures up to 150 psi. (Many piston sprayers only can pump as high as 90 psi.)
The product combines the advantages of piston and diaphragm sprayers. Diaphragm sprayers excel at saturating a nearby area with large droplets of material. Piston sprayers are good for distance as they expel small droplets at higher pressure; this makes them great for spraying trees or shrubs.
This backpack unit comes with four nozzles to meet your spraying requirements:
The brass adjustable nozzle is designed to spot spray around flower beds; edge along fences, driveways, and walkways; prepare garden beds for planting ornamentals and vegetables; and kill brush such as poison ivy, poison oak, kudzu, and wild blackberry; and
The red high-volume fan nozzle is what you need for lawn replacement. Before you plant a new lawn, this tip will kill the old lawn and weeds and allow you to prepare large areas for planting ornamentals and vegetable gardens.
The yellow low-volume fan nozzle is for precision spraying in confined areas such as gardens and flower beds.
The foaming nozzle is for spot spraying in flower beds, walkways, driveways, and patios, around trees and shrubs; edging along fences, driveways, and walkways; and killing brush.
As with the Field King 190328 and 190348, the Roundup 190314 accepts TeeJet nozzles that offer many spray patterns at different pressure levels for both lawn, garden, and landscaping uses.
Like most backpack sprayers, this one is also handy for tasks such as rinsing off siding, driveways, or cars, cleaning greasy engines, and even shampooing carpets. While it does not have the power of a pressure washer, it is still a good cleaning aid.
Portability
Anyone who has upgraded from a handheld garden sprayer will attest that being able to carry enough product with you to finish most jobs or at least reduce the need for refills is a great time saver. Getting it on can be tricky, so putting it on a workbench or deck rail and backing into the harness makes the process easier for a single person.
The Roundup 190314 has a harness and waistband, which is what keeps the unit stable. As water-based liquids weigh over 8 pounds per gallon, a full sprayer would weigh nearly 44 pounds. Even users who have back problems find this well-balanced sprayer manageable.
The unit is easy enough to fill so that if the full weight proves to be too heavy, you can fill it to a comfortable weight and refill it again as necessary.
With a poly housing, the Roundup 190314 also has internal parts made of the same material, including the tank with internal paddles that mix the weed killers and other products and a pressure chamber that expels the solution when the user primes the pump with the external steel pump handle. Viton seals around the lid, the tank bottom where the hose connects to the spray nozzle, and the poly wand prevent leaks.
The unit features a foldable steel handle that can be operated with either hand to accommodate users who are right or left-handed.
The slightly upgraded Roundup Pro 190413 has a steel wand.
When the Roundup sprayer needs declogging, cleaning, or maintenance, the user-friendly manual shows how to fix almost any problem, and parts are readily available for replacement. The unit is designed to be maintained by the user, but more information and replacement parts are available from the Fountainhead Group who manufactures it.
Notable Features
The Roundup 190314 sprayer has a No Leak Pump design and a one-way valve to prevent spillage in case the unit tips over, plus the extensive system of Viton seals to minimize exposure to chemicals. The sprayer has a trigger that controls spraying action, and the wand that includes the nozzle top has a lockable shut-off, brass components, and an in-line filter
Weed killers such as Roundup contain Glyphosate, the most widely used herbicide in global agriculture and the second most widely used home and garden herbicide. The chemical has been suspected of being a cancer risk. While the jury is still out on this point, users are cautioned to keep the product and alternative remedies away from the skin, eyes, and mouth. When putting chemicals such as Glyphosate in a backpack sprayer, the last thing the user wants is to have chemicals run down the back or even be overwhelmed by a gust of chemical fumes. Even though this sprayer tries to limit exposure, smart sprayers wear protective clothing, gloves, and goggles throughout and wash their hands and clothing after using the sprayer.
Performance
The 190314 uses a flat diaphragm secured by screws within the housing so the sprayer can use a versatile array of wettable powders, abrasive, or bleach solutions that may contain abrasive particles that will not damage the pump.
Equipped with a pressure regulator that delivers a continuous spray of 25 psi, which is ideal for spraying most herbicides and weed killers, the Roundup can spray at pressures up to 150 psi. (Many piston sprayers only can pump as high as 90 psi.)
The product combines the advantages of piston and diaphragm sprayers. Diaphragm sprayers excel at saturating a nearby area with large droplets of material. Piston sprayers are good for distance as they expel small droplets at higher pressure; this makes them great for spraying trees or shrubs.
This backpack unit comes with four nozzles to meet your spraying requirements:
The brass adjustable nozzle is designed to spot spray around flower beds; edge along fences, driveways, and walkways; prepare garden beds for planting ornamentals and vegetables; and kill brush such as poison ivy, poison oak, kudzu, and wild blackberry; and
The red high-volume fan nozzle is what you need for lawn replacement. Before you plant a new lawn, this tip will kill the old lawn and weeds and allow you to prepare large areas for planting ornamentals and vegetable gardens.
The yellow low-volume fan nozzle is for precision spraying in confined areas such as gardens and flower beds.
The foaming nozzle is for spot spraying in flower beds, walkways, driveways, and patios, around trees and shrubs; edging along fences, driveways, and walkways; and killing brush.
As with the Field King 190328 and 190348, the Roundup 190314 accepts TeeJet nozzles that offer many spray patterns at different pressure levels for both lawn, garden, and landscaping uses.
Like most backpack sprayers, this one is also handy for tasks such as rinsing off siding, driveways, or cars, cleaning greasy engines, and even shampooing carpets. While it does not have the power of a pressure washer, it is still a good cleaning aid.
Portability
Anyone who has upgraded from a handheld garden sprayer will attest that being able to carry enough product with you to finish most jobs or at least reduce the need for refills is a great time saver. Getting it on can be tricky, so putting it on a workbench or deck rail and backing into the harness makes the process easier for a single person.
The Roundup 190314 has a harness and waistband, which is what keeps the unit stable. As water-based liquids weigh over 8 pounds per gallon, a full sprayer would weigh nearly 44 pounds. Even users who have back problems find this well-balanced sprayer manageable.
The unit is easy enough to fill so that if the full weight proves to be too heavy, you can fill it to a comfortable weight and refill it again as necessary.
Comparisons
The Fountainhead Company makes the Roundup brand sprayers, along with Field King, Smith, Scott, Husqvarna, and Indian. As a result, Roundup models are likely to have a comparable one sold under a different brand name with similar capabilities and features. This Roundup 190314 and the upgraded Roundup Pro 190413 are similar to the Field King 190328 and 190348.
Competitive brands offered by Solo, Chapin, Oregon, Flesser, Beaugreen, and more play offer similar features at lower or comparable prices.
Competitive brands offered by Solo, Chapin, Oregon, Flesser, Beaugreen, and more play offer similar features at lower or comparable prices.
The Verdict
The Roundup model 190314 has an MSRP of around $70 but available at a lower price online, while the Pro 190413 sells for around $140. The price of the entry-level Roundup is about the same as the Field King 190328, but the upgraded Pro model with the steel wand and better harnessing system is far more than the Field King 190348. Anyone who wants the advantages of the upgrade would be wise to aim for the Field King 190348.
$83.97Best Deal