Boom Sprayer vs Broadcast Sprayer: Which One Should You Buy?

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boom sprayer vs broadcast sprayer: pick the right pattern

Tool	Best for	Limit
Boom sprayer	Even swaths on fields, pastures and row crops	Needs a tank and pump behind the bar
Broadcast sprayer	Fast wide-area coverage of lawns, fields and pastures	Wide pattern is harder to aim at one weed than a spot gun
Spot spray gun	Fence lines, isolated weeds and low tree canopies	Narrow by design, slow for large areas
Boom-only kit	Adds width to a sprayer already owned	No tank or pump stated with the kit

A boom is the delivery bar and broadcast is the coverage job. See the weed control sprayer picks for more options.

The gear listed in this guide

NorthStar 21-Gallon Tow-Behind Boom/Spot Sprayer. The most complete unit listed here, because it covers wide-area work and targeted work in one rig. The listing states a 21-gallon tank on a powder-coated steel cart with 12-inch pneumatic wheels, an on-demand pump at 2.2 GPM and 70 PSI with a 100% continuous-duty motor, and a spring-loaded breakaway boom with a 120-inch overall spray width and 80 inches of effective coverage, plus independent left and right nozzle control valves. The spot side states an adjustable brass nozzle, a 15-foot hose, reach of up to 19 feet vertically and 30 feet horizontally, a regulator and pressure gauge, a 7.5-inch fill lid, a bottom-mount tank drain, an inline fuse, and a remote switch with battery clamps for ATV or garden tractor use. Weight is stated at 53.0 pounds.

Chapin 40-Gallon ATV/UTV Sprayer. The largest tank listed here, with a 40-gallon translucent poly tank, a 2-nozzle boom, a 15-foot hose and spray wand, a 3-stage filtration system, and a pump that connects to a 12V battery. The listing states fewer refills on larger jobs and a 1-year limited warranty. One figure in the Chapin listing does not match the rest: the title text mentions 25 GPM, while the bullets state a 2.5 GPM diaphragm pump. This guide uses the 2.5 GPM figure from the bullets, since the bullets describe the pump in detail.

VANPET 122-Inch 6-Nozzle Boom Kit. A boom-only kit, not a complete sprayer: no tank or pump is stated with it. The listing states a 122-inch spray width from 6 nozzles, each with its own on/off switch and adjustable flow, a 3/8-inch brass barbed fitting for hose connection, a folding 180-degree steel frame with stainless steel hinges, and 2 heavy-duty stainless steel hooks for ATV or UTV mounting. The listing states high-pressure resilience up to 853 PSI and a temperature tolerance from -5°C to 65°C, stated as 23°F to 149°F.

VANPET Convertible Boom Wand. A second boom-only kit, also with no tank or pump stated. The listing states assembly as either a 90-inch 6-nozzle wand for large-area coverage or a 56-inch 4-nozzle wand for small-space work, with 3/8-inch and 1/2-inch brass connectors, O-ring seals, and 3 tip sets: 6 orange fine mist tips, 6 yellow medium flow tips, and 6 red high flow tips. The tip sets cover fine work, balanced spraying, and heavy-duty high flow work, as stated in the listing.

Boom or broadcast for different jobs

Open fields and pastures suit the boom and broadcast side: the NorthStar boom lays an 80-inch effective swath, the Chapin boom covers larger jobs from a 40-gallon tank, and the VANPET 122-inch kit suits row crops, pastures and large-area farm work. Fence lines, roadside brush, isolated weeds and low tree canopies suit the spot gun, which the NorthStar listing states for exactly that work. Small spaces suit the convertible wand in its 56-inch 4-nozzle form, while large areas suit its 90-inch 6-nozzle form.

What to check before buying

Tank size is stated only on the complete sprayers: 40 gallons on the Chapin listing and 21 gallons on the NorthStar listing. The VANPET kits state no tank. Pump figures are also stated only on the complete sprayers: 2.5 GPM on the Chapin listing from the bullets, and 2.2 GPM at 70 PSI on the NorthStar listing. No pressure figure is stated for the Chapin listing, so the 70 PSI figure belongs to the NorthStar listing only. Fittings matter on the kits: the 122-inch kit states a 3/8-inch fitting, while the convertible wand states 3/8-inch and 1/2-inch fittings. Power is stated as a 12V battery connection on the Chapin and NorthStar listings, and no power figure is stated for the boom-only kits. Warranty is stated only on the Chapin listing, as a 1-year limited warranty.

Safety

Keep children, pets and bystanders away from the work area, and point nozzles away from people and animals. Follow the label directions for any liquid being sprayed, and do not spray toward ponds, ditches or roads. Connect battery clamps as the listing instructs and keep hoses clear of wheels and moving parts. The NorthStar listing states spring-loaded breakaway arms that flex on impact.

FAQ: mowing large lots

What is a boom sprayer?

A boom sprayer feeds a bar fitted with several nozzles and lays an even swath across the ground. The NorthStar listing states a breakaway boom with a 120-inch overall width and 80 inches of effective coverage, the Chapin listing states a 2-nozzle boom, and the VANPET listings state 6-nozzle booms.

What is a broadcast sprayer?

A broadcast sprayer is built for wide-area coverage rather than for one plant at a time. The NorthStar listing uses broadcast for its wide-swath boom mode alongside a spot mode, which shows how the labels overlap: broadcast names the coverage job, while the boom names the bar that delivers it.

How do I clean a boom sprayer?

Start with what the listings state. The Chapin listing states a 3-stage filtration system that catches dirt and debris before they reach key spray components, which reduces clogs. The NorthStar listing states a bottom-mount tank drain for emptying the tank. The 122-inch VANPET kit states an on/off switch on each nozzle, so one nozzle can be isolated from the rest. Follow the manual for cleaning steps, since the listings state no cleaning procedure.

Can a boom kit fit a sprayer already owned?

Check the fitting first. The 122-inch VANPET kit states a 3/8-inch brass barbed fitting for direct connection to a standard 3/8-inch hose, and the convertible VANPET wand states both 3/8-inch and 1/2-inch brass connectors. The listings state compatibility with most ATV and UTV spray equipment and most spray systems, as a maker claim. Match the fitting size and the hose size before ordering, since the kits state no tank or pump of their own.

Which listed tank is larger, 40 or 21 gallons?

The Chapin tank at 40 gallons is larger than the NorthStar tank at 21 gallons, as stated in the listings. The Chapin listing states fewer refills on larger jobs, which is the practical gain of the larger tank. Tank size alone does not decide the pick, since the NorthStar listing adds a spot gun, breakaway boom and cart.

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See the tow-behind attachments hub for more tow-behind gear.