Pricing Guide: How Much Does a Weed Sprayer Cost?

When weeds start taking over your yard, you might need to reach for a sprayer. These handy machines can cover your lawn or garden with evenly applied coats of herbicides to keep weeds from taking over your greenery. 

But how much should you expect to pay for your next weed control power tool? The average weed sprayer costs about $164, with a typical price range from $70 to $345. In this article, we’ll break down the cost of weed sprayers, covering the price differences for a variety of models and power sources. 

How Much Do Weed Sprayers Cost?

Several factors influence the cost of your weed sprayer. Here we’ll simply combine all the styles to give you some clear ballpark figures. 

These numbers have a wide range because weed sprayers vary considerably in power and complexity. We’ll help you decide which weed sprayer is right for your property by explaining the factors that influence price. 

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Factors Influencing the Cost of a Weed Sprayer

There are several major factors that are going to determine the cost of your weed sprayer. In this section, we’ll cover style, power source, tank size, engine power, and features. 

Style

Our first factor is the style of weed sprayer. Here we’ll cover the differences between the four most common styles: backpack, handheld, slide pump, and tow-behind. 

Backpack Pump Sprayer: 

A backpack sprayer is going to have a large tank, usually at least 4 gallons. Backpack sprayers are ideal if you have a large property to spray and will need to walk around for a while without refilling. 

Backpack sprayers have two drawbacks: They are typically heavier and more expensive. 

Handheld Weed Sprayer:

A handheld garden sprayer is either small like a spray bottle, or a regular pressure sprayer with a small tank that you can carry around with a shoulder strap. Handheld sprayers typically cost much less than backpack sprayers and are ideal if you are spraying to control weeds in a small yard or personal garden. 

Slide Pump Sprayer

Slide pump sprayers consist of a simple tube with a slide action pressure pump. These models build up pressure to gain a spraying distance of over 30 feet. You’ll have to provide your own tank or bucket, though. The hose can screw onto most tank openings or simply siphon fluid from a bucket.

Tow-Behind Sprayer

If you have an entire farm to spray, consider a tow-behind sprayer. These sprayers have large tanks on wheels and are towed behind a tractor or riding mower. They spray automatically and are typically powered by batteries. 

The advantage of tow-behind sprayers is that you can spray a wide area quickly and efficiently. On the downside, tow-behind sprayers are usually expensive and typically used for commercial landscaping.

Power Sources

The power source of your weed sprayer also is one of the most important factors determining cost. In this section we’ll cover the pros and cons of the three major power sources and the average costs for each type of weed sprayer. 

Hand Pump

A hand pump weed sprayer builds water pressure the hard way, by you cranking an old-fashioned pump handle. These simple tools pack some big advantages. Hand pump weed sprayers weigh much less than their counterparts, and you are the most affordable power source on the market. 

Hand pump sprayers also have the least environmental impact, making them ideal if you want to cut down on your carbon footprint. 

Hand pumps, of course, have one drawback. You’ll need to put a little more physical exertion into getting rid of those pesky dandelions. 

Battery Power

A battery-powered weed sprayer builds pump pressure with an electric motor connected to a rechargeable lithium ion battery. These cordless weed sprayers are powerful and portable, but will be heavier and more expensive than hand pump sprayers. 

Battery-powered weed sprayers also are lighter and less expensive than gas-powered sprayers. Battery-powered weed sprayers also are more environmentally friendly than gas counterparts. 

The biggest drawback to a battery powered sprayer pump is that you need to keep plugging it in to charge the battery. If you forget to keep a charge, you may have to put off getting those weeds sprayed for a few hours. 

Gas Engine

If you’re mostly interested in power, a gas-powered weed sprayer is going to move a lot of liquid very quickly. 

However, there are a few major drawbacks. Gas-powered sprayers are heavy, loud, expensive, and kind of smelly. You’ll also need to purchase fuel and keep gas weed sprayers maintained. 

Gas weed sprayers also are worse for the environment than weed sprayers with other power sources. We really only recommend gas power weed sprayers if you have a large property and really need the spraying power. 

Tank Size

Another important consideration is tank size. For backpack sprayers, you can expect a carrying capacity from 3 to 6 gallons. The industry standard for a backpack weed sprayer is 4 gallons. 

You really only need a large tank size if you have a large property and plan on spraying a lot of liquid. Handheld weed sprayers typically hold 1 to 3 gallons, which is fine for most homeowners. You’ll find that weed sprayers with larger tanks typically cost more. 

Power and Running Capacity

If you opt for a gas-powered weed sprayer, you’ll often have to pay extra for a larger fuel tank or a larger engine. In general, larger engines are going to have more power. You’ll also be able to go much longer with a larger fuel tank. 

Similarly, battery-powered weed sprayers are going to vary in price based on power and battery run time. Typically you pay more for higher volt batteries because you get more power. You can also pay more for longer battery life with more amp hours.

Additional Features of Weed Sprayers

Weed sprayers often include a variety of additional features, for comfort or a range of nozzle sizes, that can tack on extra costs. You’ll have to decide if these added features are worth the higher price. 

Comfort: Some backpack weed sprayers include padded shoulder straps and ergonomic designs. 

Multipurpose sprayers: Some weed sprayers are multi-purpose tools that can be used to spray other substances. For example, with some weed sprayers, you can add on an atomizer and mosquito fogger for pest control, a sprayer for fertilizer, or even a leaf blower.

Nozzles: Backpack sprayers come with a wide range of adjustable nozzles. Different nozzles give you options for different spraying patterns, such as if you want a targeted spot sprayer or a wide mist. Flexibility costs. Adjustable nozzles can add more to the price of your weed sprayer. 

Additional Costs of Spraying Weeds

Purchasing a weed sprayer is just the start of your costs. You’re going to need to buy a few additional things to get your weeds sprayed, especially if you opt for a gas-powered sprayer. 

Here we’ll cover the ballpark price range for those essential extras:

Gasoline (Check AAA’s map of updated average gas price)	$3.41/gallon (per national avg. price at time of publish)
Engine oil	$2.66-$23
Herbicides	$11-$85
Gasoline container	$30-$110

FAQ About Weed Sprayers

Conclusion

We hope by now you have a clear idea of how much you’ll need to invest in a new weed sprayer. The average weed sprayer costs about $164, with a typical price range between $70 and $345.

Knowing what you’re looking for can help you decide on the right weed sprayer for your yard. 

For example, if you have a small yard, you might want to go with a handheld weed sprayer over a more costly backpack weed sprayer. 

Are you looking for something lightweight, cost effective, and environmentally friendly? Or do you mainly want raw spraying power? You will need to figure this out to decide between gas, battery, and pump sprayers. 

And if you decide you’d rather have a professional spray your weeds, we’d be happy to help you find a lawn care pro in your area.

Main Photo Credit: Ricky Wilson / Flickr / (CC BY 2.0)