NorthStar Tow-Behind Trailer Boom Broadcast and Spot Sprayer - 31-Gallon Capacity, 2.2 GPM, 12 Volt DC

Overall, it's what you can expect for this price from a budget tool brand. It goes together well, tech support is great. The chassis, axle, wheels and tires, and the overall tank build seem very sturdy. Even the sprayer arms seem decent; they do fold back if you accidentally crash them into something.The rest of the parts are a little less sturdy, but are all wear parts. Hoses of this kind will need replacement after a few years, fittings are plastic will fail as well.The pump and is obviously the most sophisticated part of the product. The electric motor half of the pump is low budget, but it's only an electric motor, they are not very complicated. The pumphead half is low budget as well, all plastic. The internal rubber diaphrams are wear parts as well, and will need to be replaced after a few seasons, and won't last one season if left with any water inside overwinter. I will definitely cycle some antifreeze into the system over winter.The regulator is all plastic as well. My regulator came from the factory with the pressure gauge way overtightened and so overloaded with white teflon tape that the fitting was flared out and leaked out of the box. To solve that leak, back it out carefully, clean away all the old tape from the gauge and the inside of the regulator body, add new teflon to the gauge, and hand tighten it. Only three wraps of tape. Don't gob it on there like they did at the factory.I also had leaks out of the box at the sprayer nozzles. For this you want to grab a couple of 1/2 inch black o-rings from the hardware store and use them behind the nozzles. I also had a leak at the drain cap, which is poorly formed and weak, this too benefit from some wraps of teflon tape.The red knob is a pressure adjustment, that works by opening the suction up to some air.If your pump turns on but does not start, first check for a vacuum leak on the intake side of the pump by making sure the hose tensioners are snuggly screwed and that the hoses are not broken anywhere. The hose tensioners are cheap as well, and easy to overtighten, which damages the tensioner. If there is no vacuum leak, the pump needs to be primed. Do that by removing the hose from the intake straw and then sticking the intake hose right inside of your garden hose to blast some water up there into the pump.Gets great coverage and has made my lawn and garden applications a stress free and fast process. 31 gallons is plenty of juice for my lot, which is about 30,000 square feet of lawn. Had to fill a backpack sprayer four to six times for good coverage. Very easy now to spray my grape vines and fruit trees as well.Edit: checking in after one year, this spreader has held up very well. The hand sprayer cracked over the winter, obviously there was still some fluid somewhere in the handle that I failed to drain. I replaced it with a metal hand sprayer. Otherwise, I have zero complaints.

I was a little skeptical about purchasing this product, but I am glad I did. I debated between the 21 gallon and the 31 gallon sprayer and am glad I went bigger for the extra $20. The hand sprayer works much better than I expected with the variable spray pattern, and when I want to dose the plant with water I take the end off and use it as a garden hose. The 2.2gpm pump is a perfect match for the tank. The only issue I had when assembling this is the hoses for the boom weren't quite the correct length, and the clamps weren't quite tight enough for a leak free fitting, but those were easy fixes. I did make a couple of modifications for easier use though. I cut the 3/8" hose and added a couple garden hose ends about 6 inches behind the hand wand, then installed quick connects so I can easily and quickly go from the hand wand to a garden hose. The other modification I did was snipping off the battery clamps and replaced those with an automotive type plug in connector that's weatherproof (metripak 20 series). This eliminates the worry of the clamps falling off or grounding out on the tractor frame. The only thing I am in need of is a watering head that can deliver a gentle like rain shower for watering rather than the supply spray nozzle, when is a little harsh for everyday watering, and it's hard to find a 3/8" diameter watering wand so the pump can deliver enough pressure. My quest for this will continue, and when I find something that will work, I will share. I'll take a photo of the electrical connector later and upload it to the review if I can. As for the boom, it works ok but won't be my go-to. The pattern seems to work as advertised, will just take quite a few passes in my option to achieve the desired results. Maybe this is good for a smaller yard rather than acres. Overall, a very nice product and I would recommend it for a purchase. Northern Equipment has great products and great customer service. Will buy again from them.