Is this fair

[curlyoak]

I bought a 2 gallon sprayer 3 years ago. On the box with big letters it says 5 year warranty. 3 years later the pump fails. The company said they will send me a new pump but I pay freight. There is a warranty page, a separate piece of paper in the sealed box. So when I am buying the sprayer No way for me to know this at the point of purchase. They should put this freight charge next to the 5year warranty printed on the box in big letters. Or print the entire warranty on the box. It is a big box.

So I suggest to avoid the brand of The Fountainhead company. 

[Von]

Frustrating. Wish I could say I was surprised.

[Tom King]

Never heard of Fountainhead sprayers.  I use a bunch of pump sprayers.  I used to use cheap ones because I had so many, but they only lasted a couple of years.  Currently having great usage, longevity, and customer service from Smith sprayers.  The pickup tube in one broke.  I know it was several years old and probably past any warranty time, but I called the number, talked to a person, and a new replacement was here in an envelope in two days.  They aren't close to being the cheapest, but you really can't expect them to be and be good to.

I needed a backpack sprayer last Fall.  I bought a Smith.

This comes with my personal recommendation:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01AT587J6/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1

[curlyoak]

Tom, the one you recommend is also made by fountainhead.   It looks sturdy and appears to be long lasting. I could not find any warranty info. My best guess is that it is the same BS. Pay for freight. If the fee was obvious and up front I would be OK. But to hide it from the point of sale and advertise on the box 5 year warranty is deceptive. Maybe Fountainhead has a monopoly and i have no choice. I will see whatI can find.

[Tom King]

Bummer.   Looks like they have managed to bury the history of D.B. Smith sprayers online too.  I did see they started with (not started) the brand in 2015. 

I found a 1969 D,B. Smith sprayer catalog on ebay, and I'm not sure what year this one is from but it looks older than the 1969 one.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/285119656196?itmmeta=01HW822366YRZMWENYWQ0FKYCJ&hash=item426274b104:g:cr0AAOSwcvtjzxqh&itmprp=enc%3AAQAJAAAA0EQZmPvDjSj0ITJkziZ92cAX4mAnvNcgwk0XT6eaMrgRK9p3uc2nHQAECXqJj222S4VI9oAxDbFNnkcTc3pW1Q6k5BQ4pX8yKpcyO0siKcfG6RDNUzeuX8rUvC5CIk2GynSjdGLH%2F01OhaET8S425XI%2FCTjUvBJfTd81ZE7PO56nrzPFiLHsDmg1boHwmiIIdIu8FTQTFdIOnxvN39SUeIW2mVj3hfu3ViC4%2FL7An61f5u2lrMotSSnm2hJHCos6Tfb%2BuxvEJ%2F1%2FpxUnqizXmFk%3D|tkp%3ABk9SR5iziILiYw

Looks like they bought Indian fire pumps too, which I saw in that old Smith catalog.  I also own two of those.

I hope they don't buy B & G.

edited to add:   Looks like they maybe started with building steam carriages:

http://www.virtualsteamcarmuseum.org/makers/elite_smith_d_b_and_company.html

[Tom King]

Solo quality has gone down too.  I needed a 1 gallon one with a really long wand to spray high for spiders on the rental house and it looked like Solo was the one for that.  It had a ridge in the casting  around the top of the main part that kept the O-ring that sealed the top on from sealing good.  I was able to modify that to smooth it out so it works fine now, but that was a manufacturing defect that I don't think a good company used to have.

[Tom King]

Three of them stay clipped to the back corner of my pickup in growing season.  2,4,D,  Roundup, and Triclopyr for spot spraying keeping the Ponderosa up.

 

[Tom King]

Curly, why did the pump fail?  Won't build pressure?  Won't hold pressure?   I have to work on them often, but don't usually require a replacement part and never a whole replacement sprayer.  Like the one that the pickup tube broke in would build pressure but wouldn't spray.  Sometimes the gaskets in the pump are just dirty.  I have a utility sink in a shed just for filling and working on pump sprayers.  I always rinse off the top before opening the pump.

Maybe they are better about sending a replacement part than a whole new sprayer.

I broke one of the relief valves on one of the ones on the back of my truck and ordered a replacement and spares off Amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01N4HQ0MB/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[Tom King]

Thinking about this more, I might side with the company.  If anyone buys a sprayer and lets dirt get in it, or leaves something that will coagulate if left for any amount of time, like Sevin in it, it will clog, or doesn't keep the pump clean while it's out and going back in, any sprayer, even a multi-hundred dollar B&G is going to stop working.

I've already found out they'll replace a broken part quickly and for no charge when it could be a manufacturing defect.  If someone just wants a new sprayer simply because one stopped working in the warranty period for any reason, I can see where they can just pull one out of inventory for not really any noticeable cost to them, but wouldn't want to pay the shipping.  Almost always it's going to be something simple that is just normal, day to day operating of any pump sprayer.

The cheap ones aren't built to last though, so it could be they're simply made too cheaply or the warranty is too long for the cheap ones.

[JohnG]

I checked a similar Chapin (not part of this Fountainhead group) and their warranty considers the pump to be a wear part and it is not covered at all.

Warranties almost always carry conditions, it’s rare to find a company whose policy is as simple as it looks on the packaging. 

I’m more annoyed with companies that insist on replacing a whole item instead of the one part that is broken, than ones that have terms or limits around their warranty policy. 

[William R]

I’m sure the sprayers aren’t built locally for the company. And they won’t have a bunch of parts for said sprayers on hand. Their not in the business of selling parts just whole system and don’t want a bunch of spare parts laying around. They don’t have to hire a parts man and don’t need to keep a parts inventory on hand. It’s cheaper and easier to just ship out a new one at your cost. 
sad as it is at least their standing behind the warranty by sending a new one to you. 

[curlyoak]

On 4/24/2024 at 10:53 AM, Tom King said:

Curly, why did the pump fail?

yes it did. I lube it with silicone grease but the friction on pumping has become impossible. I need a new pump. Thanks for all your thoughts.

[curlyoak]

Chapin reserves the right to not warranty any products purchased from Ebay, Amazon Warehouse, Facebook and Facebook Marketplace, Instagram, Craigslist and any other private and third party selling sites. 

 

It has a 5 year warranty but only if you buy it from them at a higher price.

[JohnG]

Many manufacturers do that, and for valid reasons. 

[Tom King]

I really liked these cheap pumps that Tractor Supply sells, but the reason I stopped using them was that no parts were available.  I never even looked at what the warranty was.  They were something like two for $26.  

The reason I went to the Smith pumps was that I thought it was a family business.  I think I had even read that somewhere, but also parts were available on Amazon.  I just checked and a replacement pump is available there for 20 bucks.  I think I did have a pump fail with one of the cheap ones, but I think I used that exterior cleaner you see in the gallon container down on the right-don't ever buy any of that for anything.

None of them really have many parts, so it shouldn't be a big deal for the company to keep some available.  Certainly if they are for sale on Amazon, replacement parts are available.

I did always have trouble with some of those cheap ones because I think the seals and O-rings on those are not made from better quality materials like EPDM, Buna, Viton, and maybe other choices.  I was able to keep the cheap ones going sometimes with my box of Buna replacement O-rings.

I don't have as many sprayers as these now because I've narrowed down the number of things I use for different things.  I certainly couldn't afford to have half this many B & G's.  I would expect great service from B&G, but you're probably buying that to start with.  I do have one here that belonged to my Dad, but I never use it for anything.  https://www.amazon.com/Professional-Pest-Control-Sprayer-gal/dp/B004GGNL82/ref=sr_1_3?crid=2JQ993HD1YM8X&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.b6L4E-0PIpEHg1go3Ku2EVeLpMGvFl76D6lmaEfNEnNvzmNMb5jaKNDEQV_ylmdRtFqZeHh2Jkklz9nCbVgOZZn-djXId0oI-ct7JOw59lFQQ0D4eepim5Ydo68z5ju3fQ8AaI8eckW2vqSmhejTLewN-NKGZbkUHiZXk0iiwBT_abiCzkfpb2t1biQEpV8qGyPgIoTtchlyZLX-_qjCzbfA_FbmR5GgWFh2W1-XRPIlq-ZNS2dO0V0ru8zgeH7BcwZyp9tjFxxOoV3tvSMgcMCw3TnPx7nzc-glY7HB0wI.te5cdppZBYpQJ-R2XetqTR27DNkfKO9TnyUcmkg-adk&dib_tag=se&keywords=b%26g+sprayer+1+gallon&qid=1714049067&sprefix=B%26G%2Caps%2C96&sr=8-3&ufe=app_do%3Aamzn1.fos.c3015c4a-46bb-44b9-81a4-dc28e6d374b3

That rack that holds the wands up in the air does help to keep the tips clear.  I think they drain down some when I release the pressure in one when it goes back on the shelf.  On the other side of that shed is one of those cheap plastic utility sinks for servicing them. 

 

[Tom King]

Here is that utility sink for servicing the sprayers, and its drain through the wall.  I don't know what I would do with the sprayers without that sink.  My sharpening sink has the same type of drain. No trap needed.  I wouldn't live anywhere that wasn't zoned Agricultural.

The sink is low enough below the faucet to easily service 3 gallon sprayers.  The water is supplied by a hose hooked to a freezeproof yard hydrant at the corner of that shed.  It can be drained down in freezing weather when no sprayer will be used anyway.  There is no hot water.

The stand for that pressure washer is a height that I can back the truck up to and roll it into the bed.  It's used running in the bed of the truck, then easy for me to put it back by myself.  It weighs a few hundred pounds.

 

[gee-dub]

On 4/25/2024 at 7:37 AM, Tom King said:

Looks perfect to me

[Tom King]

It's not anything anyone else ever sees.  I think I bumped that pipe with a lawnmower about 20 years ago.  Those rocks were picked up out of the pastures over a number of years, and it's been quite a few years since we needed to pick any up since back then.

[Coop]

Tom, were the Indian spray pumps that you used, made for insecticides and herbicides. We sold these years ago for fire fighting to the foresters service and small municipal fire departments for fire fighting. 

[Tom King]

I think the Indian pumps are just intended for water.  I've had water in one for over 35 years and another one with Kerosene for almost that long.  I've put out a few small fires with the one with water.

The one with Kerosene is used to start burn piles and to burn killed and dry weeds and accumulated leaves in the rip rap on the shoreline.  I use the 13hp Billygoat blower and the one with Kerosene to start large burn piles.  You can see up close how Kerosene and oxygen was effective for rocket fuel in the old days.  It will blow a burning hole all the way through a big 25 foot diameter burning pile.  I've had a few of them over the years, and always waited until a big rain was about on us.  I once had flames 30 feet in the air in a pouring rain.

At first I thought Kerosene in that one would swell the seals, but having a rebuild kit on hand all those years, it's never been needed.  I used it last Fall after no use for several years and it worked as good as it ever has.

I have the cleanest shoreline on the lake.

[Tom King]

For anyone that doesn't know what an Indian fire pump is, I looked for a video but didn't see a good one.  This video has a bit different type of tank, but the hose and pump sprayer on the end is the same.  Skip to about 1:20 in the video.

It sprays more and farther with more control than the pump sprayers we've been talking about to start with in this thread.  You can spray a lot farther with it than he's doing in the video.  I've never worn one on my back.  I just tote it and set it down to use.  It can shot a stream 25 feet or so.

Here's what the ones I have are like:   https://firepenny.com/Galvanized_Indian_Fire_Pump_p/FHG-90G.htm?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwoa2xBhACEiwA1sb1BCETJ35InWeIZMZrHE3_aM_dQ7HES76z8bCXCfD9BWnQXv5oY0ChNxoCc1oQAvD_BwE

 

[wtnhighlander]

12 hours ago, Tom King said:

I think the Indian pumps are just intended for water.  I've had water in one for over 35 years and another one with Kerosene for almost that long. 

That's a good case for clearly labeling your containers, for sure! 

[Tom King]

The one for Kerosene is marked with flammable stickers on both sides and is in a more hidden place than the one with water.  It's really pretty surprising how much of a fire line you can put out with that little stream of water.

[legenddc]

I always wonder how much weight people put on warranties on certain products. Around me it seems that most people pay for everything to be done. So for example, the warranty on your ceiling fan might get you the parts replaced for free but they would have to pay for the labor again.