Silvan 25L Redline Rechargeable 12V Spotpak sprayer 2021 Review

If you live on modest rural acreage, Silvan's 25L Redline Rechargeable 12V Spotpak sprayer can be a vital tool in keeping the weeds at bay.

My wife is an avid gardener and she showers her plants with the same affection and love she devotes to the grandchildren. Her carefully manicured garden was even featured in the annual spring open garden walks held in our patch of Tasmania.

Needless to say, she has little tolerance for careless damage caused by lawnmowers or trailers to her prized plants.

Having a reliable and compact spray unit helps a lot, which was why we purchased a Silvan 25L Redline Rechargeable 12V Spotpak sprayer some time ago. One of the main reasons we chose this particular model was its portability and the fact that it has its own power source.

We both agreed that a 25-litre capacity sprayer would adequately suit a 2.5-acre (1.1 hectares) property such as ours.

Silvan has put considerable thought into designing its Redline range of sprayers, which come in 25-litre, 55-litre and 100-litre models. All the tanks in the range are made from UV-stabilised poly-tough material. They feature recesses at both ends that allow hold-down straps to sit securely in for ATV or trailer mounting purposes.

The large 150mm-diameter screw lid provides easy access for cleaning and minimises spillage risk when filling the tank. The screw lid is attached to the tank via a lanyard ring so operators don't easily lose the lid.

There is a non-spill recess on both the front and rear that extends from around the filler thread. Metric measurements are featured on the front of the tank and US gallons at the back.

For convenience, the unit comes with a 650ml see-through jug for accurate measuring of chemicals that stores neatly in the tank's filler neck when not in use.

The 12-volt electric pump comes courtesy of the renowned Selecta brand, and it has chemical-resistant diaphragms and valves. Both the 25-litre and 55-litre models use the same pump; it has an open flow capacity of 2.5l/min and a maximum pressure rating of 50psi (345kpa), which makes the units ideal for distance spraying. The pump and battery are located in a recessed cavity to minimise the risk of damage.

The pump is attached to a 6m-long chemical-resistant agricultural hose, which is then connected to an adjustable spray wand. The spray wand comes with a 550mm-long stainless-steel lance and adjustable nozzle capable of producing pencil stream sprays through to broad conical sprays. For longer spraying, the spray handle features a locking mechanism that locks the trigger in the open position.

When it comes time to store the spray wand, two clips are located at the front of the tank to hold it securely.

The suction end of the hose in the tank is fitted with a filter to prevent debris from entering the pump.

There is a 25mm side drain outlet to flush out the tank after spraying is completed. When our tank is not in use, I place this drain cap in the 650mm jug so the tank can 'breathe'.

For strapless mounting to an ATV, trailer or the HS-2550-J tractor mount we are testing here today, there are four female brass inserts installed in the tank's base for that purpose.

According to the manual, the battery takes approximately five hours to charge and is sufficient for four full tanks of spraying.

Before getting the HS-2550-J tractor mount, we placed the 25-litre sprayer in a tow-behind barrow coupled to our John Deere X350 lawn tractor. For the most part, that worked okay.

The 6m hose gave us a spraying diameter of 12m around the unit, which is sufficient for spot spraying herbicides.

However, one problem that quickly arose was the manoeuvrability of the lawn tractor and tow-behind barrow around some tighter garden beds. We soon conceded that transporting the spray unit with a wheelbarrow was an interim fix and not a long-term solution.

Another feature we were chasing was the ability to quickly apply liquid fertilisers to lawns via means such as a boom spray bar. A quick glance through the Silvan catalogue reveals several options but they all consist of larger spray units more suited to bigger properties.

After discussing our needs with the parts guys at our local Silvan dealer, Midland Tractors, they suggested I try the Boomless Nozzle Kit designed for the 55-litre and 100-litre models and attach it to a locally designed HS-2550-J tractor mount.

Because both the 25-litre and 55-litre spray units share the same pump, the former is well equipped to drive the boomless spray.

One of the biggest advantages of the boomless spray was its compact nature. Given, boom spray bars are able to deliver a more accurate spray pattern and have less spray drift than the boomless nozzle, but the advantages far outweighed the disadvantages for us.

Thanks to the cleverly designed HS-2550-J quick hitch implement mount, we were able to equip the compact 25-litre Silvan Redline spray unit with the Boomless Nozzle Kit and have the whole unit neatly mounted on the rear of our lawn tractor.

The HS-2550-J quick hitch implement mount is designed and manufactured in Tasmania by BKG Engineering. The mounting kit includes two Silvan inline taps (part # 320-TAP2), a barbed T-piece (part #320-T38), 1.2m of 5/16 hose, eight metal hose clamps, and four M6x16mm bolts with flat and spring washers.

The supplied setup instructions are detailed and made light work of plumbing up the Boomless Nozzle Kit and 25-litre spray unit for installation on the HS-2550-J mount. In fact, the process from unboxing to fully installed on the lawn tractor took me just 15 minutes.

The quick hitch utilises the heavy-duty rear equipment mounting system that is standard on John Deere X350 lawn tractors. It takes only a few seconds to attach the assembled sprayer unit to the lawn tractor, simply by lifting the unit over the top of the tractor rear mounting system and ensuring the locking tab is snug behind the mower's backing plate.

To remove the unit, simply lift it off. While operating the quick hitch mount without fastening the unit to the tractor is possible, it does have a tab at the base that allows John Deere's magnetic fastener pin to be fitted for added safety.

The boomless nozzle does an excellent job applying liquid fertiliser to the grounds. The inline taps enable either the spray lance or boomless nozzle to be utilised at any given time.

Suffice to say, I was extremely impressed with the system, so much so that I purchased the unit after giving it a red-hot go. Since then, we have increased utilisation of our sprayer unit as it is so easy to operate. Because it is rear mounted on the lawn tractor, it is compact and doesn't affect the tractor's manoeuvrability around tighter garden beds.

I also purchased the optional quick hitch wall bracket, which allows the entire unit to be stored neatly on the wall in the shed.

If you're like me and already own a Silvan 25-litre Redline Rechargeable Spotpak sprayer, you can purchase the components individually and assemble the unit yourself. Alternatively, you can purchase the whole set as a complete turn-key unit.

Either way, for smaller rural properties, this Silvan 25L Redline Rechargeable 12V Spotpak sprayer and lawn tractor mount make a whole lot of sense.

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Silvan 25L Redline Rechargeable 12V Spotpak sprayer

Model: SP25-B

RRP: $239.00

Length: 580mm

Width: 330mm

Height: 280mm

Weight: 5.5kg

Pump capacity: 2.5L/min

Pump pressure: 50psi (345kpa)

Boomless Nozzle Kit

Model: TR55-10

RRP: $146.00

Spray width: 2m

HS-2550-J Quick Hitch Mount

RRP: $396.00

Length: 500mm

Width: 452mm

Height: 1170mm (including lance and hose holder)

Weight: 9.1kg