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Back when Wesley Boone was working at a lawn care store, he’d get one question quite a lot: “Do you know anybody who sprays yards?”
After looking into it, there weren’t many people doing it in his area, which he saw as a business opportunity. Boone went out and bought a pull-behind sprayer from his local hardware store, using it for about a year on the handful of lawns he was treating. Once the accounts started to stack up, it was time to trade it in for something else.
“Later on, I went out and took a zero-turn mower and built a dedicated sprayer out of it,” said Boone. “I used that for several years, built another one, and business kept getting bigger and bigger.”
To Buy, or Not To Buy
Boone’s business is part-time, and his full-time job as a firefighter comes first. Spending the money on a purpose-built machine at the time was out of the question, since the cash he was bringing in from the business didn’t justify the expense. The next year, though, he picked up a bunch of accounts, and his trusty sprayer was reaching the end of its useful life.
“The sprayer I had built, every year I had to replace something on it, or it broke down,” said Boone. “It wasn’t designed to do what I was trying to do with it, and I got tired of the heartache of just redoing everything every year.”
With lots of properties to tackle, it was time to find a purpose-built sprayer. At the time (2021), dealer supply was low across the board, but Boone looked online and discovered Steel Green.
“About 30 minutes from me was a dealer, and they had one sitting in the showroom,” said Boone. “I started talking to the salesman about it, and I kind of fell in love with it.”
After getting financing squared away with his bank, Boone gave the salesman a call.
“I said, ‘Hey, how quick can you have it ready?’ and he said, ‘Give me 30 minutes to load it up,” said Boone. “So, I pulled the trigger on it and haven’t looked back since I bought it.”
Let’s Talk Customization
In 2024, Boone had 275 accounts. He sprays those properties three times a year and fertilizes them twice a year, so his machine (an SG52) has its work cut out for it. The great thing about Steel Greens is that they’re adaptable as your needs change.
“I didn’t get it with auxiliary tanks on the back, but I found myself having to go back around with a backpack sprayer to spot treat fire ant mounds and other insects,” said Boone. “I talked to my salesman, and he told me about the seven-gallon tank that goes on the back.”
He bought one, and then another one the following year.
“Now, I can have my herbicide for spot spraying in one, and my insecticide in another.”
Boone had a clay-based product that was giving him some pressure issues, so his salesman also told him about our pressure control system.
“I thought it might be worth it, and I tell you, it’s been a game changer,” said Boone. “I have thoroughly enjoyed it versus having to keep my hand on the throttle valve, opening and closing, opening and closing. And when you run out, you hit that prime button, and you’re right back going within a matter of seconds. It’s been a game changer, that’s for sure.”
A DIY Project
The biggest game changer for Boone has been his boom.
“When I bought the machine, the 12-foot boom wasn’t available,” said Boone. “I have a bunch of bigger properties, including several 10-12 acre properties, and spraying with the 10-foot was taking a lot of time because I work by myself.”
That’s when Boone decided to do some fabrication work, altering his boom to spray 13 feet.
“I added a nozzle on each end of the boom, and then I added a different foam eductor on each end so I can actually cut off the foam and the extra nozzle, then fold everything up to spray at the original width,” said Boone. “With some of these bigger properties, I can cut off an hour or so of spraying with the bigger boom.”
Some Parting Words
“It’s just been a good machine, and matter of fact, I was talking to my salesman the other day, and I’m thinking about getting a new one because my machine is rated for 1,000 hours,” said Boone. “I was sitting there looking at it last night, getting ready for this call, and I’ve got it right at 4,000 miles, so it’s definitely been a good machine, that’s for sure!”
If you’re interested in what Steel Green has to offer, take a look at our lineup and find a dealer near you!
