VaxMay 4 Gallon Battery Backpack Sprayer, Makita 18V Compatible

Description

If you are tired of pumping a hand sprayer and coming up short on pressure when weeds fight back, the VaxMay 4 Gallon Battery Backpack Sprayer, Makita 18V Compatible was built to make those long spray days feel a whole lot lighter. Retail listings confirm the 4 gallon capacity, Makita 18V battery compatibility, telescopic wand, multiple nozzles, and included battery and charger.

I like it because it speaks the same language as your toolbox. If you already own Makita 18V packs, this sprayer slots right in, and even the bundled kit covers you out of the box so you can start tackling weeds, pests, and foliar feeds without wrestling a pump handle.

Key Customer Benefits

• Steady pressure without pumping, so your coverage stays even. Battery power keeps the spray pattern consistent as you walk, which means fewer misses and less re-spraying compared with hand-pump units. That consistency matters for herbicides and insecticides where uniform droplets equal uniform results.
• Makita 18V compatibility reduces downtime. If you already run Makita LXT tools, you can swap the same 18-volt packs onto this sprayer and keep going. Makita’s LXT batteries charge quickly and are built for long runtimes, which pairs well with all-day yard work.
• Real working pressure, with control for different jobs. The VaxMay listing for this model shows an adjustable output up to about 75 PSI, so you can run a fan tip for broadcast weed control or tighten things up for spot spraying without changing tools.
• Four-gallon tank means fewer refills on larger areas. Four gallons is roughly 33 pounds of liquid, so you cover more ground per fill while staying in the sweet spot for backpack comfort when the straps are adjusted correctly.
• Nozzles for real-world tasks, not just marketing photos. The included set of five tips gives you options. Flat-fan styles are the go-to for most herbicide broadcast work, while air-induction and extended-range designs help balance coverage with drift control when the wind will not behave.
• Long sessions without the “pump, pause, pump” routine. Battery sprayers let you spray continuously, which cuts fatigue, saves time, and helps you finish before the sun drops. Some retail listings for this class of unit cite run times up to about four hours, which lines up with what homeowners actually need on weekend projects.
• Telescopic wand reaches into hedges and over beds. Extending the wand helps you maintain proper nozzle height for better overlap and coverage, which is one of the simplest ways to avoid streaks when you are treating lawns or rows.

Product Description

What it is

This is a battery powered backpack sprayer with a 4 gallon tank, a telescopic stainless wand, and a kit of multiple nozzles. The model is listed as VaxMay 4 Gallon Battery Powered Garden Sprayer, compatible with Makita 18V batteries, and current retail pages show adjustable pressure with retailers quoting either up to 75 PSI or up to 100 PSI depending on the listing. The bundle typically includes a 2.5Ah battery and a charger, so you can use it right away, and if you already own Makita LXT packs, you can swap those in.

How it works, and why the spray looks so even

Turn the dial to set your pressure, click the trigger, and the pump keeps pressure steady without you stopping to pump by hand. That steady pressure is what keeps your droplets and pattern consistent while you walk. University guidance is clear on this point, changes in pressure change droplet size and angle, which is one big reason battery units feel more “even” than manual units when you are trying to keep coverage uniform.

The telescopic wand is more than a convenience. Keeping your nozzle at the right height over the target is what makes the “fan” overlap correctly. Extension publications recommend setting flat-fan tips so patterns overlap fully at the target height, usually in the ballpark that gives you complete, even coverage instead of light and dark stripes. If you ever struggled with streaks in a lawn spray, this is why.

What makes it effective and different

Several things stand out for real-world use. First, Makita 18V compatibility means you are not locked into a hard-to-find battery system. If you run LXT tools, you already own extra runtime. Makita’s own 4-gallon sprayer shows the platform is capable of long sessions per charge, and while that is Makita’s unit and battery, it is a useful yardstick for what the ecosystem can deliver. Expect shorter runtime with the included 2.5Ah pack, and longer sessions if you pop in a higher-capacity LXT battery you already have. (That is my practical inference, not VaxMay’s spec.)

Second, the nozzle kit is not window dressing. Universities teach that regular flat-fan tips are the go-to for broadcast herbicides, while air-induction or venturi designs can help you push toward coarser droplets that are less drift-prone when the wind is fussy. Being able to pick the right tip for the job matters more than a fancy tank shape, and this kit gives you those options.

Finally, the adjustable pressure range lets you shift from a gentle mist for foliar feeding to a tighter stream for spot-treating cracks and fence lines. Several retailer pages for this VaxMay list the top pressure differently, with one citing 0 to 75 PSI and another quoting up to 100 PSI. I call that out so you can set expectations and choose tips accordingly. Either way, you have enough headroom for most lawn herbicides and perimeter insecticide work when you pair the right tip and height.

Product Specifications

Category	Details
Tank capacity	4 gallons, about 16 liters.
Pressure range	Adjustable. Retailer descriptions list either 0 to 75 PSI or up to 100 PSI depending on the listing. Verify the dial label and manual included with your unit.
Battery platform	Works with Makita 18V LXT batteries, so you can swap in packs you already own.
Battery and charger in box	Listings show a 2.5 to 2.6 Ah pack with charger included. Some pages describe the included pack as 21V, while compatibility is listed as Makita 18V for the tool itself. This is a known listing inconsistency.
Wand	Telescopic wand included for maintaining proper nozzle height over the target. Some reseller pages cite roughly 39 inches of reach.
Hose length	About 39.3 inches in the XAR4000G manual listing.
Nozzles in box	Five nozzles on core Amazon listings. One Walmart variant lists four, so check your specific SKU.
Tank and body materials	Nylon, HDPE and PP called out in the manual listing, which are standard for chemical resistance with most water-based lawn and garden mixes.
Dry weight	About 8.9 lb without solution, per the manual listing. A full 4-gallon tank adds roughly 33 lb of liquid weight.
Dimensions	Approx. 8 inches wide and 19 inches high in the manual listing.
Typical coverage per fill	Coverage depends on your calibration. Many turf labels specify gallons per 1,000 square feet, so if your setup uses 1 gallon per 1,000 square feet, one full tank covers about 4,000 square feet.
Safety basics	Follow the pesticide label. At minimum, plan on long sleeves, pants, and chemical-resistant gloves, plus protective eyewear when required. Do not use cotton or leather gloves for handling pesticides.
Certifications	Retail pages and the public manual listing do not state third-party tool certifications. Check the charger label for any regional electrical marks at delivery.
Reference runtime context	For comparison only, Makita’s own 18V LXT 4-gallon sprayer cites up to 165 gallons per 4.0Ah battery. Your VaxMay runtime will vary with battery size and pressure.

 

How to Use and Install the Sprayer

Before you start: safety and the label

Suit up like a pro. At minimum, plan on long sleeves, long pants, eye protection, and chemical-resistant gloves, not cotton or leather. Federal worker-safety rules specify that glove material must match the pesticide label, and agencies consistently warn against absorbent gloves for handling pesticides. That guidance is not red tape; it prevents skin exposure.

Read the product label end to end. Labels spell out whether you need a surfactant, the exact rate, and any wind or temperature limits. If a label sets a wind limit such as ten miles per hour, honor it. That keeps applications on target and keeps you in compliance.

Quick assembly and battery prep

Out of the box, thread the hose to the shutoff, install the telescopic wand, and click in your selected tip. Snap the 18-volt battery into place only after you have water in the tank and you are outside in a ventilated area. Makita charger manuals and battery care guides remind users to charge only Makita-type batteries, let hot packs cool before charging, and avoid shorting terminals in tool bags.

Mixing without headaches

Fill the tank one half to three quarters with clean water first. Then follow a proven mixing order. Universities teach the WALES method: Wettable powders and water-dispersible granules, Agitate, Liquid flowables or suspension concentrates, Emulsifiable concentrates, Surfactants and oils last. If ammonium sulfate is required, dissolve it fully before anything else. Rinse caps into the tank and keep agitation gentle to avoid foam.

If you are tank-mixing multiple products, do a quick jar test with your actual water source. Extension guides show how a small jar test can prevent clumpy mixes that plug screens and nozzles. Cold water slows dissolution, so give dry products time to disperse.

Calibrate once, spray right all season

Calibration is the difference between “I hope” and “I know.” Pick a method that fits home lawns.

Time and distance method. Mark out 100 feet, walk it at your comfortable spray pace, and use NC State’s speed table to match your seconds to miles per hour. Spray water into a container for that same time and measure how much came out. That number, along with your nozzle pattern width, gives you gallons per 1,000 square feet.

One-hundred-twenty-eighth acre method. Mark an 18.5 by 18.5 foot square, spray it uniformly, then measure ounces collected when you spray for the same time into a graduated container. The ounces you catch equal gallons per acre. Convert that to gallons per 1,000 square feet to set your tank mix. Extension decks walk through the math step by step.

If your lawn label calls for 1 gallon per 1,000 square feet and your calibration shows you apply 0.75 gallons, slow down slightly or increase pressure within the safe range to hit the target. Land-grant resources offer clear examples of tuning pace and pressure to the label rate.

Choose the right nozzle and pressure

Most lawn herbicides and foliar feeds behave well with flat-fan tips held at the correct height for pattern overlap. Where drift is a concern, air-induction flat-fan tips create coarser droplets and can cut drift-prone fines dramatically compared with standard flat fans. Research summaries put that reduction at roughly fifty percent for pre-orifice tips and up to eighty percent for air-induction designs, all else equal. Remember that higher pressure makes droplets smaller, which increases drift; choose the coarsest droplet that still gives good coverage.

Set the sprayer to the lowest pressure that still wets the target uniformly. Then lock in your walking pace. That combination keeps droplets in the sweet spot.

Check the weather like an applicator

Spray when wind is gentle and steady, ideally in the 3 to 9 miles per hour range blowing away from gardens, play areas, and sensitive ornamentals. Many labels set a ten miles per hour upper limit. Be cautious on dead-calm early mornings, because very still air can signal a temperature inversion that holds droplets aloft and carries them off target. If wind pushes toward a sensitive area, stop.

Spraying technique that prevents stripes

Extend the wand so the nozzle sits at the proper spray height over the target. Keep the wand angle stable, start with a border pass, then walk straight, overlapping each pass just enough to maintain even coverage. University publications explain that uniform nozzle height and overlap are what prevent light and dark bands after the application.

After spraying: triple-rinse, then deep-clean the system

When a tank is empty, do not walk away. Triple-rinse pesticide containers and pour the rinsate into the sprayer so none of the product is wasted. For the sprayer itself, run a tank of clean water with a small amount of detergent through the system. For herbicides that cling to plastic, extension references recommend an ammonia-based tank cleaner or a labeled cleaning agent, followed by a thorough rinse. Remove and hand-clean strainers, nozzle screens, and tips.

Keep a small dedicated bucket for screens and tips. Penn State suggests storing metal screens in a light vegetable oil film to prevent pitting in storage.

Winterizing and short-term storage

If freezing is possible where you live, do not let rinse water sit in hoses or pumps. After cleaning, many extension programs advise circulating RV-type antifreeze through lines until you see color at the nozzle, then capping the system for winter. Use propylene glycol RV antifreeze, not automotive ethylene glycol. Your owner’s manual takes precedence if it gives a different procedure.

You will also find farmer and lawn-care discussions where people confirm the same routine in practice, which lines up with extension guidance, especially about running antifreeze until you see a clear color change at each nozzle. Treat forum advice as peer experience, not a substitute for your label or manual.

Battery care between jobs

Remove the pack before storage, keep it dry, and charge periodically if it sits. Makita’s battery-care page notes you should avoid fully depleting packs, let hot packs cool before charging, and never store loose packs with metal objects that can short the terminals. Chargers also carry the standard warning to charge only genuine Makita batteries.

Problems and Solution

If pressure pulses or the pattern looks ragged, check the suction strainer and nozzle screens for debris, then confirm your mix actually dissolved. Dry formulations that are not fully slurried will plug filters. That is why WALES and good agitation matter. If your coverage looks streaky, recheck nozzle height and overlap, reduce pressure slightly to increase droplet size, and slow your walking pace to match your calibration.

Everything here follows what applicator manuals and extension publications have taught for decades. You calibrate to know your gallons per 1,000 square feet, you pick a nozzle and pressure that produce the right droplet size, you watch wind and inversions to keep spray where it belongs, and you clean and winterize so the sprayer is ready next time. Do those reliably and this Makita 18-volt compatible, 4-gallon unit will feel like an extra set of hands.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long will an 18-volt battery actually run this 4 gallon sprayer?

Makita’s own 18V LXT 4 gallon backpack sprayer lists up to 165 gallons sprayed on a single 4.0Ah battery, with about 6 hours of run time in their testing. Your VaxMay’s draw and your pressure setting will decide your real number, yet Makita’s figure is a solid reference point. If you swap in a 5.0Ah or 6.0Ah LXT pack, expect longer sessions before a recharge.

Can I use my Makita 18V LXT batteries in this third-party sprayer safely?

The VaxMay is advertised as compatible with Makita 18V LXT batteries. Makita confirms LXT batteries are fully compatible across LXT tools, which keeps the platform predictable. With third-party tools, the usual community advice is to confirm that the tool respects the battery’s built-in protection and not to run packs down to empty. That mirrors what users discuss in Makita forums. Bottom line, many homeowners do this successfully, yet it is not the same as Makita guaranteeing a non-Makita tool. Use common sense: watch temperature, stop when output sags, and charge with a genuine Makita charger.

Which nozzle should I use for lawn herbicides, and how do I reduce drift?

For most lawn herbicides, a flat-fan tip at the correct height gives even coverage. When wind or sensitive plants are nearby, drift-reducing tips help a lot. Extension testing shows pre-orifice flat fans can cut drift-prone droplets by about 50 percent, and air-induction flat fans can reduce them by 80 percent or more, compared with standard extended-range flat fans, all else equal. Use the lowest pressure that still wets the target uniformly, since more pressure means smaller droplets that move off target.

What is “calibration,” and how do I do it for a home lawn?

Calibration tells you how many gallons per 1,000 square feet you apply at your normal pace and pressure, so you can mix the right amount and hit the label rate. Universities outline simple methods: the time-and-distance method and the 128th-acre method. Extensions show step-by-step examples, including how to time a test plot and how to convert ounces collected to gallons per 1,000 square feet. Do it once, write down your numbers, and your mixes get easy for the rest of the season.

When is it too windy or too calm to spray?

Many labels set a 10 miles per hour wind limit, and extensions warn that spraying during a temperature inversion can carry droplets well beyond your lawn even if the air feels calm. Look for light, steady wind blowing away from sensitive areas, typically in the single digits. Avoid very still, hazy early mornings if you suspect an inversion, and always follow the wind guidance on your product label.

Do I really need separate sprayers for herbicides versus insecticides or fungicides?

It is wise to keep one sprayer dedicated to herbicides and a second sprayer for insecticides, fungicides, and foliar nutrients, because tiny herbicide residues can injure ornamentals or edibles later. Extensions recommend separate sprayers for small operations and home gardens for exactly that reason. Some users say they mix uses and just rinse, but extension guidance is clear, a dedicated sprayer avoids costly mistakes.

What is the correct mixing order when I have more than one product?

Follow the label first. If the label is silent, extensions provide reliable acronyms. Oklahoma State teaches an updated A-W-A-M-L-E-S order, and industry guides share the classic WALES sequence. In practice, that means water in the tank first, then ammonium sulfate if required, next dry formulations, then liquids, then emulsifiables, and surfactants last. A quick jar test with your water source can prevent clumps that plug screens and nozzles.

How should I clean the sprayer after herbicides so I do not damage plants later?

Clean the same day you spray. Extensions recommend a triple-rinse routine for containers and a thorough flush for the sprayer. Run clean water with a labeled cleaning agent through the system, then rinse again. Delays make residues harder to remove. Never mix bleach with ammonia or ammonia-containing fertilizers due to dangerous gas formation.

Can I spray bleach or vinegar through a backpack sprayer?

Manufacturers like Solo say you can use diluted bleach solutions up to about 20 percent, however they warn that bleach can corrode seals over time. Vinegar is acidic and, if left in the sprayer, can lead to corrosion or damaged components according to reports. If you run either product, rinse thoroughly the same day and consider dedicating a separate sprayer for harsh cleaners so your battery powered backpack sprayer for herbicides stays reliable.

My spray pattern looks streaky. What should I check first?

Start with the basics taught in extension guides. Confirm the nozzle height matches the tip’s recommended spray height so patterns overlap correctly. Make sure screens and tips are clear, then verify you are using the same pace and pressure you used during calibration. If wind picked up, switch to a drift-reducing tip and lower pressure a notch to produce coarser droplets, then respray the missed streaks.

What is one simple technique change that improves results immediately?

Walk a border pass first, then spray straight lines that slightly overlap with a steady wand angle. This small habit, repeated, prevents light-and-dark banding and keeps coverage even. Extensions that teach calibration also stress consistent overlap and technique during the actual application. It is simple, and it works.

Conclusion

You want a sprayer that simply gets the job done right. This battery powered backpack sprayer gives you four gallons of capacity, steady pressure, and a telescopic wand that keeps patterns even so your lawn looks like it was treated by a pro. The VaxMay listing confirms the Makita 18V compatibility, the five-nozzle kit, and the included 2.5Ah battery with charger. Several retailer pages show the top pressure ranging from about 75 PSI to 100 PSI, so you have the headroom for both gentle foliar work and firm spot treatments.

If you already run Makita tools, this is an easy win. Makita’s own 4-gallon LXT sprayer gives a useful benchmark for what that battery platform can deliver, listing up to 165 gallons on a single 4.0Ah pack and as much as 6 hours of runtime. Your VaxMay will draw differently, yet those numbers show why a Makita 18V compatible sprayer is so practical for longer jobs.

Safety and calibration are just as straightforward. Choose chemical-resistant gloves rather than leather or cotton, and calibrate once so your mixes match label rates instead of wishful thinking. Those are boring steps, I know, yet they are the reason professionals make it look easy.