While lawn painting is relatively cheap and easy to do, it still does require some amount of equipment and knowhow. We estimate that you will need about $400 of equipment to paint grass.
Here is the grass painting equipment you will need:
Lawn Paint
Grass paint is usually made from natural and biodegradable ingredients, ensuring that it is safe for the environment, pets, and humans. The paint is typically a concentrated solution that needs to be mixed with water. Be sure to follow the instructions provided on the back of the grass paint that you buy to ensure you get the right paint to water ratio. If you are looking for recommendations on which grass paint is the best to buy, check out our article on that.
Sprayer
A backpack pesticide sprayer should be okay if you plan to only paint one small lawn, but if you plan on painting lots of grass or even launching a grass painting business, you should buy an electric paint sprayer. Electric paint sprayers are well worth the money even though they are more expensive because pesticide sprayers clog up after awhile from lawn paint. Also, electric paint sprayers are much more powerful so you can get the job done much faster than a pump pesticide sprayer.
Best Sprayers for Grass Painting
We have used various different types of equipment since we first started painting lawns back in 2015, and some of the sprayers we have used have been a lot better than others. The first sprayer that we started with was a Solo pump backpack sprayer. While it was affordable and convenient because it didn’t need to be plugged-in, it definitely had it’s pitfalls. The biggest issues with this sprayer was that: you needed to pump it constantly, it didn’t spray strongly, and that it would clog up easily. These sprayers were designed to spray pesticides which are a lot finer than paint, so it’s not surprising that when you put grass paint in these sprayers it clogs up. So while pesticide pump sprayers can still work because grass paint is more like hair dye than paint, they are not optimal for grass paint. Which is kind of funny because most of the lawn painting tutorials online recommend using a pesticide pump sprayer to apply the paint.
So, what is the optimal type of grass painting sprayer then?
The answer is that the best type of sprayer for painting grass is an electric paint sprayer. While it may be more expensive, it will be much quicker and easier to paint your lawn with one of these. Electric paint sprayers will also arguably produce a better final result, but that part of it is negligible to be honest. You can still get a good looking lawn with a paint pesticide sprayer, but it will just take you forever to to finish the job. So with that explanation out of the way, here’s our professional opinion on which sprayers are the best paint sprayers for turf in no particular order.
Wagner Control Pro 130 Power Tank Paint Sprayer
This is a great entry level electric paint sprayer that is super simple to use and comes with it’s own built-in paint bucket so you don’t have to get a separate one. The only issue with this sprayer is that it only holds a 1.5 gallons of paint at once so you probably have to refill it a couple of times if you are painting a standard sized lawn. That being said, it doesn’t take that long to refill this sprayer and you can have paint pre-mixed in a 1 gallon bottle to make it easier to refill. All you have to do in that case is dump the paint from the bottle in the sprayer once it’s running low on paint. Just make sure to use the exact same paint to water ratio and brand of paint throughout the entire lawn so that you don’t have any color variations.
Graco Magnum X5 Stand Airless Paint Sprayer
While this sprayer is a little bit more expensive than the Wagner Control Pro 130, it’s probably generally a little higher quality. All around the internet people rant and rave about this sprayer being a great quality sprayer for the price and it’s no wonder why it’s one of the most popular. That being said, the only downsides to this sprayer when compared to the Wagner is that it’s more difficult to use and that it doesn’t come with its own tank/paint bucket. On the bright side though, an external paint bucket can hold much more paint than the Wagner can hold in its built-in tank. This benefit alone might be worth the investment to spend a little bit more time and money on using this sprayer if you plan on offering grass painting services. If you plan on just painting your own lawn though, we would recommend getting the Wagner instead of this sprayer because this sprayer is a bit overkill and a little bit more difficult to learn to operate.
Necessary Paint Sprayer Accessories
In order to prevent breaking your back by bending over to paint the lawns, it is quite necessary to also get an extender wand like the one below. This is the same one that we personally use.
Other Equipment
Gloves: Although these are not needed because grass paint is non-toxic, they are helpful because they can keep your hands from getting painted
Protective Clothing: Wear old or protective clothing to avoid staining
Measuring Cup: To measure the correct amount of paint concentrate to water ratio. This ratio must stay the same for the entire lawn or else the color will be inconsistent.
Mixing Container: A container to mix the paint concentrate with water. This mixing container should also be easily shakeable so that the paint and water can fully mix.
Water Source: Access to a water source like a hose is essential for paint preparing and rinsing equipment.
Ground Sheets or Tarps: To protect areas such as sidewalks, driveways, or flower beds around the lawn from getting stained with paint.
Where to Find Used Lawn Painting Equipment
While all of the supplies needed to paint a lawn are readily available and relatively affordable online, some might opt to buy used grass painting equipment to save money. If this is your goal, consider checking Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace to see what’s available in your area. Alternatively, it may be a good idea to rent a paint sprayer from a tool rental facility if you only plan on using it once.
Conclusion
Lawn painting equipment is readily available and can be found for a relatively cheap price. Once you have purchased all of the needed equipment, you can read this lawn painting tutorial to learn how to actually use the equipment.