DEWALT vs Craftsman Backpack Sprayer: DXSP190681 and CMXCAFG190682 Compared

In the DEWALT vs Craftsman backpack sprayer choice, I recommend the DEWALT DXSP190681 for most yards, and the Craftsman CMXCAFG190682 for anyone who already owns Craftsman batteries or wants a plain two-position switch. Both are 4-gallon battery backpack sprayers, and both come with a battery and a charger. I trained in plant protection, so I read a sprayer’s nozzle chart and manual before its feature list, and that is how I compared these two. Below you get one table, the differences that matter and the safety steps that apply to both.

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DEWALT vs Craftsman Backpack Sprayer in Short

The DEWALT DXSP190681 4 Gallon 20V Backpack Sprayer Kit is my pick because its 10-position dial, printed nozzle chart and six nozzles give you more control over a 4-gallon tank than the Craftsman CMXCAFG190682 V20 4 Gallon Backpack Sprayer offers with a two-position switch and four nozzles. On tier, the DEWALT is premium and the Craftsman is mid-range, and the Craftsman earns its place when you hold Craftsman batteries from the models its manual lists. The table below puts the maker’s own figures side by side, and every cell that says Not listed is a figure the manuals do not list.

Two rows decide it: the flow control and the nozzle count. The tank size, the wand length and the warranty term match, so the choice comes down to how finely you want to adjust the flow and which battery family you already own. My 4-gallon battery backpack sprayer roundup ranks more kits with the same tank size.

What Is Actually Different Between the Two Kits

Two label details trip buyers up, and both are about what is in the box. The DEWALT DXSP190681 covered here is the kit with a battery and a charger, while a DEWALT backpack sprayer tool only version is a separate purchase. According to the Craftsman manual, the battery and charger are in the box. Craftsman’s own page for the CMXCAFG190682 carries a Tool Only tag that conflicts with the manual, so confirm what your order includes before you pay.

Both manuals name The Fountainhead Group, Inc. in the warranty or distribution line, and large parts of their safety text are the same. The safety steps below therefore apply to both sprayers unless I say otherwise.

Label, Gear and Shutdown Before You Fill Either Sprayer

Each sprayer holds a liquid under pressure, and some of the products people put in a tank are pesticides. That is why the product label and the sprayer’s manual come before the first fill.

Wear the protective clothing and equipment the product label requires, and put it on before you open the container. Wear the eye protection and gloves the label names every time you mix, load, spray, clean the tank or clear a nozzle. Cornell’s pesticide safety program also advises chemical-resistant gloves, goggles and a respirator when you handle moderately toxic products, even when the label does not call for them.

Wear every respirator the label requires, of the type the label names, and follow the respirator maker’s instructions for fit, use and care. If you follow Cornell’s advice and wear one the label does not require, or if it is unclear which respirator or filter is right, get qualified guidance on the respirator and filter before you handle the product. Protective equipment lowers your exposure; it does not make spraying safe.

A critical review of studies on coveralls found that the effectiveness of protective equipment in working conditions may be over-estimated (1). In a systematic review of pesticide handlers, goggles and gloves were worn less often than long sleeves and trousers (2). I put on goggles and gloves before I open any container, and I treat them as the last layer of protection, never as proof that the job is safe.

Both manuals set a minimum of their own: wear the protective equipment the chemical maker recommends, which includes at least goggles, gloves and protective clothing, and always wear certified safety glasses (ANSI Z87.1 eye protection), because everyday eyeglasses are not safety glasses. Wear the same equipment while you clean the sprayer.

Before you load the sprayer, complete the applicable full shutdown in the shutdown box, including its emergency exception, and wear the protective equipment the product label and your manual require for the task. Mix and load outdoors, away from other people (including children), pets and livestock, and where a spill or overflow cannot reach a well, a drain or other water.

Read the label before you open the container, stand upwind, and do not eat, drink or smoke while you handle pesticides. Never use your mouth to siphon a pesticide from its container.

Keep the fill hose above the level of the liquid in the tank so the product cannot siphon back into your water supply, and never leave the sprayer unattended while you fill it. Use measuring tools kept only for pesticides, never kitchen utensils or food containers.

Mix only as much as the job needs so the tank ends empty; do not store leftover mix in the sprayer for later, because it can damage the sprayer’s parts.

Here is the full shutdown I use for both sprayers. It matches what both manuals say about taking the battery off before service, and every later step in this article points back to it.

Both manuals give the same method for letting pressure out: turn the sprayer off, then squeeze the shut-off lever to spray until liquid flow stops. Aim it where the product label allows, never at yourself, another person or a pet. Both manuals also say never to try to clear a clog without removing the battery first, and the DEWALT manual warns that taking apart a sprayer that is still pressurized may eject parts at high speed.

Tank, Straps and First Water Fill

Both tanks hold 4 gallons and carry graduation marks, so the fill routine for the DEWALT 4 gallon backpack sprayer is almost the same as for its rival. Before you do this, complete the full shutdown for your sprayer in the shutdown box above. Then follow the manuals: take off the cap, clean the filter basket, check the in-tank filter, make sure the shut-off assembly is connected so liquid cannot pour out of the open connection, fill through the basket and put the battery in last.

My first fill with clean water on the DEWALT went through the filter basket to the graduation marks, with the power off and the shut-off released until the battery was in, and then I watched the wand, the hose and the fittings. Next I wanted to know how the load sits, so I fitted the harness on each sprayer with a tank of clean water and the weight rode on the shoulder straps first, which is why I stop and rest when my shoulders say so.

The Craftsman 4 gallon backpack sprayer has a carry handle with the wand storage built into it, and the manual says to carry the sprayer by the handle or the harness, never by the hose, the shut-off valve or the wand. With the wand parked in the handle and the full shutdown done, I lifted it by the handle onto my shoulders without touching the hose, and that is the habit I recommend. The photo below shows the straps from the back.

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Flow Control With a 10-Position Dial or a High/Low Switch

Flow control is the biggest difference between these two sprayers. The DEWALT uses a 10-position dial, and its manual says positions 1 to 3 work off a low pressure cutoff while positions 4 to 10 work off a high pressure cutoff. According to DEWALT, the sprayer keeps the flow rate constant regardless of battery depletion state. I compare the BSP3500 with the DXSP190681 in my EGO and DEWALT backpack sprayer comparison.

The Craftsman uses a High/Low rocker switch with an electric diaphragm pump. According to Craftsman, the High setting runs the pump on nominal battery voltage and the Low setting reduces the voltage to the pump, and that lower voltage stays constant. A red indicator light shows which setting is on, so I read the setting at a glance before I squeezed the lever for the first time.

Before you do this, complete the full shutdown for your sprayer in the shutdown box above. Both manuals print a nozzle chart, and both chart notes carry the same warning. Turn the flow control to its low setting (1 to 3 on the DEWALT dial, Low on the Craftsman switch) before you fit a low-flow nozzle, because ignoring the chart may damage the pump and void the warranty. The DEWALT chart runs from about 0.14 to 0.58 gpm and from 3 to 77 PSI across its six nozzles, and the Craftsman chart runs from about 0.17 to 0.39 gpm and from 10 to 51 PSI across its four, both for water and both with about 10 percent variation. Those are the makers’ chart figures, not a setting to aim for.

Before you do this, complete the full shutdown for your sprayer in the shutdown box above. The dial sits on the base of the tank, so I set the number before the straps go on, and the photo shows that dial.

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Nozzle type, nozzle size and pressure all change the droplet size spectrum, a result from a test rig with agricultural boom nozzles in a climate room, not from a backpack wand (3). A Kansas State publication on field and boom sprayers adds that higher pressures make many more small droplets and suggests staying under 40 to 45 PSI, a figure that belongs to those sprayers and not to your wand (4). For a backpack sprayer, the label and the manual set the pressure, and the chart is where you read what each nozzle delivers.

Winner: the DEWALT, because the dial and the chart let you set a flow for each of six nozzles, while the Craftsman gives you two settings and a chart for four.

Nozzles, Wand and Trigger

The nozzle set is the second real difference. The DEWALT backpack sprayer nozzles are an adjustable brass nozzle, a high-volume wide fan, a low-volume wide fan, a low-volume narrow fan, a foaming nozzle and a jet stream nozzle, and a storage clip on the wand holds them. The Craftsman comes with a foaming nozzle, an adjustable poly cone nozzle and the low-volume wide and narrow fan nozzles. I compare the CMXCAFG190682 with the 190515 ProMax in my Craftsman and Field King sprayer comparison.

Before you change or clean a nozzle, complete the full shutdown for your sprayer in the shutdown box above, and wear the protective equipment the label requires. With that done, I liked having the red and yellow fan tips parked on the DEWALT’s clip instead of loose in a pocket, and once the battery was back in I held each fan nozzle toward a shed wall with clean water to see the pattern before I trusted it near a drip line.

If a nozzle clogs, both manuals say to remove and take apart the nozzle assembly, clean the openings of obstructions or residue, never use sharp tools that could scratch the nozzle and never hit the nozzle against a surface. Never clear a nozzle with your mouth and never by blowing into it. The shut-off valve and the in-tank filter have their own cleaning steps in each manual, and the sprayer must never run without the in-tank filter properly installed.

Both wands are 21 inches long. The DEWALT backpack sprayer wand is stainless steel and the Craftsman wand is poly, so the difference is the material and not the reach.

Next to a low plum branch, 21 inches looked about right to me for holding the nozzle at the drip line without leaning in. Both shut-off levers have a lock: turn it clockwise to hold the lever down for continuous spraying and counterclockwise to release it. In a gloved hand I could set the lock on the DEWALT lever and let my grip relax on a long pass, and then release it before I stopped. My roundup of battery sprayers for fruit trees lists backpack picks for the same orchard work.

Winner: the DEWALT, because it ships six nozzles and a stainless wand against four nozzles and a poly wand, though both wands are the same length.

Battery, Charger and What Is in the Box

The DEWALT battery backpack sprayer takes the packs its own manual lists, and the Craftsman takes the packs in its own manual. Check the pack you own against the list before you count on it. The Craftsman manual lists four pack models, and the DEWALT manual lists a dozen.

Thermal runaway is a recognised safety concern for lithium-ion batteries (5), and OSHA lists following the manufacturer’s instructions for storage, use, charging and maintenance as a control (6). Each maker also sets its own temperature limits for charging, using and storing the pack, so read them in the manual and keep the pack out of a hot outside shed or metal building in summer.

Both batteries have a push-button gauge: three green lights on the DEWALT and three white lights on the Craftsman show 100 to 75 percent, and a yellow light means under 25 percent. I press the button before I carry the sprayer to the orchard, and I charge the pack away from a hot shed. Neither manual lists a runtime per charge, so I do not plan a job around one.

Winner: it depends on your batteries, because each sprayer takes only the packs its own manual lists, so the battery family you already own decides.

Warranty, Cleaning and Storage

Both manuals print a Three Year Limited Warranty, and battery packs carry their own terms. Craftsman states two years for batteries, and DEWALT states two or three years by pack model. Both manuals say not to store the sprayer where it can freeze, because frozen water can damage the pump and void the sprayer warranty.

Before you clean the sprayer, complete the applicable full shutdown in the shutdown box, including its emergency exception, and wear the protective equipment the label and your manual require. Clean the sprayer as soon as you can after use, because dried product is harder to remove than product still in solution.

Empty the tank, rinse the tank, hose, wand and nozzle, and clean the strainers and screens, following the product label and your manual; extension guidance warns that water alone may not remove every product. Clean it away from desirable plants, wells and other water, and wash the outside.

Do not pour leftover product or rinse water down a sink, a toilet or a storm drain, or onto bare ground.

The manuals add that you rinse the tank, spray clean water through the system until it runs out, and dry the tank upside down with the cap and the basket off. After the powered rinse, complete the full shutdown for your sprayer in the shutdown box above again, so the pump is stopped, the pressure is relieved and the battery is out, before you take off the cap or the basket.

Follow the product label’s instructions for rinsing the empty container, handling the rinse water and disposing of the container, and rinse only a container the label directs you to rinse. Add rinse water to a spray mixture only when the label permits it and the mixture can take it without exceeding the permitted fill level or changing the label-directed mixture.

Never reuse an empty pesticide container for any purpose. For leftover product, follow the label’s disposal steps, or call your state pesticide agency or a household hazardous waste program.

Winner: a tie, because both manuals print a three-year limited warranty and the same cleaning, freezing and storage steps.

Choose the DEWALT If

The DEWALT 20V backpack sprayer DXSP190681 suits the buyer who wants to adjust the flow in small steps and carry a full set of nozzles on one sprayer. It is a premium-tier sprayer, and the case for it comes from its controls and its box rather than from a runtime or a weight, which the maker does not print. I cover the DXSP190681 20V kit in my DEWALT 4-gallon backpack sprayer review.

• You want a chart to read: the maker prints a flow and PSI figure for each nozzle at each dial position, so you can compare before you spray.
• You like to change nozzles: six nozzles are in the box and the clip keeps them on the wand.
• You want a backpack sprayer that uses DEWALT battery packs you own: check the pack model against the manual’s list first.
• You prefer a stainless steel wand: it is 21 inches, the same reach as the Craftsman.

After the full shutdown in the shutdown box, the dial let me step down to a low setting before I switched nozzles, and the chart told me the number, so I never guessed. Skip the DEWALT cordless backpack sprayer if you want one switch and nothing else to set.

SHOP ON AMAZON

Choose the Craftsman If

The Craftsman 20V backpack sprayer CMXCAFG190682 suits the buyer who wants fewer things to set and already works with Craftsman batteries. It sits in the mid-range tier, and it comes with a battery and a charger according to its manual. My Craftsman V20 backpack sprayer review takes a closer look at the 4-gallon battery model.

• You want two settings: the High/Low switch has a red light that shows which one is on.
• You own Craftsman batteries: the manual lists four pack models, so check yours first.
• You want the wand in the handle: the carry handle has wand storage built in.
• You use a few nozzles: the box holds four, including two fan tips.

Having completed the full shutdown to fit the narrow fan tip, I set the switch to Low first, as the manual says for low-flow nozzles, and then listened for the low pump sound that tells me it is building pressure before I squeeze the lever. Skip the Craftsman battery backpack sprayer if you want a jet stream nozzle or a stepped dial.

SHOP ON AMAZON

Picking Between the Two for Your Yard

Both sprayers hold 4 gallons, both list a three-year limited warranty and both put the same safety steps in front of you, so the decision rests on three things you can check before you order: how finely you want to set the flow, how many nozzles you want in the box and which battery family sits in your shed. The DEWALT gives you the dial, the chart and six nozzles. The Craftsman gives you a simple switch and a lower tier. In the DEWALT vs Craftsman backpack sprayer decision, the dial and the six nozzles settle it for most yards, and the battery packs you already own settle it for the rest. I compare seven picks by fit and battery in my battery powered backpack sprayer roundup.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between the DEWALT and Craftsman 4 gallon backpack sprayers?

The difference between the DEWALT and Craftsman 4 gallon backpack sprayers is mainly the controls and the box: the DEWALT has a 10-position dial, six nozzles and a stainless wand, while the Craftsman has a High/Low switch, four nozzles and a poly wand. Both hold 4 gallons and list a three-year limited warranty.

Which is better, the DEWALT or the Craftsman battery backpack sprayer?

The DEWALT is the better battery backpack sprayer for most buyers, and the Craftsman is the better one for a Craftsman battery owner or anyone who wants a two-position switch. That judgment rests on the controls, the nozzles in the box and the battery family, because neither manual lists a runtime or an empty weight.

Do the DEWALT and Craftsman backpack sprayers use the same battery?

The DEWALT and Craftsman backpack sprayers do not use the same battery, because each manual lists only its own brand’s packs for that sprayer. Use only the battery and charger the maker supplies or lists for your exact sprayer, and check a spare pack against the model list in the manual first.

Does the DEWALT or the Craftsman backpack sprayer come with more nozzles?

The DEWALT backpack sprayer comes with more nozzles: six, against four for the Craftsman. The DEWALT set adds a high-volume wide fan nozzle and a jet stream nozzle, while the Craftsman set is a foaming nozzle, an adjustable poly cone nozzle and two low-volume fan nozzles, so pick the nozzle that your product label’s directions call for.

Is the DEWALT flow dial better than the Craftsman High/Low switch?

The DEWALT flow dial gives finer adjustment than the Craftsman High/Low switch, which offers simpler two-position operation. The dial has 10 positions with a printed chart for six nozzles and the switch has two settings with a chart for four, so the dial suits a buyer who changes nozzles often and the switch suits one who wants fewer controls.

References

1. Garrigou A, Laurent C, Berthet A, et al. Critical review of the role of PPE in the prevention of risks related to agricultural pesticide use. Saf Sci. 2020;123:104527.
2. Sapbamrer R, Thammachai A. Factors affecting use of personal protective equipment and pesticide safety practices: a systematic review. Environ Res. 2020;185:109444.
3. Nuyttens D, Baetens K, De Schampheleire M, Sonck B. Effect of nozzle type, size and pressure on spray droplet characteristics. Biosyst Eng. 2007;97(3):333-345.
4. Wolf RE. Strategies to Reduce Spray Drift. MF-2444. Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service; March 2000.
5. Wang G, Ping P, Kong D, et al. Advances and challenges in thermal runaway modeling of lithium-ion batteries. Innovation (Camb). 2024;5(4):100624.
6. Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Lithium-ion Battery Safety. Fact Sheet DTSEM FS-4480. US Department of Labor; January 2025.

Safety Note: Read your sprayer’s manual and the product label before you open any container. The label is the law: it tells you what protective equipment to wear, how and where you may use the product, what weather it allows, how long to stay out of the treated area, how long to wait before you harvest, how to protect bees and other pollinators, and how to dispose of leftovers and the empty container. Using a registered pesticide in a way its label does not allow is against federal law. This page never gives an amount of product, a dilution or a mixing order: the label does. Wear the protective clothing and equipment the label requires, put it on before you open the container, and wear the eye protection and gloves it names whenever you mix, load, spray, clean the tank or clear a nozzle. Protective equipment lowers your exposure; it does not make spraying safe. Wear every respirator the label requires, of the type it names, and follow the respirator maker’s fit, use and care instructions. Before you clean or store the sprayer, or wire a 12V pump, complete the shutdown below first. Before you mix or load, complete the shutdown below, including its emergency exception. Mix and load outdoors, away from other people (including children), pets and livestock, and where a spill cannot reach a well, a drain or other water. Stand upwind, never use your mouth to siphon a product, keep the fill hose above the liquid so it cannot siphon back into your water supply, and never leave the sprayer unattended while you fill it. Mix only what the job needs, and do not store leftover mix in the sprayer. Never point the wand at yourself, another person or a pet, and never test a spray against your hand. Emergency first: if a battery becomes unusually hot, swells, hisses, gives off an unusual odor or smokes, stop using the sprayer without handling or removing the battery, keep people away and follow the battery manual’s emergency instructions; if it smokes, burns or presents immediate danger, move away and call 911 or the fire department without finishing the routine shutdown. Otherwise, before you open the tank, fill it, change or clean a nozzle, clear a clogged nozzle, clean or rinse the sprayer, adjust or repair anything, charge or change the battery, load, unload, transport, store or leave the sprayer, or lift, put on or take off a backpack unit, complete the shutdown. During normal spraying, move only as your manual and the product label permit, and never ride while operating a hand-held wand or lance. Battery sprayer: release the trigger or close the wand valve, then switch the pump off. Relieve all trapped pressure using only your exact manual’s procedure and a discharge destination consistent with the product label, without opening the tank or loosening any part beforehand unless that procedure expressly requires it, and never toward yourself, another person or an animal. Then remove the battery. 12V vehicle sprayer: first stop and secure the vehicle as its manual directs, then release the trigger, close the wand or boom valve and switch the pump off. Relieve all trapped pressure using only your exact manual’s procedure and a discharge destination consistent with the product label, without opening the tank or loosening any part beforehand unless that procedure expressly requires it, and never toward yourself, another person or an animal. Then disconnect the pump’s 12V supply at the connection your manual specifies, and reconnect it only after the work is complete, every part is secured and the pump switch is off. Wear the label’s protective equipment while you clean the tank, the strainer or a nozzle. Clear a clogged nozzle only with the method in your exact manual, never with your mouth and never by blowing into it. Refit every part and check for leaks with clean water before product goes back in. For the first water test, complete the shutdown first, fill the tank with clean water and close it as your manual directs, connect the power only when you are ready, and watch the wand, hose, fittings and tank seams for leaks without touching pressurized parts; complete the shutdown again before you open the tank, fix a leak or add product. Wind, heat and fine droplets carry spray off target: the label may be stricter than any extension guideline, and extension sources give different wind figures, so no single number fits every situation. Do not spray during a temperature inversion, and do not assume that calm air, early morning or evening is suitable. Do not spray just before rain. Keep children, pets and other people out of the area while you spray and off the treated area for as long as the label says, and remove toys and cover pet food and water dishes first. The label’s pollinator wording decides when you may spray around flowering plants, and early morning or evening is not automatically suitable. A sprayer that has held weed killer should stay a weed-killer sprayer: extension services advise a dedicated sprayer, and rinsing may not remove every residue. Follow the product label’s instructions for rinsing empty containers, handling rinse water and disposing of them, and never reuse an empty pesticide container; for leftover product, call your state pesticide agency or a household hazardous waste program, and never pour it down a sink, a toilet or a storm drain. Store pesticides in their original containers, locked up and out of the reach of children, away from food and animal feed, and keep pesticides and fertilizers apart. If someone is exposed, follow the first-aid section of the label, call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 and keep the label with you; call 911 in an emergency. If product spills, keep people and animals away and follow the label’s emergency directions; try to contain a small spill only if the label says that is safe and you have the protective equipment it requires, and otherwise get help (the emergency number on the label, Poison Control if anyone is exposed, 911 for a fire, immediate danger or a large spill). Use only the battery and charger the maker supplies or lists for your exact sprayer, charge and store the battery as your manual describes, and do not use a damaged battery or charger: lithium-ion batteries can overheat and catch fire. Wire a 12V pump the way your manual says and use the fuse it lists. On an ATV or UTV, wear the helmet and protective gear the Consumer Product Safety Commission recommends, get hands-on training, sit only in the positions the manufacturer designed, never ride with more passengers than there are seats, and in a UTV fasten the seat belts and keep every part of your body inside the vehicle; stay within the rack and tow capacity in your vehicle’s owner’s manual, and remember that sloshing liquid shifts weight and changes how the vehicle handles; Montana State University Extension advises against riding and spraying if you have to hold a wand or lance. Stop at once, complete the full shutdown and inspect if the sprayer leaks, loses pressure or runs without spraying, and restart only as the manual allows. If a battery becomes unusually hot, swells, hisses, gives off an unusual odor or smokes, do not handle or remove it: keep people away, follow the battery manual’s emergency instructions, and if it smokes or burns, move away and call 911 or the fire department. Before you fill the tank, complete the shutdown, and fill it only to the level your manual allows. Carrying a full tank is tiring: rest when you are tired.