6 Best Atv Water Tanks For Irrigation for Hard-to-Reach Pastures
Bring water to hard-to-reach pastures. Our guide reviews the 6 best ATV tanks, comparing capacity, durability, and spray systems for efficient irrigation.
That back corner of your pasture, the one on the hill, is turning brown and crispy. You know it needs water, but running a hose 500 feet is a nightmare, and the ground is too soft and uneven for a truck. This is a common headache on a small farm—prime land that’s just too difficult to manage effectively. An ATV-mounted or tow-behind water tank completely changes this equation, turning a logistical problem into a simple afternoon task.
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Why an ATV Water Tank is a Pasture Game-Changer
Getting water to where it’s needed is one of the fundamental challenges of managing land. An ATV water tank solves the "last mile" problem for those hard-to-reach spots. Whether it’s a remote paddock, a newly planted windbreak, or a food plot tucked away in the woods, your ATV can get there when a tractor or truck can’t.
Think beyond just watering, though. This tool is a force multiplier for your small operation. With the same tank, you can apply liquid fertilizer to improve forage, spot-spray invasive weeds without contaminating a large area, or even carry water for a prescribed burn or to douse a stray campfire. It transforms your recreational vehicle into a legitimate agricultural tool, making the investment much easier to justify.
The real win is in time and labor. Hauling buckets by hand is back-breaking and inefficient. Wrestling with long, kinking hoses is frustrating and slow. An ATV tank lets you move 25, 40, or even 60 gallons of water quickly and with minimal physical effort, freeing you up to focus on other pressing farm chores.
Fimco LG-25-SS: The All-Purpose ATV Sprayer
If you’re looking for a versatile workhorse, the Fimco 25-gallon spot sprayer is a fantastic starting point. It mounts directly to your ATV’s rear rack, keeping the unit compact and maneuverable on tight trails. This size is the sweet spot for many jobs—enough capacity for serious spot-watering without making your ATV top-heavy or dangerously overloaded.
The key feature is its high-pressure pump and handgun sprayer. The pump typically delivers around 2 GPM (gallons per minute), but with a pressure of up to 60 PSI. This means you can shoot a stream of water 20-30 feet, perfect for reaching the base of young trees across a ditch or watering individual garden beds without driving right over them. It’s designed as a sprayer, which gives you precision that a simple tank and hose can’t match.
The tradeoff is that it’s not a bulk water hauler. For establishing a large patch of new seeding, 25 gallons will disappear quickly, forcing you to make multiple trips. It also occupies your rear rack, so you can’t haul other tools or supplies simultaneously. But for targeted applications, its convenience and performance are hard to beat.
NorthStar Tow-Behind: For Maximum Water Capacity
When you need to move a serious amount of water, a tow-behind model like those from NorthStar is the answer. With capacities often ranging from 40 to over 60 gallons, these units allow you to tackle large-scale irrigation jobs in one go. Watering an entire half-acre food plot or giving a new pasture a deep soak becomes a manageable task instead of an all-day affair.
The tow-behind design is a major advantage for both safety and performance. By putting the weight on its own wheels, it takes the strain off your ATV’s suspension and creates a lower, more stable center of gravity. This is crucially important when operating on hillsides or uneven ground, where a heavy, rack-mounted tank could make the ATV dangerously unstable. It also leaves your front and rear racks free for other gear.
Of course, this capacity comes with downsides. A trailer is inherently less nimble than just the ATV itself, making it harder to navigate dense woods or execute tight turns. It also requires more storage space in the barn or shed. This is your tool for open spaces and big jobs, not for surgical strikes in tight quarters.
Enduraplas Field Boss: Built for Rough Terrain
Some properties are just plain tough on equipment. If your land is rocky, steep, and full of low-hanging branches, you need a tank that’s built to withstand abuse. The Enduraplas Field Boss lineup is designed exactly for this environment, prioritizing durability above all else.
These tanks feature extra-thick poly walls that resist punctures and cracking far better than standard-duty models. More importantly, the pump and plumbing are often mounted in a protected enclosure. This prevents a stray branch from snagging a hose or a rock from cracking the pump housing—a common and frustrating point of failure on cheaper units.
This rugged construction comes at a higher price point. However, think of it as an investment in reliability. Buying a cheaper tank only to have it fail and leak 40 gallons of liquid fertilizer two years later is a false economy. If your working conditions are demanding, paying more upfront for a tank that won’t let you down is the smarter long-term decision.
Chapin 97361: A Compact and Easy-to-Handle Tank
Spray efficiently with the Chapin 97361: its dual tank design mixes concentrate on demand, eliminating premixing. Featuring a 15-gallon water tank, quick connect pump, and triple filtration, this USA-made sprayer easily attaches to your ATV/UTV.
Not every watering job requires a massive tank. For smaller, more precise tasks, a compact 15-gallon model like the Chapin 97361 is an excellent choice. Its main advantage is its light weight and manageability. It’s easy for one person to lift on and off the ATV rack, making setup and cleanup quick and painless.
This is the perfect tool for targeted jobs where a large tank would be overkill. Think of watering a dozen newly planted fruit trees, tending to a remote vegetable patch, or applying a specific treatment to a small, isolated area. The lower weight also puts less strain on your ATV and has a minimal impact on its handling and stability.
The limitation is obvious: capacity. Fifteen gallons won’t get you far if you’re trying to irrigate a quarter-acre of dry pasture. You’ll spend more time driving back to refill it than you will watering. You must be realistic about its purpose. It’s a precision tool, not a bulk irrigator.
Master Mfg. SNO-ATV-11-34: Versatile Boom Kit
While most of these tanks focus on spot-spraying with a wand, some jobs require uniform, broadcast coverage. A tank equipped with a boom, like many from Master Mfg., is designed for this. A boom is a horizontal bar with multiple nozzles that sprays a wide, even swath as you drive.
This is the ideal setup for tasks like watering in new grass seed across a pasture or applying a consistent layer of liquid lime. The boom ensures every square foot gets the same amount of water, preventing the patchy results you’d get trying to do the same job with a handgun. Some models have booms that fold up for transport, adding to their versatility.
The tradeoff for this even coverage is maneuverability. A 7-foot or 10-foot boom is a liability in wooded areas or on narrow trails where it can easily snag on trees or fence posts. It’s a specialized attachment that excels in open fields but becomes a hindrance in complex terrain.
Agri-Fab 45-0292: Reliable Tow-Behind Option
Sometimes you don’t need the most heavy-duty or feature-rich option; you just need a reliable tool that works. Agri-Fab is a well-known brand that makes straightforward, dependable equipment, and their tow-behind sprayers are no exception. They offer a great balance of capacity, performance, and price for the average hobby farm.
These units are typically simple to assemble, operate, and maintain. Because the brand is so common, finding replacement parts like pumps or nozzles is usually much easier than for less-common, specialized brands. It’s a workhorse designed for typical use—watering lawns, managing larger gardens, and handling small pastures without any fuss.
While an Agri-Fab might not have the extra-thick walls of an Enduraplas or the high-end pump options of a NorthStar, it’s more than capable for most situations. It represents a practical, mid-range choice that gets the job done without breaking the budget, making it a smart pick for farmers who need solid performance without paying for extreme-duty features they’ll never use.
Choosing Your Tank: Pump, Nozzle, and Capacity
Deciding on the right tank comes down to honestly assessing your property and your primary tasks. Don’t get sold on features you don’t need. Start by breaking down your decision into three key areas.
First, capacity. How big is the area you need to water, and how far is it from your water source?
- 15-25 Gallons (Rack-Mount): Best for spot-watering, small gardens, or properties with tight trails. The focus is on maneuverability.
- 40+ Gallons (Tow-Behind): Necessary for irrigating larger pastures, food plots, or any job where making multiple trips would be too time-consuming. The focus is on efficiency at scale.
Second, consider the pump. The specifications, GPM (gallons per minute) and PSI (pounds per square inch), tell you how it will perform. High GPM means you can empty the tank faster, which is great for drenching soil. High PSI provides the pressure to create a fine mist or shoot a stream over a long distance. For general watering, a balanced pump is fine, but for targeted spraying, higher PSI is a major advantage.
Finally, think about the nozzle and boom configuration. A handgun sprayer is the most versatile, allowing you to go from a long-distance stream to a wide cone with a twist. A broadcast nozzle on the back of the tank is good for hands-free, wide-angle application as you drive. A boom is a specialized tool for perfectly uniform coverage in open areas. The right delivery system is just as important as the tank itself.
Ultimately, the best ATV water tank is the one that turns an inaccessible piece of your property into a productive one. By matching the tank’s capacity, pump, and features to the unique challenges of your land, you’re not just buying a piece of equipment. You’re investing in a solution that saves time, reduces labor, and unlocks the full potential of your farm.
