Near Intersection of I-35 & I-90 Southern Mn. | I had a Top Air pull-type sprayer for several years and it worked fine. Later I went to a Deere 4720 SP sprayer. It had lots of nice features but I couldn't seem to keep it off the rows. I traded it off against a new tractor.
I then bought a Fast 963P 3 point sprayer from a private party. The party had gone to a SP sprayer but kept the 3 point around for a couple of years and then decided they weren't using it so they put it up for sale. The Fast sprayer was in very good condition and included some Demco saddle tanks.
I decided I wanted more tank capacity. I had a set of Demco Sidequest tanks (750 Gallons) for planting and like them. I was able to locate another set of Demco Sidequest tanks (1000 gallons) on Craig's list. I drove to the owner's place and we made a deal. I put the other set of saddle tanks on Craig's list and got them sold. One day I borrowed a friend's trailer and went on a road trip. I dropped off the saddle tanks to that party and then drove to the other party to pick up the SideQuest tanks.
The tractor involved is a Deere 8120 MFWD. It has had an Ag Leader Insight in it for some time. The Insight works with a Trimble Nav II for autopilot. The Insight is also connected to Ag Leader's Liquid Product Control module. The boom height and folding is still done with the small switchbox from Fast that came with the sprayer. All aspects of spray control (rate, totals, mapping etc.) are handled by the Insight.
I do not use the Autopilot for actual spraying but I do use it when pulling back in for another pass. When I get to the end, autoswath shuts off the sprayer and I start to make my turn. When I see that the AB line has advanced to the next swath, I engage the autopilot which then steers the tractor onto the correct set of rows. I then grab the wheel and snap it to disengage the autopilot and I drive manually across the field. Since there is some GPS drift, occasionally I need to shift the AB line by remarking the "A" point.
One drawback is that it is hard to see if certain tips are spraying due to the tanks blocking my view but that problem is pretty common with most any sprayer.
Often I fill in the dooryard where I have a couple of large tanks in an older machine shed which are filled from a hydrant with a Hudson float to shut off the water. This means that I have a rather large supply of water on hand in case I decide to spray on the spur of the moment. Since the tanks are indoors they don't get an algae buildup and the water is at a normal temperature (some say that is helpful). My chemicals are stored there also near my inductor stand.
I do have a tender trailer that holds 1000 gallons which could go to the field. When I'm spraying I'm often alone and with the multitude of products that are part of the mix, it is generally easier for me to fold up the sprayer and drive home.
This is not the cheapest setup but it suits my situation very well. |
Pull Sprayer - Upgrade to better components
