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NE Iowa | Was thinking all winter it was time for a better sprayer but didn't buy anything yet. I rolled my existing sprayer completely over down a hill last night so that kind of made up my mind now. I only spray a few hundred acres a year. I understand the timeliness factor of spraying and buy all chemicals from cash and carry low-cost distributors so would hate to go to having things custom sprayed. I have very small fields varying from 2 to 20 acres each that range fram about 3 to 30 percent slope. Most are contoured with point rows and lots of waterways. Some of these waterways are pretty sharp to cross and rows typically hit at an angle. Been spraying with a very old pull type sprayer on 60" centers with 30' manual boom that even digs into the ground in places. Been pulling it with an old small tractor with 12" tires. It wants to dog-track downhill on steep slopes so added hyd cylinder to swing drawbar on worst hills. Was wondering what type of sprayer would be best for me:
1) Get a traditional pull-type sprayer but maybe 120" centers so I wouldn't roll it again. Would like 45' or 60' booms but with that width and my ever changing slopes would need to be hyd controlled. or what is a self-leveling boom? My fear is I could not handle with my old tractor with the narrow tires and dog tracking down hill can take out 2 rows easily.
2) Go to a 300 gallon 3 pt sprayer with 60' boom. Have about 5 year old 100 hp MFWD I could put it on. Could I run this tractor on 90" centers? Would be scared to go 60" on my hills and is my round baler tractor. Always thought 3pt would be great for getting in corners but thought they would be pain in the but to hook up.
3) Seen pull-type "pasture-type" sprayers with about a 12' boom and boomless nozzles on each end to get about 43' of coverage. Any idea how these would work in corn and beans?
4) Seen ads for these "mini-floater" aty type sprayers. Could pull it with my old small tractor. For my acres the 200 gallon tank would still work. Would these give me big sprayer features at less cost. They come in 120" widths. I do have a 4x2 Gator also.
5) Have it custom sprayed and pay premium for chemicals and increased rate for PIA fields.
Any thoughts? Gotta do something. | |
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Best sprayer type for steep, small, & odd fields
