An OSU A
March 16, 2010 
On March 2, 1968, E.J. Rickel, president of Rickel, Inc. Manufacturing Division, Kansas City, MO, sent a letter to Dale T. Friday, then general manager of the Farm Science Review for The Ohio State University (OSU) in Columbus. In it, Rickel told Friday the company was ready to deliver a brand new Big A Model A II 41 to the university.
“For the liquid set-up, we have installed a roller type pump (Hypro 1500 Series) because of the higher pressure required for insecticides,” wrote Rickel. “The booms will have fittings for other nozzles such as flood jets to be used with fertilizer solutions. Black iron pipe is used because it can be changed with little expense.”
Three Decades Later
For the next 28 years, OSU used this Big A for all its sprayer and spreader classes. It was capable of speeds up to 23 mph and could apply product at 20.5 gallons per acre.
In 2006, OSU sold the Big A to Tyler Grain & Fertilizer Co., Smithville, OH. According to General Manager Paul Stevens, the company used this model to spray 500 acres of hay during the next
few seasons.
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