Sprayers On Parade
It’s the height of the growing season, when weeds, insects, and diseases hope to enjoy themselves in your grower-customers’ fields. Sprayers — both dry and liquid — are critical now and throughout the season in the battle for crop yields.
New Show Finds
New sprayer models are always a popular draw at equipment shows.
AGCO’s RoGator 2011 builds on the line’s legacy, from the easy-access front entry to its C-channel frame and six-post advanced application cab.
The liquid system available on the new TerraGator models makes it suitable for preplant applications, according to the company. Streamlined plumbing handles a wide range of spray capacities. The liquid systems are available with a fixed-height boom or the Benson Boom II that maintains a level platform independent of movements.
Miller St. Nazianz’ Condor G-Series Mechanical Drive Sprayers feature a rugged mechanical drive train, 240- or 275-hp Cummins QSB 6.7-liter engine, and a choice of a 1,000- or 1,200-gallon tank. New for 2010 is the availability of SmartDrive front wheel assist on the Condor G75, providing superior traction, according to the manufacturer. Condors can be customized with a broad range of boom options, including Miller’s Spray-Air air boom system.
Extended Season
There also will be plenty of high-clearance machines — new and tried-and-true — to see this summer.
Hagie STS sprayers continue to offer the key features they are known for, the company says: unmatched visibility, full-season clearance, on-spot service, and the industry’s best weight balance and horsepower to weight ratio. For 2011, all four STS models — STS10, STS12, STS14, and STS16 — will feature improvements and new options.
Two new High-Torque “HT” models in Miller’s Nitro 4000 Series sprayer line for 2010 will be launched this summer. The 4000 Series sprayers are high-clearance machines with a front-mount boom, enabling them to be used late into the season in tall corn, and feature the HydraLink all-wheel suspension, ensuring 4-wheel traction and a smooth ride for reduced operator fatigue and minimal machine stress.
The Pacesetter XL, from Precision Tank & Equipment Co. allows operators to use just one unit for all fall, spring, and postemergence liquid fertilizer and chemical application work. It’s a full-flotation unit when equipped with the flotation tire package, and a row crop unit when fitted with the high-clearance, narrow-tire package. Converting the Pacesetter XL from a row crop to full-flotation applicator is just a matter of changing tires.
John Deere’s 4730 and 4830 Sprayers offer optional high-clearance bundle packages. These increase sprayer height an additional 16 inches, allowing 76 inches of under-frame clearance. Operators can drive the self-propelled rigs through tasseled corn, minimizing crop damage.
Field Tested
Established rigs, for those who favor tried-and-true models, will be available as always.
The mid-sized Case IH Patriot 3330 sprayer, with its 1,000-gallon tank capacity, optimizes the sprayer’s weight distribution to minimize field compaction and rutting. Rated at 250 hp, the Patriot 3330 sprayer can be equipped with either 90-, 100- or 120-foot booms and a complete offering of precision agriculture options, including the exclusive AIM Command spray system.
According to Stahly, its 800- to 1,200-gallon Extralites with mechanical drive systems are the lightest weight 4-wheel-drive sprayers on the market. When equipped with an 8-foot New Leader spreader, the machine becomes a preemergence/postemergence/dry applicator. Users can swap the machine from liquid to dry in under an hour.