Best sprayer for smaller tasks

[Fergienewbee]

I'm looking/researching a small boom sprayer either with a 3ph or as might fit on an ATV. Can I mount an ATV sprayer on a "carry all" and run the pump off the tractor battery? What's a roll pump and how does it work? Electricity or hydraulics? I have a TO 30 so have no external hydraulics. I've been researching Fimco brand. Any others out there? I'd use it mostly to spray weeds prior to planting. Any advice appreciated.

Larry in Michigan

 

[Jim in Ma.]

I picked up 2 12volt cheap pumps from Northern tool. one for weed killer and one for insect spray. I use 55 gal. plastic barrels and some clear plastic tubbing and nozzles I had kicking around. You only need to run 4-10lbs pressure and only mix the amount needed. They work out well for my setup. Jim

 

[PreciseFarms]

The Co-op here sells 55 gallon sprayers with about a 10ft. boom and hand nozzle. This would be ideal. Roller pumps run off tractor's PTO and are pretty straightforward. Many of the small sprayers come with them. For a small sprayer an electric pump could also work fine.

 

[Anonymous-0]

Look up Spray Specialities at Des Moines and download from TeeJet's web page their #50 catalog. It shows how to build any size of sprayer.

Heartland Agrisupply at Ames Iowa and Marshall MO is a very good source of pieces also.

I just sprayed 23.3 acres yesterday with a quart of glyphosate per acre in 8 gallons of water. I sprayed 20' wide (8 rows 30") with boom pieces made of 1" thick wall PVC pipe. I use a 12 volt electric pump rated at 4.5 gpm (no pressure, about 4 gpm at 30 psi) connected to my 12 volt tractor battery. Its convenient and the Shurflo style of diaphragm pump handles spray mixtures with aplomb. Yesterday I was using my JD 4020 for ground clearance, but I sprayed the burndown with my MF-135. I built my sprayer on a 3 point platform. I have a recirculate line that goes through an injector that really mixes the tank. My tank is 65 gallons.

I use TurboTeeJet Air Injected nozzles and have few problems with drift. I generally mount them at 20" spacings and run the boom 20 or 25" off the grounnd, though the ends of my PVC pipes wave up and down a lot with nearly 5" unsupported. I regulate the pressure with a plastic needle valve that returns to a plain return port on the tank and I monitor the pressure with a stainless steel pressure gauge.

Every farm store has a package ready to drop on the ATV or three point platform to do the same thing.

You can see part of mine on this picture, taken last year after planting when I used the sprayer to meter out 32% Nitrogen to the openers on the front of the planter. Pretty its not, but yesterday, I filled the tank three times and when I quit 23.3 acres with a little overlap, I had less than a gallon left. 8 gpm, 8 mph.

Gerald J.

 

[Anonymous-0]

8 gallons per acre, and 8 mph.

Every maker of farm sprayers sells and estate size for use on or behind the utility tractor or ATV. They do tend to believe one is growing gold with them and want a cut of the profits, but they do work. Accuracy of dose is dependent on accuracy of speed control because they are constant pressure. The big sprayers can have controller that sense ground speed and adjust pressure, but those controllers cost more than our utility tractors.

Gerald J.

 

[Anonymous-0]

I did exactly what you are suggesting. Bought a 25 gal. Timco electric pump sprayer from Tractor Supply. It has both a wand and a fold out 8 ft boom. Then I mounted it on a used pallet with 4 screws. I just pick up the pallet with my carryall on the tractors 3 point hitch. Takes about 3 minutes to attach it, plug it in and go. I find I use the wand mostly but sometimes use the boom sprayer for patches of weeds or a kill down area.

 

[fregienewbee]

Should be a good project for the winter. My BIL is much more mechanically inclined than I am. If I help him cut wood, I'm sure he'll help be build a sprayer. Or maybe something will come up at an auction.

Larry in Michigan

 

[IH farmer]

Fimco is a great brand of sprayers. We have a 25 gallon sprayer that fits on the back of a ATV. The sprayer has a wand for fence rows and a 11 foot boom for bigger spaces. We bought the sprayer at Farm and Fleet.