Electrical Connection for Boom Sprayer

[mml373]

I have a Workhorse boom sprayer and am not familiar with electrical connections for connecting the pump to the tractor's electrical system. Looks like the tractor is a 12 volt system and so is the pump, so that's good... <haha>

I have two wires coming from the pump, with alligator clips on the other end. The black negative wire should attach to the frame of the tractor. Where would the red positive clip attach, safely? I don't think I have enough wire to run to the battery pole, and wonder if that would be safe to begin with. Thanks for helpful replies!

 

[Tony in SD]

If you have a trailer connector on your tractor then it is possible to get 12VDC as well as a good ground from that outlet.

 

[rustred]

Run yourself a hot wire and a ground wire with a simple plug to the rear of the tractor from the battery or other easy connection. Then connect the male end of that plug to the sprayer. And u can plug and unplug it as needed. a two prong electrical plugin is good. but then no idea on what tractor u have either i am thinking like a lawn tractor as thats what i use with about an 8 ft sprayer.

 

[mml373]

Thanks, y'all. I'll work on getting a round connector made and will try to work around the battery connection issue assuming I have enough wire to work with...or can fabricate a temporary solution with other wire on hand.

 

[bradley martin]

I have a Workhorse boom sprayer and am not familiar with electrical connections for connecting the pump to the tractor's electrical system. Looks like the tractor is a 12 volt system and so is the pump, so that's good... <haha>

I have two wires coming from the pump, with alligator clips on the other end. The black negative wire should attach to the frame of the tractor. Where would the red positive clip attach, safely? I don't think I have enough wire to run to the battery pole, and wonder if that would be safe to begin with. Thanks for helpful replies!

Hook directly to the positive battery post or splice a length of 14 ga electrical wire onto your red lead. That will get you going. You are way overthinking this. Those pumps draw very little amperage. It does make it much more convenient to have a switch in either the positive or negative wire but you can accomplish the same thing by disconnecting one of the alligator clips.

 

[mml373]

Thank you. Unfortunately I'm at a work stoppage because Fimco/Workhorse are too cheap to include a top link pin with these 3-point sprayers, and everything's closed around here for the rest of the weekend.

 

[TerryfromSWIowa]

You don't have a bolt or hitch pin that will fit? I used a twist lock plug and a switch on my sprayer so I could shut it off from the seat.

 

[mml373]

You don't have a bolt or hitch pin that will fit? I used a twist lock plug and a switch on my sprayer so I could shut it off from the seat.

Thought about that but don't want to scuff up the inside of my ball joint with the wrong bolt. That said...the hitch pin just fit! Thank you for this suggestion...it'll work in a pinch.

 

[Fixingfarmer]

Most of the sprayer setups they sell the alligator clips go a fuse. Then to a black plastic connector. They sell an extension harness for 10 bucks. What I’ve done is taken the extension harness and cut one connection end off with about 3 inches left in case I want to use it for something later but generally put the little piece in the electrical drawer. Then take the extension and on the red wire you just cut add a fuse (20 amp) since you probably removed the old one with the alligator clips doing this then put 2 heat shrink eyelets one for the frame ground and one for the positive terminal which will likely be a 5/16 hole on the battery clamp bolt. That way when you want to plug into the sprayer you just back the tractor up plug into the harness that’s ready to go and spray.

Look up fimco extension harness and it will make sense

 

[Fred Werring]

THE FOLLOWING ASSUMES A 12V NEGATIVE GROUND TRACTOR

Get a 12 wire gauge fuse holder like this,

Fuse holder

and put a large enough ring terminal on one end to attach to the battery post on your starter solenoid. These say they come with 30 amp fuses, I'd run 20's.
Get a piece of 12 ga wire long enough to run to the back of the tractor, where you'll connect to a 2-pole flat connector.

12Ga 2 pole flat connector

The ground wire of the connector can go to a bolt somewhere close on the tractor frame/body.

Then hook up the other side of the connector to your sprayer.

Lot of guys don't like them, but I've used crimp on butt splice wire connectors, ring terminals, etc. with no issues. I do squirt dielectric inside the crimp barrel before crimping for corrosion protection where needed...like a sprayer application.

I've got a few sprayers I use for different things, and a few different tractors I use them with. By using the same connector setup on all of them, kinda standardizes things for me, makes it easier.

 

[Larry986]

Thought about that but don't want to scuff up the inside of my ball joint with the wrong bolt. That said...the hitch pin just fit! Thank you for this suggestion...it'll work in a pinch.

After one use the inside of your ball joint wont care.

 

[Russ from MN]

Not a tractor, but I have used a boom sprayer on my Honda 4-wheeler. I had previously installed a back-up, or rear work light on it, with a switch on the dash. So, I just connect the sprayer pump to the same conector, a flat 4 trailer connector. that way I could start and stop the pump from a dash switch, as we did a lot of row spraying in our tree farm.

 

[mml373]

THE FOLLOWING ASSUMES A 12V NEGATIVE GROUND TRACTOR

Get a 12 wire gauge fuse holder like this,

Fuse holder

and put a large enough ring terminal on one end to attach to the battery post on your starter solenoid. These say they come with 30 amp fuses, I'd run 20's.
Get a piece of 12 ga wire long enough to run to the back of the tractor, where you'll connect to a 2-pole flat connector.

12Ga 2 pole flat connector

The ground wire of the connector can go to a bolt somewhere close on the tractor frame/body.

Then hook up the other side of the connector to your sprayer.

Lot of guys don't like them, but I've used crimp on butt splice wire connectors, ring terminals, etc. with no issues. I do squirt dielectric inside the crimp barrel before crimping for corrosion protection where needed...like a sprayer application.

I've got a few sprayers I use for different things, and a few different tractors I use them with. By using the same connector setup on all of them, kinda standardizes things for me, makes it easier.

Thank you, Fred. Gives me an excuse to dust off old electrical work skills and is a robust solution. If I don't have an old round trailer connector lying around I'll go this route.

 

[Teakettle]

I have a Workhorse boom sprayer and am not familiar with electrical connections for connecting the pump to the tractor's electrical system. Looks like the tractor is a 12 volt system and so is the pump, so that's good... <haha>

I have two wires coming from the pump, with alligator clips on the other end. The black negative wire should attach to the frame of the tractor. Where would the red positive clip attach, safely? I don't think I have enough wire to run to the battery pole, and wonder if that would be safe to begin with. Thanks for helpful replies!

I did something a little different: my IH came with a cigarette lighter so I put a cigarette lighter plug on the sprayer wires.

That lighter socket has proven quite useful, I have plugged a tire inflator into it, charged my phone, etc.

 

[wh]

After one use the inside of your ball joint wont care.

Sounds like he needs to just put it in shed and go by and admire it every now and then. If he uses it it, it will get scuffed up and not look new.

 

[mml373]

Sounds like he needs to just put it in shed and go by and admire it every now and then. If he uses it it, it will get scuffed up and not look new.

To state the facts accurately I just care about my equipment and the investment I've made in it, which represents years of effort to cover the cost.

 

[Larry986]

To state the facts accurately I just care about my equipment and the investment I've made in it, which represents years of effort to cover the cost.

My point is that the ball joint,as you call it is going to get scuffed up, as you call it, no matter what. And it won't make a bit of difference. Except to you, because it isn't going to hurt it and no one else is gonna see it. Those balls are hardened and aren't that easy to damage.

 

[Jim.ME]

Thought about that but don't want to scuff up the inside of my ball joint with the wrong bolt. That said...the hitch pin just fit! Thank you for this suggestion...it'll work in a pinch.

Good you got a hitch pin that fit so you are moving forward.

For the record. A 3/4" bolt (for Cat. 1) with an unthreaded shank that extends through the implement ears and the toplink ball is not going to scuff the inside of the ball up a bit more than a top link pin will. I have made a number of such pins from grade 5 bolts, with no damage to the top link balls.

 

[mml373]

Good you got a hitch pin that fit so you are moving forward.

For the record. A 3/4" bolt (for Cat. 1) with an unthreaded shank that extends through the implement ears and the toplink ball is not going to scuff the inside of the ball up a bit more than a top link pin will. I have made a number of such pins from grade 5 bolts, with no damage to the top link balls.

Understood. If I had a carried bolt I would have used that, also. No bolt I had on hand was one I would have trusted

If you have a trailer connector on your tractor then it is possible to get 12VDC as well as a good ground from that outlet.

I had hoped to use that 7-pin connector because it would allow me to keep the wiring run short and easily disconnect/connect, but I'm not getting a voltage. Tried different multitester settings, nothing. Tried a 12V battery and got a 12V reading. Tractor was on and idling. Ideas? The 30A fuse is good. There's a relay that I assume is good. Continuity on the Ground and 12V battery power poles is good. Just not seeing voltage on the pins and I don't want to wire up and connect the plug till I see voltage.

Appreciate the help...new to all this stuff. All of it.

 

[MJMJ]

Just in case this needs mentioned, 3pt implements don’t come with top link pins. Or 3pt arm pins. Those are things you need to have on hand because they’re needed for all implements. And honestly, if you’re worried about paint inside the ball joints of your top link, you’re going to be real disappointed after you get a little use out of the tractor. It won’t look new any more.