Which self propelled sprayer?

[Clive]

That’s great if you can afford a modern trailer sprayer. Not everyone wants, needs or can afford one. Everyone’s business is different and requires different solutions.

For me the SP I now run cost less to buy than the trailer sprayer it replaced and runs on narrower tyres than the tractor that pulled the trailer sprayer had on it. Add the wider booms and the fact we can go a bit faster in places as we now have a sprayer with a rate governor and output has increased a fair bit.

Then there is the fact it’s always sat there ready to go and saves hitching off other stuff all the time means as a one man band doing cereals livestock and some contract work that any spraying work can be done as and when needed with no messing about.

But I am only talking about a sprayer to cover 200 acre cereals. No way on this earth would I want to be doing 2000 acres with such a machine!

I agree - a used self prop at the right price makes sense if the workload fits

Prices are lagging however - AHDB webinar the other night actualy showed that monitor farms with self props were getting the job done at a very good price. The trouble was all the machines costed were £100k new models of a few years ago, Running the numbers with a modern 200 or 250k machine looks very different

 

[Clive]

Think some posters have been missing the point here.
The OP asked which self propelled sprayer not which trailed or demount etc.
So..... Sands or Bateman would be my advice.
Both British. Both have excellent backup.
Just choose which colour you prefer.

True

Let’s try get back on topic please, there are enough trailer vs self prop threads already

 

[Andrew K]

True

Let’s try get back on topic please, there are enough trailer vs self prop threads already

I would look at the Agribuggy if I were wanting a light but capable machine with 2700 litres capacity. They are quick on the road and mechanical drive is ideal for those on slopes.Nothing SP uses so little fuel IMO.

 

[cows r us]

I would look at the Agribuggy if I were wanting a light but capable machine with 2700 litres capacity. They are quick on the road and mechanical drive is ideal for those on slopes.Nothing SP uses so little fuel IMO.

I used to run a buggy. They are fantastic machines but not quite big enough for want we need. 3000 litre is the absolute minimum I would go too and 24m booms are too narrow for us.

 

[Sitting Pretty]

Bargam to a Grimpeur Junior which I think does 3000-3500 litres and is mechanical drive

 

[ollie989898]

The one thing that used to put me off driving the 'sprayer tractor' was the fact you could barely see out the windows of the fudging thing because of the half dozen boxes and googly-bits it had stashed on the right hand side of the cab.

On a Fendt, can you just isobus into the main terminal and run the fudging thing with the vario-terminal? Would pay for itself a dozen times over if it did that.

 

[Sitting Pretty]

The one thing that used to put me off driving the 'sprayer tractor' was the fact you could barely see out the windows of the fudging thing because of the half dozen boxes and googly-bits it had stashed on the right hand side of the cab.

On a Fendt, can you just isobus into the main terminal and run the fudging thing with the vario-terminal? Would pay for itself a dozen times over if it did that.

As far as I’m aware on a Fendt you can do isobus through the screen.
I have a Case IH Puma 165 CVX on my trailed sprayer. Simple isobus through the 10 inch screen plus camera on the rear and the Arag control is on a suction bracket on the side window. The control it’s self beat compared to most but it’s a simple sprayer with not to many toys on it. Baler bar removed as windows are for seeing out of

 

[Sitting Pretty]

https://www.clevelandsprayers.com/grimpeur-jr-series

Turns out it only has a 2500 litre tank or 3000 litre tank

 

[Chae1]

I used to run a buggy. They are fantastic machines but not quite big enough for want we need. 3000 litre is the absolute minimum I would go too and 24m booms are too narrow for us.

How many acres of cereals/root crops do you grow, spray ?

Might give people a better idea what to suggest.

 

[ajd132]

I agree - a used self prop at the right price makes sense if the workload fits

Prices are lagging however - AHDB webinar the other night actualy showed that monitor farms with self props were getting the job done at a very good price. The trouble was all the machines costed were £100k new models of a few years ago, Running the numbers with a modern 200 or 250k machine looks very different

This is it, our rb55 was about 175k with everything possible about 4 years ago. To change for the equivalent bateman or competitor now such as Horsch or agrifac would be a ridiculous cost. It’s done 3400hrs and can will offer us cheap spraying for a good few years to come.

 

[Clive]

This is it, our rb55 was about 175k with everything possible about 4 years ago. To change for the equivalent bateman or competitor now such as Horsch or agrifac would be a ridiculous cost. It’s done 3400hrs and can will offer us cheap spraying for a good few years to come.

Goal posts have certainly moved in recent years re machinery prices

Stuff with engines is 80% more (not adjusted for inflation) and 65% (adjusted) than it was a decade ago apparently

 

[Spud]

The one thing that used to put me off driving the 'sprayer tractor' was the fact you could barely see out the windows of the fudging thing because of the half dozen boxes and googly-bits it had stashed on the right hand side of the cab.

On a Fendt, can you just isobus into the main terminal and run the fudging thing with the vario-terminal? Would pay for itself a dozen times over if it did that.

Don't think you're cut out to be a fudging sprayman!!

 

[cows r us]

I think it's going

How many acres of cereals/root crops do you grow, spray ?

Might give people a better idea what to suggest.

Around 1500 acres of arable and 1500acres of grassland although we use liquid fertilizer on the arable as well. The grassland doesn't get sprayed much though.

 

[Clive]

The one thing that used to put me off driving the 'sprayer tractor' was the fact you could barely see out the windows of the fudging thing because of the half dozen boxes and googly-bits it had stashed on the right hand side of the cab.

On a Fendt, can you just isobus into the main terminal and run the fudging thing with the vario-terminal? Would pay for itself a dozen times over if it did that.

Yes Horsch is totally plug and play

ISO plugs in - screen becomes sprayer control and tractor joystick and buttons all control functions.

Absolutely nothing extra in the cab - What ISO was always supposed to do !

Hydraulic jack drops down on a “button” on the screen - 2 hydro pipes, air brakes and ISO plug disconnect and your done !

 

[Matt77]

If you haven’t already, I’d get a spirit on demo, mines only 24m but they do 28 I think. I had an old 4d agribuggy and the spirit goes places that that went with less mess and more tank capacity and boom width! Househam is British too and if you have an AR you know what they are like, everyone goes on about Bateman service, well I’ve not had a problem with Househam. I’ve got individual GPS nozzle shut off, auto boom height control and RTK steering, not sure I need much more. (other than the boom control of a Horsch!!)

 

[cows r us]

Ok so if you had the choice of tyres would you go michelin xeobib 520/60r28 or 540/65r28 on a self propelled? I'm looking for a wheel to keep on all year round. I've been warned off the new agribuggy/McConnell by a number of people now. Apparently having a lot of build issues.

 

[Clive]

Ok so if you had the choice of tyres would you go michelin xeobib 520/60r28 or 540/65r28 on a self propelled? I'm looking for a wheel to keep on all year round. I've been warned off the new agribuggy/McConnell by a number of people now. Apparently having a lot of build issues.

We had 480’s on our Bateman that really could probably have stayed on all year round

Depends on how your ground travels really

 

[Matt77]

You say they’re xeobib, I’d say the 520 be fine as you can let xeobibs down nice and low, so nice wide print for winter then maybe up them a bit for rest of year and not flatten so much crop.

 

[marshallfarm]

Knight sprayers have a demo day tomorrow at Great Casterton near Stamford if you wanted to have a look at them. We run two knight sprayers. An 1835 SP and a trailed trailblazer. Both good reliable machines

 

[Jdavis1976]

Ok so if you had the choice of tyres would you go michelin xeobib 520/60r28 or 540/65r28 on a self propelled? I'm looking for a wheel to keep on all year round. I've been warned off the new agribuggy/McConnell by a number of people now. Apparently having a lot of build issues.

@cows r us, All build issues have been rectified, this was an early 2018 issue when we moved production facilities, I’ll happily show you around the new set up or even bring a machine out for demo if you like ?