Which sprayers nozzles?

Brisel · Jun 22, 2019

traineefarmer said:
We've been using Hypro Lo-drift flat fans at rates of 100 - 150 L/ha for donkey's years - a legacy of my father "the're the best and that's that" but now that I have more control over decision making, I've been spending some time and effort upgrading our spray system. Bigger sprayer, experiments with adjuvants and conditioners, better timings, but up to now I've stuck with my father's nozzle and rate choices.

I read the Pro Operator article and it got me thinking about the importance of nozzles and rates. Our agronimist is a big believer in very low dose rates - less than 100L/Ha, but I don't want to run small orifice nozzles with powders and beet sprays, so I'm thinking of an 025 @ ~ 110L/ha.

Also our sprayer doesn't have rotating nozzle holders so change overs can be a pain and we only farm 110Ha so the cost per Ha of buying 3 different types of nozzle for a 20m sprayer is harder to justify, so ideally I'm looking for a one size fits all compromise.

I'm looking at trying Hypro Guardian Air to fit the bill. I know they won't be ideal for pre-ems but overall I hope they will be better than the old tech Lo-drifts for everything else.

I'd love to hear your thoughs...

I have LoDrifts on some of my smaller sprayers like the ones used for game covers and sterile strips. They produce a very coarse pattern so would need a very high water volume for hitting small targets with e.g. blackgrass. They are excellent for drift control but for a finer spray at 100 l/ha with reasonable drift control Bubblejets (or Guardian Airs) run at 2 bar will give you better control of what you’re targeting IMO.

Changing 40 nozzles to suit the conditions and target isn’t that onerous - have a bucket full ready to go with caps and washers and it doesn’t take as long as it does for me to twist the 72 x 4 way nozzle holders I have on mine!

SimpersTradeCounter · Jun 24, 2019

traineefarmer said:
Thanks, that's good to know.

On the BFS jets, I had a look at their website and product range. Are you referring to the old original BJ as they seem to another version now.

In the most part the old Bubble Jets that have been around c20 years are what most people would get by with, The ExRay XC nozzles that in relatively new are the cream of nozzle tech and as such are the first and only nozzles to be issued with 4 STAR accreditation. Yes you read that right 4STAR rating

Brisel · Jun 24, 2019

SimpersTradeCounter said:
In the most part the old Bubble Jets that have been around c20 years are what most people would get by with, The ExRay XC nozzles that in relatively new are the cream of nozzle tech and as such are the first and only nozzles to be issued with 4 STAR accreditation. Yes you read that right 4STAR rating

And very good nozzles they are too

Clive · Jun 24, 2019

Guardian air 02 at 12/ha and 25cm spacing is giving us fantastic coverage

Flat fans are not even close when we did dine testing with water sensitive paper

Clive · Jun 24, 2019

SimpersTradeCounter said:
Advice is a dirty word in this job so I won't patronise you, but I will say to you what I have already said in this thread. BFS Bubble jets will serve you better and for longer than GAs. Plus in addition to what you said about the low Drift jets your dad preferred to use were an excellent choice back then. Todays equivalent is the Bubble Jet only that much better

You supply a lot of nozzles but how much actual spraying have you done in recent years ?

I agree the BFS is a very good nozzle though but no better than any other air inclusion jet really

Not tried x Ray yet - they look interesting

SimpersTradeCounter · Jun 24, 2019

`

Clive said:
You supply a lot of nozzles but how much actual spraying have you done in recent years ?

I agree the BFS is a very good nozzle though but no better than any other air inclusion jet really

Not tried x Ray yet - they look interesting

None! do you think that that is important then? I suppose you do and if that's the case you are more than welcome to take no notice of me whatsoever, that wont hurt my feelings in the slightest. Obviously you are getting on well with your GAs. That's great!
Please don't try and belittle my knowledge on what has been my profession for the last 24 years.

Clive · Jun 24, 2019

SimpersTradeCounter said:
`

None! do you think that that is important then? I suppose you do and if that's the case you are more than welcome to take no notice of me whatsoever, that wont hurt my feelings in the slightest. Obviously you are getting on well with your GAs. That's great!
Please don't try and belittle my knowledge on what has been my profession for the last 24 years.

so you haven't driven sprayers then ?

I'm not belittling anything - its just that experience in a field is very different to that behind a trade counter, the guys who sit looking at how these things perform in the real world situations know more than anyone who sells them IMO I'm sure you know your nozzles though

I used BFS BJ's for years and they are very good, so are Guardian airs - there is not a lot to differentiate one AI nozzle from another IMO other than price .................. and what your selling

SimpersTradeCounter · Jun 24, 2019

OK i'll play for one more go then as you are insistant.

Clive said:
so you haven't driven sprayers then ?

I'm not belittling anything - its just that experience in a field is very different to that behind a trade counter, the guys who sit looking at how these things perform in the real world situations know more than anyone who sells them IMO I'm sure you know your nozzles though

I used BFS BJ's for years and they are very good, so are Guardian airs - there is not a lot to differentiate one AI nozzle from another IMO other than price .................. and what your selling

WOW you are quite something and clearly more knowledgeable than me in this area. I think ill leave you to it and continue deal with my customer base and serve them with my limited knowledge to the best of my ability (for what its worth)
Enjoy

Zebbedee · Jun 24, 2019

It’s ok guys no need to fall out there invariably never is a true best nozzle a lot of horses for courses we tend to use guardian air for most jobs but wo7ld be interested in knowing the price of the ex ray bfs nozzles just out of interest although I have just replaced a se5 of guardians so not needing new ones for a bit

ajd132 · Jun 25, 2019

Yesterday at syngenta guardian airs and bubble jets were said to be very similar.

Brisel · Jun 25, 2019

ajd132 said:
Yesterday at syngenta guardian airs and bubble jets were said to be very similar.

Syngenta helped Hypro develop the Guardian nozzle. My only criticism of the GA is the streaky pattern but by the time you’re 35cm away from the tip this has evened out. I’ve seen patternator test results for these nozzles so believe they are good.

Anecdotally, Bubblejets seem to last longer here but that might also be down to me putting less abrasive materials through them these days.

traineefarmer · Jun 25, 2019

ajd132 said:
Yesterday at syngenta guardian airs and bubble jets were said to be very similar.

I'm going to a syngenta workshop this evening and assumed they would be pushing GAs for that reason. Was the workshop interesting or just a necessary 2 hours for some Nroso points?

Clive · Jun 25, 2019

SimpersTradeCounter said:
OK i'll play for one more go then as you are insistant.

WOW you are quite something and clearly more knowledgeable than me in this area. I think ill leave you to it and continue deal with my customer base and serve them with my limited knowledge to the best of my ability (for what its worth)
Enjoy

I’ve sat in a sprayer for a few hundred thousand ha’s of spraying yes

I only asked if you had ?

I don’t doubt your theoretical / technical knowledge but unless you can tell me of your PRACTICAL experience in field then I would value nozzle experience from users well above that of those selling them

David. · Jun 25, 2019

I dislike all Hypro nozzles, I find watching streaky patterns very disconcerting. Bubble Jets give a much tidier pattern.

SimpersTradeCounter · Jun 25, 2019

GAs have always been streaky and poor quality. BFS Bubble jet is therefore the superior nozzle as previously stated with monotonous regularity.
The New ExRay XC (4 star rated) nozzle is £8.75 RRP. However those of you who trust in my advice, feel free to PM me and I will be happy to do a deal for TFF memebers

HyproMarketing · Aug 14, 2019

Regardless of the other characteristics of a nozzle, the distribution along the boom at the chosen spraying pressure is very important.

If you consider the independent data on nozzle patterns Guardian Air nozzles from 02 size to 05 have JKI approval at 1 bar or 1.5 bar pressure and above. This means that at 40, 50 and 60 cm above the target they must make a cV of less than 7% (cV being the measure of the variation in spray distribution along the boom). So the worst case is that the dose received by a particular point during the tests will be plus or minus 7%.

https://www.julius-kuehn.de/media/Institute/AT/PDF_RichtlinienListenPruefberichte/Verlust_Geraete_Abdrift/Universaltabellen_fuer_verlustmindernde_Flachstrahlduesen_Gr_02_bis_035.pdf

Buggerallbandwidth · Aug 16, 2019

ajd132 said:
Yesterday at syngenta guardian airs and bubble jets were said to be very similar.

Sorry I am late to this forum.
What you say is not surprising. I heard Tom Robinson, ex Syngenta font of all application knowledge, deliver a seminar at Croptec and he stated that after BfS introduced air inclusion nozzles to the market Syngenta put some BfS 025 lilac in their trials expecting them to be the "bad boys on the block ", but found them to give the best results. From this they copied the BfS 025 with a 10 degree tilt and called it the Amistar Nozzle. Hypro manufactured it for them and then brought out their own range - The Guardian Airs. Very similar in droplet size and distribution to the original BfS invention. Nothing original from them other than adding a 10 degree angle.

legin · Feb 6, 2021

Does anyone use BFS Exray nozzles, alternating one straight down and one angled forward?

Lowland1 · Feb 6, 2021

Lechler IDKT air inclusion 0.4 200l/ha 3 bar pressure at 9.2 kmh on french beans, peas and young broccoli 0.5’s 300l/ha 3 bar pressure at 8 kmh on fully grown broccoli, cabbages and potatoes

Chae1 · Feb 6, 2021

Lowland1 said:
Lechler IDKT air inclusion 0.4 200l/ha 3 bar pressure at 9.2 kmh on french beans, peas and young broccoli 0.5’s 300l/ha 3 bar pressure at 8 kmh on fully grown broccoli, cabbages and potatoes

Use Lechlers here too and really rate them.

Which sprayers nozzles?

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