Sprayer MOT

[Bumble Bee]

I know of several others who are complete shambles in their own right, holding training courses and doing inspections. I am confident that you are one of the better ones.

Awww. That's the nicest thing you've said all day.

P.S. I am definitely not part time farmer and hopefully not a failed one.

 

[Old McDonald]

It always is only pocket money to part time farmers or failed farmers. While there are very good farmers and people taking the extra money with the spare time they have got [is that 'increasing their efficiency"?], I know of several others who are complete shambles in their own right, holding training courses and doing inspections

But these are the people who are held up to be gurus by those who should know better - Seymour, Salatin, Mollison, Savory, et al all made or make their money from non-farming activities. They make speeches and run courses they do not farm full-time, or even part-time.

I have no objection whatsoever to someone farming part-time because he does not have the capital to farm full-time, or his land is not enough, or good enough to allow him to farm full-time. I have done so myself for many years. I do object to people who choose not to farm full-time but try to tell the rest of us how to farm full-time.

 

[Barleymow]

We had an eye opener last week. We tested some sprayers for a network of farmers. They were mostly grassland base and so had never been tested before.

They were all given an operator check sheet before the test to help them get their machines upto scratch and were told verbally and on the information sheets that the machine had to be presented to us clean on the inside and out and filled with clean water.

We had machines arrive with different nozzles across the boom.
One machine had no pressure gauge fitted and 2 machines came to be tested loaded with sheep dip!!!

This is reminiscent of when we first started testing arable sprayers, (although i don't ever recall any with sheep dip in). I doubt that you will find many poorly maintained arable sprayers now and we have got used to that fact.
This has been due to being tested regularly.

When I did my pa2 was just before grandfather rights were removed a group of us did it together . We all went outside with a jug each to measure nozzles on a big sprayer with auto shut sections so a modern machine . We all ended up either jugs full of orange liquid from an unclean tank so not just little farmers with dirty sprayers

 

[Gav]

When I did my pa2 was just before grandfather rights were removed a group of us did it together . We all went outside with a jug each to measure nozzles on a big sprayer with auto shut sections so a modern machine . We all ended up either jugs full of orange liquid from an unclean tank so not just little farmers with dirty sprayers

That sounds familiar, only in the past week have I had two people turn up on a Pa6 course with knapsacks full of residue from the last time they were used. It's not uncommon to find granule and pellet applicators with material still in the bottom and plastered in blue on the outside when I go onto some places.
I myself am not a failed member of the industry either and split my time between operating kit on a local farm during peak season and odd days this time of year and carrying out training courses putting my own experience to use to try and help others. In my case the decision to do so was purely on health grounds and has proved to be the right one to make after two years with no serious problems in that area.

 

[czechmate]

How much was the test in Portugal ?

Petra is doing "our" course tomorrow. It's free but IF you want lunch, there is a charge. "iF" you want lunch?!? It's France ffs

 

[bobk]

Petra is doing "our" course tomorrow. It's free but IF you want lunch, there is a charge. "iF" you want lunch?!? It's France ffs

Bon chance Petra et bon appetite .

 

[New Design]

Had a Hardi sprayer looked at for Mot and it failed on nozzle connectors worn/cracked. Had a look around for some parts as I could only find the complete nozzle saddle jet assembly and it was pricey, around 25-26 pounds. As I only required the bracket which bolts up to the boom and then screws to the nozzle body I went on the hunt for spares.

I found the following through a lad at one of the dealerships in Cheshire

He said his uncle had had various universal parts made for a couple of implements including some universal nozzle parts for his sprayer.

Cut a long story short, I got in touch and tracked down the sprayer parts. As the nozzle bracket is a universal fitting it does fit on a Hardi sprayer nozzle assembly which for me was great. I got some ordered and fitted them on the machine and they worked a treat. The part even came with new stainless steel bolt and screws.

The actual bracket is a lot stronger so hopefully it will last longer this time The price was also good saving me a fortune in multiple spares I didn't require.

I told the lad to get this part and the other designs he had, advertised and on the forums as I am sure it would be of some interest to other people like my self. The guy is sound and is actually an ex Agricultural engineer so he knows his trade which is great.

Here is the new link he gave me,

www.ebay.co.uk/itm/262794367527


Here is a picture of what the universal bracket is.