Trailered or self propelled sprayers

[Lowland1]

If you can afford to have the kit to make the job a pleasure, why wouldn't you?
I started with a Ford 3600 and an Allman 80 gallon 24ft. 4ac per fill. It was a miserable business.
I'm coming to the opinion that you only get one life, and I'm not going to die wondering what it would have been like to have driven a nice tractor/combine/sprayer, etc, that didn't need fettling every time you want to do a job.

3600 …. Luxury.

 

[David.]

I can assure you it wasn't, not as nice as 135 it replaced.

 

[Lowland1]

I can assure you it wasn't, not as nice as 135 it replaced.

Q cab or non

 

[David.]

What is this Q cab extravagance of which you speak? It was a rushed purchase at the time to avoid having to waste money on a nice cab when the legislation came in '76 .

 

[Lowland1]

What is this Q cab extravagance of which you speak? It was a rushed purchase at the time to avoid having to waste money on a nice cab when the legislation came in '76 .

Obviously being a 3600 you avoided that other luxury of the deluxe cab. I feel your pain.

 

[David.]

To get back slightly on topic, the open cab did have the benefit of allowing the 12yr old me to stand on the link arms, and turn the sprayer controls on and off for my Gramp, who was by then riddled with arthritis and unable to do so himself some days.
I like modern machinery, progress is good.

 

[Lowland1]

To get back slightly on topic, the open cab did have the benefit of allowing the 12yr old me to stand on the link arms, and turn the sprayer controls on and off for my Gramp, who was by now riddled with arthritis.

That year we had a Ford 4000 with a deluxe cab and a 1000 litre trailed Moteska with 40 foot booms. They just turned the pto on and off and kept the back closed even though the doors were left in the shed.

 

[David.]

Luxury.

 

[Notbluewontdo]

The op could have a 100k a year job as a accountant and doesn't want to fudge about with a little sprayer. Just do a few loads early mornings, evenings and weekends.

How many people create a fulltime job for themselves at home fudging about with small/old machines that constantly need fixing.

Which is more inefficient?

See plenty of small farms snapped up by neighbours. They replace a fulltime man and a fleet of machinery for very little extra work and investment.

I’m not a accountant and I could only dream of a 100k salary, work as mechanic

 

[Chae1]

Fair point but why subsidise the farm?

Cause it's fun and maybe gives him pleasure.

Why spend your lottery winnings on machinery? Is that not the same thing.

 

[Foxcover]

I’m not a accountant and I could only dream of a 100k salary, work as mechanic

Then you want the highest output you can afford, all these people saying you only need a 12m sprayer
You could probably cover it with a knapsack, in a fortnight.

 

[Oliveau]

I had an 885 with 8inchers, rides better on 9.5s…..

Did anone notice Adam Henson standing in his tramline on Countrypile the other day? Tramline ?? I could have driven a bus down it without flattening corn!

 

[Chae1]

Did anone notice Adam Henson standing in his tramline on Countrypile the other day? Tramline ?? I could have driven a bus down it without flattening corn!

I thought exactly the same thing!

Great minds.

 

[Oliveau]

To answer the OP's question, I think on the acreage I'd go for a good trailer - Knight would be a good bet. The output will be as good as a SP. The main resriction is water suppy - It's no good having a sooper-dooper 5000l 24m sprayer if the only means of filling is a 1/2" hosepipe. When I started spraying with an 800l sprayer plus two 500l saddle on a high clearance 990 tanks dessicating OSR with Reglone at 500l/ha I was amazed at the number of customers who expected me to pump water out of a cattle trough and then wondered why it took nearly all day to dessicate their piddly 25 acres!
Once I moved onto an SP I used to work with a 3000l mixer wagon, which if push came to shove could be filled from a hydrant.

If I was contracting today I think the argument for an SP is being beaten by the fact that trailed sprayers today are so good.

 

[dave mountain]

if you are a mechanic i would say 24m SP would be the obvious choice. your only major running costs will be whatever it costs you in repairs, which shouldn't be all that much. the machine will likely appreciate too, unlike a 15k trailed which will depreciate.

 

[Oliveau]

if you are a mechanic i would say 24m SP would be the obvious choice. your only major running costs will be whatever it costs you in repairs, which shouldn't be all that much. the machine will likely appreciate too, unlike a 15k trailed which will depreciate.

For 150 acres at a time ??

Thats 60 ha - at 200l/ha= 12000 litres water
2000l tank = 6 tankfuls. That just doesn't justify a SP!
It does however merit a nice s/h 12m 2000l trailed - on that acreage even the argument for 24m boom is debatable on cost grounds.

Very few SP's in this part of France, but plenty of 24m trailed.

 

[Chae1]

if you are a mechanic i would say 24m SP would be the obvious choice. your only major running costs will be whatever it costs you in repairs, which shouldn't be all that much. the machine will likely appreciate too, unlike a 15k trailed which will depreciate.

What SP sprayer has ever appreciated!?

 

[dave mountain]

For 150 acres at a time ??

Thats 60 ha - at 200l/ha= 12000 litres water
2000l tank = 6 tankfuls. That just doesn't justify a SP!
It does however merit a nice s/h 12m 2000l trailed - on that acreage even the argument for 24m boom is debatable on cost grounds.

Very few SP's in this part of France, but plenty of 24m trailed.

not if you value your time at £20/£25 per hour, which is roughly what i would expect for a mechanic

What SP sprayer has ever appreciated!?

would think most old generation sprayers have appreciated over the last few years? along with most older machinery

 

[SilliamWhale]

if you are a mechanic i would say 24m SP would be the obvious choice. your only major running costs will be whatever it costs you in repairs, which shouldn't be all that much. the machine will likely appreciate too, unlike a 15k trailed which will depreciate.

Also it would give you something to repair whilst waiting for your half hour per week spraying

 

[SilliamWhale]

For 150 acres at a time ??

Thats 60 ha - at 200l/ha= 12000 litres water
2000l tank = 6 tankfuls. That just doesn't justify a SP!
It does however merit a nice s/h 12m 2000l trailed - on that acreage even the argument for 24m boom is debatable on cost grounds.

Very few SP's in this part of France, but plenty of 24m trailed.

Boom width is cheap in the UK.