3 pt sprayers

[Dukslayr]

Anyone here have a 3 pt PTO driven (or electric would be fine if I could run it up into my cab and get power) sprayer rig that they would recommend? I have a 25 gallon ATV mounted boom sprayer that’s been great, but it’s just not going to get the job done for spraying 12-15 acres. There’s a semi home made pull behind rig that inherited with my farm but the way this thing could be cobbled together seems like more of a pain than it’s worth. I think I’d prefer something that’s 3 pt compatible but would be open to something that sat up high enough that I could pull it over beans and sunflowers. You guys running anything that you’ve been a big fan of? Thank you for any suggestions or input.

 

[swat1018]

You can probably find something prettier, but that actually has some pretty good components on it. A tank that holds water, a pump, and a working boom will get the job done. I have one about like it, and another that's 3 point I bought at a farm auction. I'm trying to use heavy rye plantings more, and spraying less. NEMO has so many hot dry summers, I think the rye thatch holds the moisture.

 

[Rit]

I bought a 3 pt 60 gallon Demco that I really like. It has a 12’ break away boom that folds up nice for transport. The only thing I would have done differently is given up more money for a better roller pump that was made for glyphosate. The one I have works well but I have to flush it with diesel after each use.

 

[yoderjac]

I have a 55 gal FIMCO. It was inexpensive. You buy your own PTO pump. It works fine with my DK45, but I found the structural components weak. They are fine if you transport slowly, but when I'm in a hurry, I can get going pretty good and when I hit bumps, it 55 gal puts a lot of stress on the frame structure. I also put even more stress on it by adding another couple gallons on the back for a homemade foamer. Here are a couple pics:

These pictures are before I cracked the structural frame. I had a couple 1/4" angle iron sections welded to it and it handles the weight much better now. The vertical piece of angle iron that is bolted to the frame with the j-hook holding the plastic gas can I use for a foamer and the compressor were my add-ons. You can pay as much or little for a roller pump as you want. The more expensive ones seem to last longer. I'd also recommend a PTO adapter for the roller pump to make hook-up much easier.

Thanks,

Jack

P.S. I forgot to say the folding booms are 10'

 

[Dukslayr]

You can probably find something prettier, but that actually has some pretty good components on it. A tank that holds water, a pump, and a working boom will get the job done. I have one about like it, and another that's 3 point I bought at a farm auction. I'm trying to use heavy rye plantings more, and spraying less. NEMO has so many hot dry summers, I think the rye thatch holds the moisture.

No doubt it does but it would take me a bit to get it into operable condition. I’m but sure I’ll Be able to find the time. It needs a lot of minor things (all new tubing, nozzles, tires, etc) and not sure if all the major components work, let alone done frame and boom welding/work. This would definitely but a good project...I’m just not in the “project” place these days unfortunately.

 

[mikmaze]

how big is your tractor? sure could build a nice setup a lot cheaper than buying one. pivot booms, poly chem tank, and pick your pump, add a spray wand on a recoiling hose reel...........

 

[Dukslayr]

how big is your tractor? sure could build a nice setup a lot cheaper than buying one. pivot booms, poly chem tank, and pick your pump, add a spray wand on a recoiling hose reel...........

75 hp with I believe 4800# lift capacity. Should be plenty I hope. I know very little about sprayers and building one from scratch probably wouldn’t be the best idea for me...don’t really have the time to research and build it. I think if I were going to do that I would probably just go to the effort of rebuilding the pull behind I currently have...which depending on what I can find already built on a 3 pt setup might be the way I end up going.

 

[j-bird]

I use a 55 gallon fimco... I have had to make some "improvements" to it - the brackets that held the spray bar/booms was poorly designed and had to be "re-engineered" after 5 years of use or so. I would think it would be a bit small for your machine/needs. Some tips from what I have learned....

#1 - get a good pump! The pump is the heart of the sprayer so don't skimp on the pump. I use a Delavan roller pump (costs about $200) - it came with the PTO coupling and the like. Larger sprayers may have the pump mounted to the sprayer itself and you simply need to connect a PTO shaft.
#2 - make sure you can plumb in or make sure it already has a hand wand/gun option as well. Even if you have a cab on your tractor this is a great option for spraying fruit trees, watering trees or even using it as a fire truck when doing controlled burns.
#3 - you may choose to add some manual valves to be able to shut off certain sections of your boom. This is great for spraying trails and the like and not having 15 feet of boom to have to worry about. You can just keep the booms folded up and still spray your narrow path.
#4 - make sure it has a primary screen/strainer. It's amazing the crud that gets into a sprayer.
#5 - make sure your spray nozzles are replaceable types. You can get different tips to get different droplet size, spray angles and volume flow. This comes in handy when your trying to really maximize your chemical application.... I won't go into the math... I just know that at times travel speed is limited because of how rough the ground is and as such you have to make other adjustments to compensate and changing tips is an easy way to do that.

 

[Dukslayr]

I use a 55 gallon fimco... I have had to make some "improvements" to it - the brackets that held the spray bar/booms was poorly designed and had to be "re-engineered" after 5 years of use or so. I would think it would be a bit small for your machine/needs. Some tips from what I have learned....

#1 - get a good pump! The pump is the heart of the sprayer so don't skimp on the pump. I use a Delavan roller pump (costs about $200) - it came with the PTO coupling and the like. Larger sprayers may have the pump mounted to the sprayer itself and you simply need to connect a PTO shaft.
#2 - make sure you can plumb in or make sure it already has a hand wand/gun option as well. Even if you have a cab on your tractor this is a great option for spraying fruit trees, watering trees or even using it as a fire truck when doing controlled burns.
#3 - you may choose to add some manual valves to be able to shut off certain sections of your boom. This is great for spraying trails and the like and not having 15 feet of boom to have to worry about. You can just keep the booms folded up and still spray your narrow path.
#4 - make sure it has a primary screen/strainer. It's amazing the crud that gets into a sprayer.
#5 - make sure your spray nozzles are replaceable types. You can get different tips to get different droplet size, spray angles and volume flow. This comes in handy when your trying to really maximize your chemical application.... I won't go into the math... I just know that at times travel speed is limited because of how rough the ground is and as such you have to make other adjustments to compensate and changing tips is an easy way to do that.

Good info. Thank you!

 

[SwampCat]

I have used ATV mounted sprayers, tow behind, and pto. By far, my favorite is a pto boomless sprayer. I have used sprayers with booms - and I think they probably apply the spray a little more evenly and can spray with a little more wind - but for my ground - food plots with trees, some hilly terrain, five miles of trails - and I love that 20’ band - I would never go back to a boom. I have never - in ten years - had the nozzle clog up. Mine is a 55 gal and I spray two acres with it on my 28 hp tractor and three acres on my 65 hp tractor. I just looked at a 110 gal for $1200 at the farmers co-op and see that in my future.

 

[Dukslayr]

W

I have used ATV mounted sprayers, tow behind, and pto. By far, my favorite is a pto boomless sprayer. I have used sprayers with booms - and I think they probably apply the spray a little more evenly and can spray with a little more wind - but for my ground - food plots with trees, some hilly terrain, five miles of trails - and I love that 20’ band - I would never go back to a boom. I have never - in ten years - had the nozzle clog up. Mine is a 55 gal and I spray two acres with it on my 28 hp tractor and three acres on my 65 hp tractor. I just looked at a 110 gal for $1200 at the farmers co-op and see that in my future.

Which brand do you have (and are looking at)?

 

[John-W-WI]

I have the fimco like @yoderjac has.

I can't recommend it unless you plan on fixing it every time you use it.

Frame is weak, boom mounting locations are weak, nozzles aren't anti-drip.

There just about isn't anything on it that I haven't had to fix or work on.

Spend a few more bucks and get something higher quality.

I bought the "best" PTO pump my local farm store had. It's output was too much and I couldn't turn the sprayer down enough. I ended up having to replace the return line with a larger one so more can go back to the tank and not out the boom. I have good agitation in the tank now though.

I do really like having it on a 3 point though. Makes getting around easy and transport a breeze.

-John

 

[NorthPotter]

Hey, going to resurrect an old thread! This summer I am prepping for my 4th section of NWSG that will be seeded this fall. Over the last 5 years or so I prepared 3 other smaller sections with my backpack sprayer . I do like the exercise but this 4th section is just too big. I do not wish to build another sprayer but have eyed up 2 good choices. If you own one of these can you make a recommendation/feedback?

CropCare:
https://cropcareequipment.com/3pt_sprayers/110-gallon-3pt-sprayers.php
https://cropcareequipment.com/supportPdfs/catalog_pdfs/AgSprayers_Catalog_2017_CC.pdf

Land Champ:
https://www.enduraplas.com/products/land-champ/

I only need a 50-110 gallon. I want one that is easy to install on tractor/easy to slide in the big shed, easy to clean filter, easy to access controls, easy to winterize, stainless pump. I like the land champ but their closest dealer is in North Dakota..?! I am in Central/North Central Pennsylvania and have a couple crop care dealers within an 1-2 hours drive.

I have a 20 year old Fimco 3pt sprayer but it is just sooo much maintenance, jets leak, pump is sooo weak, that I preferred to use my backpack over the Fimco.

 

[SwampCat]

Hey, going to resurrect an old thread! This summer I am prepping for my 4th section of NWSG that will be seeded this fall. Over the last 5 years or so I prepared 3 other smaller sections with my backpack sprayer . I do like the exercise but this 4th section is just too big. I have a 20 year old Fimco but it is just sooo much maintenance. I do not wish to build another sprayer but have eyed up 2 good choices:

CropCare:
https://cropcareequipment.com/3pt_sprayers/110-gallon-3pt-sprayers.php
https://cropcareequipment.com/supportPdfs/catalog_pdfs/AgSprayers_Catalog_2017_CC.pdf

Land Champ:
https://www.enduraplas.com/products/land-champ/

I only need a 50-110 gallon. I want one that is easy to install on tractor/easy to slide in the big shed, easy to clean filter, easy to access controls, easy to winterize, high pressure stainless pump. If you own one of these can you make a recommendation/feedback? Like the land champ but their closest dealer is in North Dakota..?! I am in Central/North Central Pennsylvania and have a couple crop care dealers within an 1-2 hours drive.

I don't know the true specifics of either of those sprayers, but I have looked at the enduraplas online before, and they are interesting. I would say both those sprayers are mid to upper tier. My sprayer is a low end 55 gal, no-name that I bought at our local Farmer's Co-op about 15 years ago. I have had one filter housing crack and one pump went out. On these low end sprayers, most things are pretty easy to repair by yourself. I use mine quite a bit, also. Sprayers are pretty easy to hookup and handle, because they don't weigh as much as most equipment and you can move them by hand somewhat. My sprayer is also boomless. I have had a boom sprayer in the past, and the booms and the nozzles seemed like always needed some adjustment. Seems like most folks will tell you not to go boomless, but for me, the boomless has been much more user friendly. The boomless are less forgiving in the wind, and probably not what you want in row crop. Both sprayers you listed look kind of "busy" compared to mine - like they have more hoses and connections. One thing about both of the sprayers you listed that I noticed, the boom location is low down, almost at the bottom of the sprayer. My boomless nozzle is almost at the top of the sprayer - which gets it up above taller grasses. For reference, my local co-op has generic 110 gal boomless sprayers for about $1200. I am sure they are cast iron pumps.

 

[Dukslayr]

Hey, going to resurrect an old thread! This summer I am prepping for my 4th section of NWSG that will be seeded this fall. Over the last 5 years or so I prepared 3 other smaller sections with my backpack sprayer . I do like the exercise but this 4th section is just too big. I do not wish to build another sprayer but have eyed up 2 good choices. If you own one of these can you make a recommendation/feedback?

CropCare:
https://cropcareequipment.com/3pt_sprayers/110-gallon-3pt-sprayers.php
https://cropcareequipment.com/supportPdfs/catalog_pdfs/AgSprayers_Catalog_2017_CC.pdf

Land Champ:
https://www.enduraplas.com/products/land-champ/

I only need a 50-110 gallon. I want one that is easy to install on tractor/easy to slide in the big shed, easy to clean filter, easy to access controls, easy to winterize, stainless pump. I like the land champ but their closest dealer is in North Dakota..?! I am in Central/North Central Pennsylvania and have a couple crop care dealers within an 1-2 hours drive.

I have a 20 year old Fimco 3pt sprayer but it is just sooo much maintenance, jets leak, pump is sooo weak, that I preferred to use my backpack over the Fimco.

Not sure how much you’re looking to spend but if you’re looking for a boom sprayer check out Wagner Implements. I think they have a website but I follow them on Facebook. He custom builds them to your needs and while I haven’t seen on in person they look great and people seem to be very happy with the equipment they’ve purchased from them.