Spraying on Hillsides

[westonwhitetail]

Anybody have any tips for spraying on a steeper slope. One of my Plots is a south facing slope at about a 4:1 or 5:1 slope, 20% grade. Once my tank is about 1/2 empty is will start sucking air unless I'm driving downhill. Anybody deal with this and have any tricks besides keeping the tank full? It's fimco 25 gallon atv sprayer if that matters.

Thanks.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Tap]

Anybody have any tips for spraying on a steeper slope. One of my Plots is a south facing slope at about a 4:1 or 5:1 slope, 20% grade. Once my tank is about 1/2 empty is will start sucking air unless I'm driving downhill. Anybody deal with this and have any tricks besides keeping the tank full? It's fimco 25 gallon atv sprayer if that matters.

Thanks.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Welcome to my world. My slopes aren't quite as steep as yours, but I have the same sprayer with the same issue. I usually end up with 4 to 5 gallons leftover. What is also annoying is when the tank is getting "border line " low and it starts skipping as the fluid is sloshing around. It's a poor design from Fimco.
There was another thread on sprayers recently in which I voiced the same complaint. Someone said that they put a "T" on the intake tube and attached hoses to each side of the tank. I haven't tried that (yet??), because I'm not convinced that will work...I've been told the pump will suck air from the non submerged hose (on the uphill side). That makes sense to me.
Fimco sucks.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

 

[4wanderingeyes]

A t would t work. Unfortunately gravity is going to win, unless the tank has a separate bowl area for the pick up tube to draw from.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[bueller]

Maybe more work than it's worth but building a pivotable hitch mounted bracket to hold the spray tank and using a rear mounted winch to raise or lower it so that's it's level could be an option.

 

[j-bird]

This may sound like a dumb question.....do you travel up and down the slope or across it? Would it matter either way? I don't know where your sump/pick-up location in the sprayer is but it may help it may not. Could you possibly extend the pick-up hose to position it better for this application/issue inside the tank?

 

[westonwhitetail]

Welcome to my world. My slopes aren't quite as steep as yours, but I have the same sprayer with the same issue. I usually end up with 4 to 5 gallons leftover. What is also annoying is when the tank is getting "border line " low and it starts skipping as the fluid is sloshing around. It's a poor design from Fimco.
There was another thread on sprayers recently in which I voiced the same complaint. Someone said that they put a "T" on the intake tube and attached hoses to each side of the tank. I haven't tried that (yet??), because I'm not convinced that will work...I've been told the pump will suck air from the non submerged hose (on the uphill side). That makes sense to me.
Fimco sucks.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

That's exactly my experience it starts sputtering when it gets down to a certain level. What's frustrating is I could probably get the whole thing sprayed if I could use the whole tank effectively, but I always have to stop and run down to the creek to refill and it takes a lot of time.

The T on the intake is a good idea, but I'm with you on wondering if that would actually work. I think it would suck the airside first IMO


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[westonwhitetail]

Maybe more work than it's worth but building a pivotable hitch mounted bracket to hold the spray tank and using a rear mounted winch to raise or lower it so that's it's level could be an option.

That may do the trick, just have to get used to adjusting each time I made a turn. May have to look into it

 

[westonwhitetail]

This may sound like a dumb question.....do you travel up and down the slope or across it? Would it matter either way? I don't know where your sump/pick-up location in the sprayer is but it may help it may not. Could you possibly extend the pick-up hose to position it better for this application/issue inside the tank?

It usually doesn't matter which direction I go once the water level gets down to a certain point. The intake is at the center and front side right below the pump. So going straight downhill does work, but as soon as you turn the water shifts to either side or the back of the tank and it sucks air.

I guess I could run straight down the hill and go in reverse back up the hill and repeat


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[j-bird]

It usually doesn't matter which direction I go once the water level gets down to a certain point. The intake is at the center and front side right below the pump. So going straight downhill does work, but as soon as you turn the water shifts to either side or the back of the tank and it sucks air.

I guess I could run straight down the hill and go in reverse back up the hill and repeat


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I have done stranger things!

Another dumb idea. What happen if you build some sort of pivoting craddle for your sprayer tank? The weight of the water will always keep it upright - just leave enough length in the hose from the pump to the nozzles to allow enough freedom of movement. Not sure what your resources are, but it might be worth looking into.

 

[Tap]

I have done stranger things!

Another dumb idea. What happen if you build some sort of pivoting craddle for your sprayer tank? The weight of the water will always keep it upright - just leave enough length in the hose from the pump to the nozzles to allow enough freedom of movement. Not sure what your resources are, but it might be worth looking into.

I think that the momentum of the sloshing of the fluid would have that cradle constantly swinging. I'm skeptical it would work well.

I've thought about stripping the parts off of the Fimco and attaching the stuff to a homemade tank made from a plastic barrel. I'm not sure if there are any 25 gallon sized barrels out there, but I'm not sure size really matters. I do have some smaller barrels that I think would work okay but would need refilled more often. I know they come in 55 gal size but I'd rater use something smaller. I don't use mine on an ATV, I have it mounted on a 3 point carry-all, so I suppose a 55 gal would work with my tractor.

A couple thoughts on using a barrel...
If the barrel is laid on it's side, the hillside spraying issue would still happen but on a much lesser degree than with a flat-bottom tank like Fimco uses. But the barrel could be positioned upright and possibly tilted slightly in a cradle with the intake located appropriately, which would allow the majority of the fluid to be sucked out.
One thing is for sure though...a homemade barrel style tank would be much faster to flush-out than that stupid, idiotic, ridiculous, dumb Fimco tank with the garden hose sized drain on it. Barrel bungs are normally 2 to 3 inches in diameter.
For the life of me, I can't understand what kind of idiot engineer would design a drain hole to be only garden hose size. Takes forever to drain, flush, drain, flush, etc until the tank is clean.
If I owned the Fimco company, I would redesign that ridiculous tank in a heartbeat. I hate stupid stuff.

 

[j-bird]

I think that the momentum of the sloshing of the fluid would have that cradle constantly swinging. I'm skeptical it would work well.

I've thought about stripping the parts off of the Fimco and attaching the stuff to a homemade tank made from a plastic barrel. I'm not sure if there are any 25 gallon sized barrels out there, but I'm not sure size really matters. I do have some smaller barrels that I think would work okay but would need refilled more often. I know they come in 55 gal size but I'd rater use something smaller. I don't use mine on an ATV, I have it mounted on a 3 point carry-all, so I suppose a 55 gal would work with my tractor.

A couple thoughts on using a barrel...
If the barrel is laid on it's side, the hillside spraying issue would still happen but on a much lesser degree than with a flat-bottom tank like Fimco uses. But the barrel could be positioned upright and possibly tilted slightly in a cradle with the intake located appropriately, which would allow the majority of the fluid to be sucked out.
One thing is for sure though...a homemade barrel style tank would be much faster to flush-out than that stupid, idiotic, ridiculous, dumb Fimco tank with the garden hose sized drain on it. Barrel bungs are normally 2 to 3 inches in diameter.
For the life of me, I can't understand what kind of idiot engineer would design a drain hole to be only garden hose size. Takes forever to drain, flush, drain, flush, etc until the tank is clean.
If I owned the Fimco company, I would redesign that ridiculous tank in a heartbeat. I hate stupid stuff.

You could be correct about the constant sloshing. As far as a barrel goes I know they sell chemical in 30 gallon barrels if you want/can find something smaller. Or just make a pull type or use a carry-all like you say you have as well. Where there is a will, and someone challenging a redneck that it can;t be done,.....there is a way!

 

[westonwhitetail]

I have done stranger things!

Another dumb idea. What happen if you build some sort of pivoting craddle for your sprayer tank? The weight of the water will always keep it upright - just leave enough length in the hose from the pump to the nozzles to allow enough freedom of movement. Not sure what your resources are, but it might be worth looking into.

Yeah I could see something like a cradle or pendulum working to let the weight of the tank level itself. But I don't have the resources to fabricate something like that! There are no dumb ideas, lots of dumb ideas make millions every year


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[westonwhitetail]

I think that the momentum of the sloshing of the fluid would have that cradle constantly swinging. I'm skeptical it would work well.

I've thought about stripping the parts off of the Fimco and attaching the stuff to a homemade tank made from a plastic barrel. I'm not sure if there are any 25 gallon sized barrels out there, but I'm not sure size really matters. I do have some smaller barrels that I think would work okay but would need refilled more often. I know they come in 55 gal size but I'd rater use something smaller. I don't use mine on an ATV, I have it mounted on a 3 point carry-all, so I suppose a 55 gal would work with my tractor.

A couple thoughts on using a barrel...
If the barrel is laid on it's side, the hillside spraying issue would still happen but on a much lesser degree than with a flat-bottom tank like Fimco uses. But the barrel could be positioned upright and possibly tilted slightly in a cradle with the intake located appropriately, which would allow the majority of the fluid to be sucked out.
One thing is for sure though...a homemade barrel style tank would be much faster to flush-out than that stupid, idiotic, ridiculous, dumb Fimco tank with the garden hose sized drain on it. Barrel bungs are normally 2 to 3 inches in diameter.
For the life of me, I can't understand what kind of idiot engineer would design a drain hole to be only garden hose size. Takes forever to drain, flush, drain, flush, etc until the tank is clean.
If I owned the Fimco company, I would redesign that ridiculous tank in a heartbeat. I hate stupid stuff.

The flat bottom on the fimco is part of the problem; even if it had a slight v too the bottom to direct the end of the tank to the intake it would be better. A rounded bottom like barrel would be an improvement like you said too


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[buckdeer1]

Run your tubes in through the top and put your t outside with a small valve on each.That way you just open which ever hose is in the liquid.Alot easier and safer than a pivoting tank.If I had hillsides like that I may consider wipeing the weeds instead of spraying so as not to kill everything and cause erosion unless wanting to kill everything

 

[John-W-WI]

unless the tank has a separate bowl area for the pick up tube to draw from

4wanderingeyes nailed it. If you add a reservoir of sorts below the pickup in the tank to catch liquid as it sloshes around you'll be golden. Not sure if your sprayer will allow such an addition.

 

[TreeDaddy]

I can't help but be fearful of driving any equipment on any slope greater than10-15 degrees

S*** happens.......

bill

 

[Tap]

I can't help but be fearful of driving any equipment on any slope greater than10-15 degrees

S*** happens.......

bill

In my case, the slopes aren't dangerously steep. It's the inconsistent spraying, skipping and leftover solution to deal with.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

 

[Semisane]

Chain saws work on any angle because the gas pick up is a long flexible tube with a weighted filter on its end. The weight and the fuel is always at the lowest point of the tank regardless of the tilt or angle of the saw. Gravity sees to that. I see no reason why some sort of rig like that wouldn't work on a sprayer tank.

 

[BobinCt]

Bring out a few 5 gallon buckets of mixed solution that your spraying and once you get low, just pull over and dump them in. Doesn't solve the problem, but it will work.

 

[westonwhitetail]

4wanderingeyes nailed it. If you add a reservoir of sorts below the pickup in the tank to catch liquid as it sloshes around you'll be golden. Not sure if your sprayer will allow such an addition.

This is a good idea, small tank below the larger one that the pump pulls from, as long as the small tank can get filled each pass and have enough to last while at a driving at a bad angle


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk