Need some advice on a herbicide sprayer..

T

TwoNFordboy

New member
Hello,
I am looking at purchasing a sprayer (50 gal or less) to pull behind the RTV or a compact tractor (JD 790 4wd). Any experience with smaller sprayers? I have about 10-12 acres which will need some 2-4d or similar help this coming spring.

The fields have been used as unmaintained pasture for dry cows for the last 15-20 years. So far I have removed a couple dozen juniper bushes, lots of briars, and maybe 1/2 to 1 acre of multiflora rose. The latter will most certainly need a little herbicide love. In the meantime I have been mowing.

Thanks gents. (And ladies, should you be there)
 
<TABLE class=CAPageContent id=_ctl0__ctl1_bcr_PostForm___ComposePage style="DISPLAY: block; WIDTH: 100%; HEIGHT: 100%" cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 border=0>
<TBODY>
<TR>
<TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top">
<DIV id=_ctl0__ctl1_bcr_PostForm___Reply>TwoNFordboy,</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> It ain't but one sprayer to get >>>. FIMCO >>> Been using there sprayers since the early '70's >>> They are worth thier weight in gold. I have several now we use on the plantation for farm use ...... Being Herbicide or Fertilizer >> they are tough, and will work for you everytime you need it to..... If you take care of it, clean it out when finished., it will be there !!!!</DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV> They have any style or model spayer you need . But, need to buy from a dealer, for if you purchase on from the manufactor, it will cost you alot more. Do a search on the web and find a dealer close to you. Co-ops & Farm suppliers have them. Others do make cheaper sprayers, and yes, I have tried them all, but that was a BIG mistake. And will never buy nothing but a FIMCO >>>>>> </DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV>p.s. They also sell everything that you need as in different spray nozzles etc .......</DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV> http://www.fimcoindustries.com/edrawings.htm</DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV> http://www.fimcoindustries.com/</DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV> And probobly your best price on Fimco is </DIV>
<DIV> http://www.agri-supply.com/</DIV>
<DIV> give 'em a call >>> they so far have had the best prices !!!!!!!</DIV></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
 
I thought mine is a Fimco as well but I don't see it on their site. Mine looks like their LG-2500-303 but mine has 3 or 4 nozzles, not 2 as listed on the site.<font color="#c31e34" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2"></font>

A couple things I've learned.
Qualifier: When I got mine, I had ATV's for towing and didn't have the RTV yet.

The smaller tow-behind units have very small tires on a short axle. It works fine on level, smooth ground but on hills it gets tippy and those little tires (the same size as a hand truck) don't like holes. Now that I have the RTV, I may be pulling the tires off and setting it in the bed of the RTV so it rides better. If I was to buy one now, I'd get one that would slide into the bed of the RTV (and/or fit on the back of the tractor). BTW, for the tractor, I'd probably just mount it to a pallet and use it on a 3-point carry all.

Get the biggest boom and most gpm available. Mine has 2.1 gpm and about 60" boom. When I look at the coverage for the 2,4D (or any other spray-on product), I've found it's a sloooowwwww process. My next one will have at least a 3.8 gpm pump.

Whichever one you get, plan on running wiring and a switch to the driver. I have a switch in the cab and a quick-disconnect at the RTV to connect the sprayer pump. I hate to hop on/off to run to the back to turn the pump on and off. For the days I'm not using the spreader, I have a tractor light under the bed to light up the hitch area and immediately behind the RTV. I then use this wiring setup for that light.

The hand-held spot sprayers are handy for doing a heavier hit to thistles, brambles and other heavier weeds.

Not sure what product(s) you plan on using but for the multiflora roses and other larger bushes, I've found Super Brush Killer to work better than the general over-spray products. It's pretty pricy to use over large areas so I just use on the really nasty stuff.
Here's the one I have/use.
http://www.pbigordon.com/professional/page_agricultural.php?id=328

Acme Super Brush killer is a great product but it seems to be hard to get. You may now need a permit to get/use it... I'm not sure.
 
Hi TWONFORDBOY, I have a 60 gallon boomless Fimco sprayer Tow behind withlarge tires.This I really love. I bought it after using a 25 gallon spot sprayer for roundup . This worked great for fence lines and those pesky lemon trees and roses. The 60 boomless has saved me so much time because I now spray a selective herbicide over the entire pasture and still have beautiful grass but limited or no weeds throughout the season. The water capacity will be a concern because to be effective, many herbs need at minimum 12 gallons of water per acre for residual effect. 20 gallons per acre mixed with [for example] 3 pts of Grazon per acre will control many weeds in this climate for all season. Can't spray Grazon after April 15 here because it will kill cotton. Residual is NICE!!!The boomless is nice if you have a lot of gates, otherwise a boom is fine. My sprayer came with a toggle cut off. It had an on demand pump anyway. Remember that a slide in is really heavy unless it is empty. And will always be full when you need the RTV for other stuff if you use it much. I toook off my 12 volt pump this spring and put it on my 25 G spotter. My pump on it finally went out. Then I put a faster roller pump and 5 hp motor on the tow behind .It helped with the speed a lot.It is Slow anyway. But we haven't got out the clipper yet and it is almost Sept.!! No weeds!!I would reccommend the 12 volt and would get a light weight slide or a 12 volt tow with the big wheels if it was me. I have sprayed over 280 acres with this thing. Slow go but It saves time in the long run. Have a thousand gallon tank with a bad pump and a real pain spray boom that I have no desire to use after this rig. I will one day fix the biggie if I can get a big boomless and a pump this easy to operate.Yes, Ladies are on this site , Thanks, Bordercollie[&]</P>
 
Demco also makes a good line of small sprayers.</P>


You do want to avoid anything that looks excessivly cheap. The quality of the pumps is very important as the seals often can be eaten at by the harsh chemicles. </P>
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top