The pull-type sprayer comeback

Almost all sales of sprayers in Western Canada today are comprised of High Clearance Sprayers. The pull-type market has seen a sharp decline with all of the features brought to you by High Clearance Sprayers. Self-Propelled applicators typically feature lots of power, large tanks, comfort and easy mobility from field to field. However, these features do come at a substantial cost to the farm: high capital expense, fuel consumption, added weight, and loss of efficiencies from higher infield travel speeds.

The Self-Propelled sprayers are one of the most used pieces equipment on the farm with a wide range of passes per field. However, are we becoming concerned about the costs to acquire and maintain these machines? With new sales costing $500,000 to $700,000 for a sprayer should we be looking at alternative means to keep these sprayers longer and operate with a lower cost piece of equipment?

So what is the alternative for your farm? Connect, a Division of Pattison Liquid Systems Inc. has recently developed a trailed applicator called the Sniper. We are offering a solution to fill the spraying gap on your farm at a third of the cost to a conventional self-propelled unit. So what could the problem be with integrating the Sniper on your farm?

Productivity

Travelling at faster travel speeds to increase your acres per hour is typically how productivity is increased. But increased speeds can be detrimental to a proper application. Reduced speeds bring consistent coverage, better boom height control, less spray drift, and less fatigue to the components of your sprayer. So how can we increase your farm’s efficiency?

• Larger tank volume
• Faster fill times
• Faster tank rinsing procedures
• Wider booms

The Sniper comes standard with a 1,600 USG stainless steel product tank. The extra capacity allows you to spray ten gallons per acre on a full 160 acres without refilling. The filling ports on the sprayer are also made with 3″ full port valves. With our 3″ Hypro pumps (440gpm) we can fill the Sniper in under 7 minutes. When you first enter the field the Connect Sniper automatically purges the air out of the system when the pump is on without having to spray any product out of the nozzles. With travelling at 12 mph the sniper can cover 122 acres per hour. Curious about your current acres per hour? Try this online productivity calculator!

Tank rinsing can also add a substantial amount of time to your spraying operations. The Connect Sniper allows you to complete a rinse cycle without having to get out of the cab. Simply engage the rinse pump from the cab, dilute the remaining product in the booms, and spray it over non sensitive crops as you are leaving the field.  Imagine how much time you can save yourself by completing your first rinse before your even get back to the yard. The low remaining sump volume of the sprayer also reduces the required amount of fresh water needed to clean the system. There is no need to open valves and drain the remaining tank volume in the back corner of the field.

Sniper cost

The Sniper costs one-third the price of a self-propelled sprayer and have a substantially reduced depreciation cost. Without the cab, motor, drivetrain, high fuel consumption, the pull-type will not only last longer, but cost less to use on an hourly basis.

The Connect Sniper was built with longevity in mind. The Connect Sniper feature 120′ aluminum booms, stainless steel product tank and stainless steel wet booms.

Input savings

Utilizing the recirculating wet booms on the Connect Sniper can save you 30 gallons of product every time the system is purged of air. Conventional systems require booms sections to be turned on in order to remove air from the system. On a 120 foot sprayer this could use up to 30 gallons of product to purge air.

The Sniper come standard with Raven Hawkeye. Having the individual nozzle control unlock can save you the cost of over-lapping on pre-applied areas. Terry Aberhart- owner of Aberhart Farms finds his Connect Sprayer saves him 2-4% on inputs over his 11 section John Deer self-propelled.

• Individual nozzle control,
• Turn compensation,
• Pulse width modulation,
• Variable rate capabilities.

Alternatively, The Sniper can also be outfitted with the WeedIt Quadro see and spray system. This will also reduce herbicide applications by only spraying exposed weeds.

tractor requirements

The Connect Sniper allows producers to re-purpose existing tractors on the farm. Todays large augers have similar hose power requirements as the Sniper (a minimum of 200hp). This allows the auger work horse to be utilized for spring burn- offs, early summer herbicide applications and then later in the year for fall burn off. Changing from one implement to another is made easy with simply removing the hydraulics and hitch pin.

Having a second sprayer on your farm can save you the stress when the weed pressure during herbicide applications. How many times have you found yourself going out for first pass on your canola, but then finding out you also need to spray the wheat at the same time? For farms that have one high clearance currently, but are requiring another applicator, buying a second high clearance is not a great option. The Sniper allows you to fill that gap on your farm at a cheaper cost, without compromising on having todays latest technology.

If you want the Connect Sniper on your farm for 2021, contact us today!