Comparison 3 point hitch sprayers vs. pull behind

   / 3 point hitch sprayers vs. pull behind #1  

JD15302155870

Bronze Member
Joined
Oct 26, 2010
Messages
87
Location
Commerce, GA
Am in the process of planting over my pastures with lob lolly pines. The total acreage will be about 25 acres. Currently, I am sub soiling for the rows prior to planting this winter. The GA forestry agent recommended spraying the rows with a 4 ft. wide herbicide treatment to kill the grass prior to planting. I will need to but a sprayer and am trying to determine if a 3PH sprayer would be better for thus use rqther than one I can pull behind my gator. I also am trying to find if there are reliable brands for sprayer and which are the better ones. Comments and advice appreciated.
 
   / 3 point hitch sprayers vs. pull behind #2  
About how many gallons does this sprayer need to be? A third option would be one that goes in the back of the gator.
 
   / 3 point hitch sprayers vs. pull behind
  • Thread Starter
#3  
DT86 said:
About how many gallons does this sprayer need to be? A third option would be one that goes in the back of the gator.

I'm not sure what size I will need. I have checked those around 40-55 gal on the 3ph. I could probably get by with 25 if a pull behind. I haven't thought about one in the back of the gator because I want to spray straight down on the grass with arms. Is that possible in the back?
 
   / 3 point hitch sprayers vs. pull behind #4  
Figure out the total acres needing spraying. Since only spraying rows, I would assume maybe 10 acres total? And is this a one time use or do you plan future use? So at 20 gal/acre, you need 200 gallons. So I would want one at least 50 gallons. Budget is a factor. A 3 point hitch version with a PTO roller pump will cost easily $1000. That's a lot for one use. So that leaves a 12 V pump, which would work fine. But most atv units are 25 gallons, so too small for efficiency, but doable with multiple refills if you don't mind that. A trailer type is also costly and most entry level ones have cheesy wheels and tires for a rough pasture, whereas a well built one for farm use will also be well over a grand.

I built a sprayer that fits in the back of my truck using a $50 tote (275 gal) and a good 12 V pump powered with a standard battery like for a trolling motor. Plumbing parts were all common hardware store stuff. You could buy a boom type sprayer assembly from Northern, modify it slightly, and divide it so it would spray 2 or 3 rows in one pass. You could spray all 275 gallons in an hour easily from the comfort of your truck. Cost would be less than $500. I just sprayed over 500 gallons this way over 30 acres of food plots and trails scattered over a thousand acre tract, in one afternoon.

I also have a 25 gal atv sprayer, but it's a pain to refill it 10 times. But if I used it, I would pre mix 200 gallons in a tote in the back of a truck, and have someone follow me to keep me refilled with a simple pump. That would be the cheapest, and you could easily resell the sprayer when you're done.
 
   / 3 point hitch sprayers vs. pull behind #5  
50gallon should take you about 3 tanks,3pt should be alittle cheaper that would probaly be the better route,just dont get the cheap pump. I prefer the boom sprayer over the one nozzle can spray with alittle more wind and seem like get alittle more even spray without alot of drift.
 
   / 3 point hitch sprayers vs. pull behind #6  
Here's one I put together with a frame, sprayer, battery. The wood frame is mounted on the frame by wing nuts so the frame can be used for other things too. I since added a boom to the wood frame for broadcasting. The battery is charged between uses. You could put any size sprayer on this. It does what I need done very well and I spray 7 acres. Could not justify going the 3pt-pto route. sprayer1.jpgsprayer2.jpg
 
   / 3 point hitch sprayers vs. pull behind
  • Thread Starter
#7  
jcdogfish said:
Here's one I put together with a frame, sprayer, battery. The wood frame is mounted on the frame by wing nuts so the frame can be used for other things too. I since added a boom to the wood frame for broadcasting. The battery is charged between uses. You could put any size sprayer on this. It does what I need done very well and I spray 7 acres. Could not justify going the 3pt-pto route.<img src="http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=281591"/><img src="http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=281592"/>


Now that's an easy workable solution. I like the frame for the 3PH but perhaps I could mount something in the back of my gator to spray the rows. I had my fields measured with GPS and it''s a total of 16 acres. Since I'm only doing the rows it probably will be somewhere in the neighborhood of 5-6 that I will be treating. I don't want to spend a lot for just one or possible two applications. Thanks for the pics. That gives me an idea.
 
   / 3 point hitch sprayers vs. pull behind #8  
If that's all you are going to do, I would buy a 25 gal Fimco and strap it to your Gator. Get one with a boom. You can block off jets to narrow the spray pattern to whatever width you choose. The hardest part will be seeing where you have sprayed and keeping the rows straight and even. If the grass is tall and wet from a morning dew, you can see where you've been. It still would be nice to have a larger tank in a truck following you
 
   / 3 point hitch sprayers vs. pull behind #9  
yes, it does not take long to empty 25 gallons when using a boom
 
   / 3 point hitch sprayers vs. pull behind #10  
Certainly your immediate intended use and expense is the best starting point. But consider what use may be encountered later. I have a 55 gallon 3.5 HP pull behind with 30 feet of hose and a boom. It can shot about 30 feet in the air to treat cedar trees for bag worms, it is good for hand spraying poison ivy or laying down herbicide over several acres. The best part is that it can be towed by just about anything.
 
 
Top