Boom or boomless sprayer build?? Need Help!!

[Lance2622]

New member here needing some expertise on a spray rig I have been doing a little work on.

I currently have a tank mounted on a trailer that is probably 200-300 gallons in size. It is already plumbed with a pressure regulator and has a PTO pump (unknown GPM/PSI). What I want to do with it is apply 2,4,D throughout the year on about 70 acres. My first thought was that I would just by a boomless spray nozzle with a 20ft coverage and apply with that. Then as I was reading more into it it seems as if these boomless spray nozzles are not intended for herbicide application. I can weld (don't have a welder but do have access to one), I have plenty of scrap metal so I was thinking I could build some booms for it. I would like to have at least 2 10ft booms so that I get a 20 ft coverage. Which would be the better way to go. If it is feasible I would rather go boomless cause it will be less time consuming and I wont have to worry about maintenance on the additional nozzles.

My other concern is that my tractor is an open cab. Is there any adverse health issues if the 2,4,D absorbs into my skin? The sprayers would be 10-12 ft behind the seat of the tractor but I would believe that due to wind and other factors there is no possible way it would not get on me.

Thanks for any input!

Lance

 

[BukitCase]

Got a hazmat suit? Seriously...

http://www.kernred.com/kern-agcomm/products/2, 4-D AMINE 4 HERBICIDE.pdf

 

[TripleR]

We use a 3PH boomless sprayer for herbicide. We use a cab with it though.

 

[HCJtractor]

I use a Tee jet boomless nozzle and get about a 40' spray pattern in my homemade 12V spray rig. It works great and covers evenly. Here are pix of the spray.

 

[snowjoker]

If you can get away without any booms DO IT ! I bought a 25 gallon atv boomles sprayer and dont regret it one bit, It does 30 feet with the outside nozzles on and about 6 feet with just the inside nozzle.. its a 3 nozzle boom thats like 3 feet wide ..

 

[Attono]

Making a boom set up should be fairly easy. You could just use some 1 or 1 1/2 inch square tube and then you just need some brackets to mount the spray nozzles on. There's nothing particularly complicated about it. You can get some good ideas from the fimco sprayers http://fimcoindustries.com/images/catalog/12/3_Point_Sprayers.pdf

 

[Lance2622]

View attachment 287697View attachment 287698View attachment 287699I use a Tee jet boomless nozzle and get about a 40' spray pattern in my homemade 12V spray rig. It works great and covers evenly. Here are pix of the spray.

That is a nice set up.. What is the cost on the teejet nozzle you have. I have been looking at boominator and they run about 80 each. I always also concerned about the coverage, glad to hear they do provide even coverage.

 

[HCJtractor]

Bought this TeeJet boom less nozzle at tractor supply. Cost about $120. I actually plugged the outer two jets as it sprayed too wide a pattern for my needs I now have it spraying about 30'. The photo, however, is before it was plugged, so it shows the full spray. It is solid brass and well made.

 

[kyles974]

I sprayed pesticides for 15yrs when I was younger.....and I, and I, and I......never had, a, a, a
pra-pra-problem.:drool:

really I did, with no problems besides my sence of smell is real bad, so if ya spraying alot, get the right saftey equipment.
Just like most things we are around, their all got toxins.:ashamed::thumbdown:


Most important item for your sprayer to have is a micro filter, maybe even two. I built three or four sprayers back when I used to have a spraying business, and even with the one filter I used, those tee jet tips I used still would get plugged evre now and then.
( had 1 inch square tubing with flat stock for break away brackets on them, and a spring, so ya could hit trees, etc., and not worry about breaking the boom.....of course unless ya hit them going backwards)

I just went off the design that was on a spray unit I had already bought for big $$$ and built one for a 1/3 of its price....but this was 15yrs ago. (not sure if ya still can do that today with the way pricing has changed)

I cant remember the size of the filter.....I want to thank it was 45 microns, but its been to long ago.

.....but if I built one today and planned on using it more than once or twice a year I would build in two filters, one with a medium screen, then one with fine screening prior to the spray tips.:thumbsup:
Not only will it help from missing spraying 1/3, or more of project because ya didnt look back to notice the spray tip being clogged, but most of importance, ya dont have to unscrew the tip to clean it out, which means, less absorbtion of chemicals in your body!:thumbsup:

(one sprayer I built, I didnt run a filter at all, my dumb *** had to keep doing this until I got a filter. I regrete it so much today, because I know from handling all the "wet" tips has to have an effect on my body today. (ya think ...oh I would aleays wear gloves, but it took longer to put the gloves on than it did to clean the nozzel):ashamed:

Oh...one spray unit, I use t-handle valves so I could spray with the boom fully open or with the booms folded in so the 12ft spray went to a 4 ft spray in the middle only. Also added a hand held sprayer. Used the hand held sprayer so much, I just kept it in my hand at all times....but I was spraying commercial properties too.

I wished I could be of more help to ya and help with more, but this is all I remember....could be from spraying with out proper saftey equipment, who knows....but something to think about, lol

 

[kyles974]

Making a boom set up should be fairly easy. You could just use some 1 or 1 1/2 inch square tube and then you just need some brackets to mount the spray nozzles on. There's nothing particularly complicated about it. You can get some good ideas from the fimco sprayers http://fimcoindustries.com/images/catalog/12/3_Point_Sprayers.pdf

yep....just like what I built, but I used clear braided hose, it was chemical resistant, and I used the clear, because I liked seeing what was going on. Allowed me to see any air leaks, etc.,

 

[Lance2622]

Thanks all for the help and guidance! I appreciate it!

 

[BHD]

I have a 300 gallon sprayer, that is on a trailer, at one time used it on corn, it came with booms, and they were OK and maybe even better in a field environment, as it would spray between the rows, but was a B1tch when it came to fences and spraying between machinery and so on, I found a boom less head that would shoot about 30 foot, (the same as my booms, and mounted it (you could go right or left or both) and found that great, for fences and ditches and around machinery, as there were no booms to catch things, and for what I have used it for of late, there are no booms on it any more, but I no longer do row crops,

I doubt that the boom less nozzle is as accurate as a boomed unit, but for just general weed control not that big of a problem,

and the boom less nozzles have bigger openings in them and do not plug near as easily as the little units on the booms, (even with filters),

actually I do not remember the boom less nozzle ever plugging on me,

I have mine mounted in the center of the sprayer, the only draw back if your spraying ditches your spaying some of the road way as well, (if i would reposition it, off to the side (edge of the sprayer) ditch side, one would not do the road, but having it so it can be repositions mounted easily, (I have used the tapered spade and socket mounts, that were sold for the SMV signs, make quick holders for things like that, Slow Moving Vehicle Signs

I also valved the line so I could use a hose reel and a hand wand for some type of spot spraying,

 

[boggen]

PDF that BukitCase gave, right in the PDF file, it says a cab is needed.

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spraying chemicals can be good and ugly, drifting mist. is a big thing. and only spraying when it is not windy can help a lot. and also keeping the spray nozzles on booms lower to the ground. and going with nozzles that do not create a super fine mist can help even more in keeping chemicals were the need to be, vs drifting across the land and to some place were they are not suppose to go.

check your PTO pump, for some sort of numbers on it, if not some sort of name brand possible, to look up specs. some PTO pumps can have high pressure, while others not so much. the pressure rating for pump is what may predict getting cheaper pipe / hose, vs more expensive higher pressure rated pipe / hose.

your GPM from PTO pump, may predict how wide of a boom/s you can go with, and how many nozzles (spray tips) you can have total. and what type of nozzles (spray tips) you end up using on the boom/s.

for spray tips for booms, prefer, the spray bodies, and lock nuts that hold the tips, were i can hand tighten, and then use a flat head screw driver, on bottom of spray tip, to adjust direction of spray tip. so i can adjust were the spray tip points.

20 foot total width, is a good amount of spray tips, might advise going with spray tip bodies, that do not have a micro screen located in each spray tip, but rather, a central 1 or 2 main micro filters, between PTO pump and all the spray tips. just to make it easier to deal with replacing and cleaning filters. though having individual little filters at each spray tip, can be nice, and helps insure all spray tips stay working. while out there actually spraying things.

with PTO pumps, vs "on demand" electrical pumps. PTO pumps you really have no way to stop the flow of water/chemicals, or less you turn off the PTO on tractor. with on demand electrical pumps, you hook them up and they will auto sense when they need to produce flow of water/chemicals. and you will more likely find "on demand" electrical pumps on ATV sprayers, to sprayers that have some sort of "hand wand" you can use for spraying. and then PTO pumps for sprayers that have larger width booms. and most likely no hand wands.

in order to setup hand wands on PTO pumps, it gets a little tricky in use of electrical control valves. and can get rather costly just for the valves themselves.

because of above, the ATV spray rigs, setups, if you can wait for a good deal to come up on a new setup. you might be better off with a ATV spray rig, and then taking everything off of the ATV spray rig and hooking it up to your larger tank. and then hook up the PTO pump when you want to use the booms.

larger tanks are not always the "best" or less ya doing fields and really need that amount of volume of water/chemicals. what i am getting at, is being able to actually clean out the tanks, after a use of a given chemical. and getting spray rig setup for next chemical. or simply cleaning things out before putting it away. with above said, having drain ports on lowest spot on bottom of tanks can really help. having some sort of "man hole" lid. that you can actually stick your arm down along with a garden hose nozzle to spray things out can help.

there is a good a mount of stuff that goes into a full spray rig, while cost of new ones seem extremely costly. but once you start adding up this and that. and then time to put it all together. your not much off of a new spray rig, beyond a dealer markup fee. do not get me wrong i am all for DIY project. but start making a list of cost of things before jumping into the entire project. and what you are able to do, vs buying a manufactured sprayer setup.

double check also to see if you need a "chemical license" or "permit" to even spray a given chemical. laws differ from state to state. and you might be able to apply for a farm license / permit. pending on use.

and one last thing to remember, is mist drifting over into a neighbors property, or into a nearby lake, or stream. or into your house, can be big costly fines / doings.

 

[OldMcDonald]

boggen, A lot of good information in that post. I have been spraying agricultural crops for over 50 years, and for a few years I did contracting on biggish acres in Australia with a 40' boom, so have covered a bit of ground. Your last three paragraphs are particularly important, especially the drift. Boomless sprays, by their very nature cannot give an even coverage, nor even an accurate one.