Calibrating Sprayer

[HOUNDSTOOTH]

Do any of yall know where I could find something online that would help me get my sprayer setup right? Like how fast to drive and how much spray should be comin' out?
Thanks,
HT
P.S. Sorry bout posting here. I didnt see a forum that covers this type of question.

 

[thcri]

Houndstooth,

Go to one of you local agri-culture supply houses and ask them for a chart. You have to plug in your tip size, coverage and it will tell you options for speed and pressure. I don't know of one on line but most of the agri-culture supply houses have them. Some give them out free.


murph

 

[TiminMN]

Try Teejet support
TeeJet Support
Look for the links at the bottom of the page.

 

[jeffinsgf]

Charts will only go so far, and rely on accurate pump delivery and pressure. The best way is to calibrate it yourself.

Pace off or measure 100 feet. Measure the width of your spray. If you have a fairly normal boom sprayer for a CUT, you probably have a 10 foot spraying width. That means that a 100 foot travel covers 1,000 square feet. Fill your tank with clear water. Set your pressure. Pick a gear. start the pump and drive the 100 feet. Check the scale on your tank to see how much you sprayed. If you're looking for a light spray, do the same thing with 500 feet instead of 100. Fiddle around with your speed and pressure until you are happy with the volume of water delivered in the calibration runs. It helps the math if it comes out nice and round, like 1,2 or 5 gallons per thousand.

If your chemical states how much to apply per thousand, mix that amount with the amount of water you sprayed per thousand in your calibration run. If you are working on chemicals per acre, multiply your per M by 43.56

Hopefully you have a speedometer and cruise control, if you have a hydro drive tractor. This is one chore where I really like my ePower Reverser. I can tweak the gear selection and engine speed to establish a rate of travel that is exactly the same all the time.

 

[HOUNDSTOOTH]

Thanks guys!!
Between these three options I shouldn't have any trouble.
Jeff I do have cruise and my sprayer is an AgSpray 55 gal w/ 12' boom. I have always heard the term "Calibrating". But never understood what you actually had to do. Thanks for the detailed reply.

 

[checkers]

Go to Untitled Document
for some good info on calibrating sprayers. You will probably be broadcast spraying, but there is also info on band and row spraying.
The method decribed is handy because once you have your speed established you can change rates with different nozzles or pressures by simply measuring the output of one nozzle in ounces which will then equate
to gallons per acre.
It is important to maintain a constant speed when spraying-usually 3 to 4 mph for small tractors. I lay out two flags 300 ft. apart and make 4 or 5 runs between them and time each one with a stopwatch and average them out. I then divide the 300ft. by the averaged time and get feet per second. then multiply that by .68 to get MPH.
I use an Agspray 55 gal with 20 ft booms with 20" spacing on the nozzles. Looking at the chart on the website for 20" nozzle spacing for broadcast spraying you put out two flags 204ft. apart. run between those flags and time them with the stopwatch. Average a few runs. Then with the tractor stopped and pto on and engine rpm set the same as for your spraying speed turn on your booms and collect in a measuring cup(Clean water, No chemicals!) water from one nozzle only. This will equate to the gallons per acre applied at that pressure,speed and nozzle size.
In my case I use #2 flat fan nozzles at 35psi at 3.5 mph for about 16 gallons per acre. I mainly use2/4/D to kill broadleaf weeds in my Bermudagrass pasture and it works very well.
I would also suggest a foam marker or indicator dye to prevent skipps or to much overlap.