Sprayer Sprayer Edumacation please...

woodlandfarms · Jul 18, 2008

So, I am mulling over a sprayer purchase. And of course one person (my BIL) has thrown me for a loop on my plans.

I need to get a sprayer, one with a wand and a bar. It needs to be electric, and one that is probably Quad mounted so I can put it on my PT.

It is going to be on slopes, its purpose is to spray blackberries (crossbow) the broadleaf, then fertilizer.... I don't want to throw the chemicals much wider than the tires with the spray bar (about 8 to 10 feet wide, although maybe adjust it wider). The wand is to get to the hard to reach spots... down the ravines and such...

Anyway.. I was planning on picking up a 60 gallon FIMCO with a 3.9 gpm pump. My BIL told me I was way into overkill with this system, and that the 25 gallon, 2.5GPM system would be much better. He suggested that for the moments I want more capacity just add a second tank of a 50 gallon drum...

So, simply, I am looking for advice / direction before I plunk down $600 for a system.

heymack · Jul 18, 2008

Honestly, I don't think anybody's ever complained about having too much capacity with their sprayer system. With that said, I'd opt for the larger unit without question and would get a roller pump over an electric while I was at it.

FWIW, I recently built a system that's comprised of a carry-all, roller pump, 55-gallon plastic drum, hand wand, 8' boom and all accessories/components for around $400. It doesn't take a whole lot of skill to do and was actually a fun build.

crbr · Jul 18, 2008

woodlandfarms said:
So, I am mulling over a sprayer purchase. And of course one person (my BIL) has thrown me for a loop on my plans.

I need to get a sprayer, one with a wand and a bar. It needs to be electric, and one that is probably Quad mounted so I can put it on my PT.

It is going to be on slopes, its purpose is to spray blackberries (crossbow) the broadleaf, then fertilizer.... I don't want to throw the chemicals much wider than the tires with the spray bar (about 8 to 10 feet wide, although maybe adjust it wider). The wand is to get to the hard to reach spots... down the ravines and such...

Anyway.. I was planning on picking up a 60 gallon FIMCO with a 3.9 gpm pump. My BIL told me I was way into overkill with this system, and that the 25 gallon, 2.5GPM system would be much better. He suggested that for the moments I want more capacity just add a second tank of a 50 gallon drum...

So, simply, I am looking for advice / direction before I plunk down $600 for a system.

Bigger capacity. BILs can give advice easily enough. Go with your initial decision.

kiwiroo · Jul 18, 2008

I was looking at the 3-pt Fimco as well for spraying roundup/crossbow etc., do you have to usually run at full rpm to get the pressure to spray or end up running lower rpm's?

NonTypicalCPA · Jul 18, 2008

One thing to consider is the weight factor. 60 gallons weighs a lot more than 25 gallons. I have a fimco UTV sprayer that sits in the bed of my Kawasaki Mule. It is 50 gallons I believe, and it squats the mule a bit. 60 gallons on an atv seems like too much weight.

Just my two cents.

woodlandfarms · Jul 20, 2008

Thanks guys. I think the biggest question for me was the motor size. Would a 2.5 GPM be as good as a 3.9 GPM...

Saddly, I have no conventional PTO on the PT. It is hydraulic or electric...

Carpenter · Jul 20, 2008

I have the Fimco ATV-25-71 with the 3.8 gpm pump; it sprays 8' higher and 13' farther than the lesser pump. My version has a foldable boom that sprays a 12' swath and folds back if you hit something. It's been a good unit and my atv wouldn't tolerate much more of a load on the back.:: FIMCO Industries :: ATV Sprayers
Are you going to put the sprayer in your bucket or haul it behind somehow? I've used a Fimco 25gal. spot sprayer in the bucket of my PT 425 for getting into tight spaces.

woodlandfarms · Jul 20, 2008

Thanks for all the info Carpenter. I was going to either mount the sprayer to a pallet or make a mount. Because it is the PT it would be spraying in front. I can't imagine trying to tow something with the PT (backing up? would kill me).

Rara Avis · Jul 20, 2008

woodlandfarms said:
Thanks for all the info Carpenter. I was going to either mount the sprayer to a pallet or make a mount. Because it is the PT it would be spraying in front. I can't imagine trying to tow something with the PT (backing up? would kill me).

If you are going to be running the sprayer off the FRONT...make sure you use Tyvek, a GOOD respirator and goggles...

ampsucker · Jul 20, 2008

i think the keyword in your original post is "slopes". i'm assuming you don't have a roll bar on your atv, so i would opt for smaller tank and possibly have to fill it up twice on occasion. 60 gallons, mounted up high on the rear rack is going to seriously mess with your center of gravity - especially when sloshing around.

maybe it's possible to get the bigger motor on the smaller tank if you really need to spray a long distance? i have the fimco 25 gallon tow behind and it sprays a good 25-30 feet when adjusted correctly.

agree that you'll need good protective gear if there is any kind of breeze at all. also, the higher up you mount, the wider the spray bar will spray, but the more overspray into unintended areas you'll have. i like the tow behind because it's low, very difficult to roll over, and the spray bar is low so i can control the distribution very well when the air is still.

another nice addition is a push button mounted near the driver with the positive lead to the pump motor going through it. that gives you instant on off control for the spray bar. i "retrofitted" the cheesy reverse lock out button on my lawn mower for this service and it works great. it does get old holding it down on long runs, so i would think a simple on off switch would work just as good or better.

amp