Sprayer Sprayer mod

[cwarrix]

Hi All, I'm wondering if anyone has tried to do this before. I have a small tow behind sprayer that I bought at TSC a couple of years ago. I think it is about 25 or 30 gallons, and probably has a 4' boom, maybe a 7' coverage. I use it for the lawn, spraying 2-4-D a couple of times a year to keep the weeds in check, works great. My problem is around flower beds and stuff, I usually end up killing some flower that just happens to be my wife's favorite /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

Attached is a picture of a sprayer setup for a Grasshopper mower. Has anyone out there modified a sprayer like mine to look / work like the one in the picture? Basically add some sort of shroud around the spray area that reaches the ground and prevents drift. Any ideas on what material to use or how to go about this would be very welcome.

Thanks!
Chuck

 

[cwarrix]

One more challenge in case you are tired of reasing about how to bind a tractor to a trailer /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif Any ideas how to add some sort of marking, like the foam dye the big rigs use to mark the rows in the grass that you have already covered? Maybe such a beast already exists, I just have never seen one.

Trying to get my Winter projects ready for Spring!!! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[cwarrix]

Found this article if anybody is interested...

web page

 

[jc7622]

Go to the TeeJet website. They have nozzles designed especially for reducing drift (which is important when spraying something with the potential liability of 2-4D).

I use their AIUB (Air Induction Under Band) nozzle for spraying glyphosate under the rows of my grapes. A hood is also useful for reducing drift.

 

[rambler]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Any ideas how to add some sort of marking, like the foam dye the big rigs use to mark the rows in the grass that you have already covered? Maybe such a beast already exists, I just have never seen one.
)</font>

At any of the farm supply places you should be able to find a dye made for this. Generally a blue/ purple.

--->Paul

 

[cwarrix]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( At any of the farm supply places you should be able to find a dye made for this. Generally a blue/ purple.

--->Paul )</font>

Thanks Paul, does it just mix in the tank? So, how long would the grass be purple? /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif My Wife might like that and want me to keep it that way /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

I was thinking more about a little stream of foam/dye that just marks a spot every so many feet to use as a guide for the next swipe to prevent overlap. I've seen something like this on some big tractors / equipment in the fields behind us but I don't know what it is called and don't know if you could do something like this on a small scale, like for spraying a lawn.

 

[Farmwithjunk]

You can "tank-mix" dye's directly into the product you're spraying as one option. Those dyes are readily available as Rambler mentioned. Some colors work better than others, depending one what you're spraying. I personally like blue for grass and hayfields, but have used reds, orange, yellow, and even green.

Foam marker systems can get costly. I believe it's Agri-Supply that has a relatively inexpensive foam marker application "set-up" listed in their catalog. It's for smaller sprayers.

 

[JoeR]

I have used the green dye and it lasted about 1.5 days in the Florida sun. On a really hot sunny day, I have seen if fade within hours. Although, don't get it on your clothes! Doesn't fade!

Joe

 

[cwarrix]

Farmwithjunk, I found one in the agri-supply catalog (maybe the one you were talking about for $289 or so. Here is the link in case anybody wants to look at it.

Foam Marker

That is a little more than I want to put into a marking system. My sprayer barely cost that much /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif I wonder why they are so expensive? I've only got a few acres total that I spray between my yard and a couple of others, maybe 7 or 8 acres total. I might try to rig up a home made idea for a lot less money.

Maybe I'll take a big bag of peanuts and just drop a trail of shells to mark my path /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif Seriously, I'm not sure how to make foam, but I was thinking about maybe building a small tank to hold dye and water, a solenoid to open and close, maybe a pump, maybe gravity feed. It might involve a small bit of electronics to turn the solenoid on and off every 2-3 seconds, something like that, but it would leave like a stripe on the ground every few feet.

Or what about something like they use to do chalk stripes on athletic fields, only small scale and use something like lime instead of chalk, very small amounts?? Just thinking out loud.

Thoughts, ideas???

 

[Farmwithjunk]

My $.02 worth? I used marker dye for a few years. It's a bear to see under some conditions. (i.e. low evening sun. certain types of grass/hay, ect)

While I was spraying with the dye, I started watching tire tracks in the grass. I noticed that I could gauge my tracks, keeping the spray pattern from overlapping or skipping, and do so about as accurately as with the dye. Now that's how I always do my spraying. There's some occasional overlap. Every once in a while, I'll get a skip. The thing is, I got the same results with dye, and PROBABLY would get simular results with a foam marker system. It isn't that big of a deal.

Spraying, like oh, so many things in life sees better results with lots of practice.

But if it inspires more confidence, the tank-mixed dye is the cheapest, and is almost as effective as anything. Dye is available at TSC.

DON'T wear your favorite shirt when you use it though.

Don't ask me how I know that. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

 

[cwarrix]

Farmwithjunk, I have been using the tire track method you mentioned with decent results up until now. I usually spray real early in the morning when the grass is still wet from the dew. Helps the chemicals stick better and the tire tracks really show up. I always reckoned my sprayer had a little drift and that if I was pretty close to the last row it would all pretty much work out. But I'm working on an idea for a hood or skirt to reduce or hopefully eliminate drifting. That will help me to not kill my wife's flowers, but it will also require me to be a little more precise since there is no drifting to blend the rows together.

I'm probably thinking way too much about it, and sometimes I enjoy a small project like this just to keep me busy until warmer weather gets here. Maybe I'll just go with the dye in the tank idea for the first application and see how it works. I'll make sure I wear my old tie-dye shirt for that one /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Thanks for the input!

 

[cwarrix]

Thanks for the info JoeR. I was curious how long the color would last on a lawn. My neighbors will probably wonder why I painted my lawn purple /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif Oh well, they already know I'm crazy, so they probably won't even think twice about it /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[Farmwithjunk]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Farmwithjunk, I have been using the tire track method you mentioned with decent results up until now. I usually spray real early in the morning when the grass is still wet from the dew. Helps the chemicals stick better and the tire tracks really show up. I always reckoned my sprayer had a little drift and that if I was pretty close to the last row it would all pretty much work out. But I'm working on an idea for a hood or skirt to reduce or hopefully eliminate drifting. That will help me to not kill my wife's flowers, but it will also require me to be a little more precise since there is no drifting to blend the rows together.

I'm probably thinking way too much about it, and sometimes I enjoy a small project like this just to keep me busy until warmer weather gets here. Maybe I'll just go with the dye in the tank idea for the first application and see how it works. I'll make sure I wear my old tie-dye shirt for that one /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Thanks for the input! )</font>

I've done the same thing, only in reverse. When I spray close to the wifes flower beds, I cover them with plastic for a few minutes to shield the flowers. I give it a few extra minutes to let all the "drift" settle. A neighbor that does commercial lawn care has a sprayer with a hood on it. He claims it works great EXCEPT it's mighty difficult to see when a spray tip clogs up and quits spraying.