Vineyard Foliar sprayer - Design, ideas.

[blakester]

Alright, wow that's a Lot of information to consider. I have thought of the fan forcing air through but I didn't realize it may be such an important factor. That would certainly be the most difficult part of the build. More nozzles shouldn't be a problem as long as I keep my pump in check for throughput. Normally I put on a suit when I spray anything just in case, unless it's organic. Atomizing the spray is not an issue with the nozzles but I realise pentration is a key factor. It sounds like the consensus is that some sort of air to augment the sprY to roll the leaves around is a key factor in getting good coverage. I had. It planned to factor this into my build but I'm re-thiking that now. As for the complexity I would prefer to keep it as lean as possible. Will have to think about a fan cage now....

 

[blakester]

Alright, wow that's a Lot of information to consider. I have thought of the fan forcing air through but I didn't realize it may be such an important factor. That would certainly be the most difficult part of the build. More nozzles shouldn't be a problem as long as I keep my pump in check for throughput. Normally I put on a suit when I spray anything just in case, unless it's organic. Atomizing the spray is not an issue with the nozzles but I realise pentration is a key factor. It sounds like the consensus is that some sort of air to augment the sprY to roll the leaves around is a key factor in getting good coverage. I had. It planned to factor this into my build but I'm re-thiking that now. As for the complexity I would prefer to keep it as lean as possible. Will have to think about a fan cage now....

 

[flusher]

So i'm taking some time this summer to build myself a foliar sprayer for my 4 acre vineyard. I have a couple of ideas and wanted to get your guys take on it. The sprayer builds I have seen on here are not really what I'm looking for but have provided some good inspiration. My basic concept is to make it a tow behind using a 50 Gal plastic drum, and separately have an assembly connected to the three point that is essentially a tower with the nozzles on it. My thought to do it this way is so that I can have a good capacity without worrying about tractor stability. I have a kubota b3220 so it's a med size tractor and I have some areas that are steep vertically and have a bit of a side slope, nothing to worry about normally but i want to keep it safe. I was also planning on using a roller pto pump to keep the design simple and economical. 20 gal per min - 100 psi should be enough capacity, probably 8-10 spray nozzles. Any thoughts you guys might have would be great. I will be uploading some basic design images to better show what I'm thinking.
Cheers everyone.

I'd just buy an $850 60-gal 3-point hitch Fimco sprayer from Tractor Supply and modify the spray bar to position the nozzles appropriately for your vineyard trellis layout. No reason to reinvent the wheel. I just sold my 6-year old unit for $500 (sold the farm and moving to the city).

 

[negevfarmet]

Hi

Look on the internet for http://www.degania-sprayers.co.il/
A company from israel
They build narrow sprayers for greenhouse
I use it and it is very good
They used kubota engines with 4x4 hydraulic driven motors
And they have good windflow from the vent

 

[TractorTech]

You might also look at OnTargetSpray.com. They build a 35 gallon electrostatic sprayer for small acreages, narrow plantings and are low volume. The electrostatic charge means what you spray won't be wasted on the ground and harm the environment. They boast that a 35 gallon sprayer will spray 3 acres. Built in the USA in Mt. Angel, OR.

 

[blakester]

Thats a very interesting concept the electrostatic. I was reading up on the method, it seems its popular in painting applications for things like powder coating. Also checked out the fimco, interesting avenue for sure. Being in Canada getting one would mean making a trip down south, but it could be worth it and modifying that. only thing is adding the fan which I would want to run off the tractor PTO. I do have an under mount PTO in addition so i could leverage both if I needed to. I like the idea of the trailer style not the 3 point so I can have it full and if Im not driving the tractor it's safe for anyone else but it's hard to find the prices on there. Also the allure of building is also a tough one. What to buy what to build, always a tough choice. I'm still doing some designing will post some stuff when I have more

 

[MNBobcat]

Thats a very interesting concept the electrostatic. I was reading up on the method, it seems its popular in painting applications for things like powder coating. Also checked out the fimco, interesting avenue for sure. Being in Canada getting one would mean making a trip down south, but it could be worth it and modifying that. only thing is adding the fan which I would want to run off the tractor PTO. I do have an under mount PTO in addition so i could leverage both if I needed to. I like the idea of the trailer style not the 3 point so I can have it full and if Im not driving the tractor it's safe for anyone else but it's hard to find the prices on there. Also the allure of building is also a tough one. What to buy what to build, always a tough choice. I'm still doing some designing will post some stuff when I have more

Don't go with Fimco. They are a bad design. If you look at the bottom of the tanks you'll see that they have molded pockets and such that make them really, really hard to clean because the pesticides get trapped in those pockets. Some of the Fimco models have no drain...you have to remove the return line to drain the tank. Most also don't have agitation.

I'd highly recommend looking for a sprayer with a round or flat bottom with no pockets other than a single sump area where the liquid is picked up.

 

[blakester]

Alright I did up a quick sketch for where I'm headed. No plumbing included. Basically it's a trailer styler, with the PTO driving a three way gear to power the fan and the roller pump. The fan would be shaft driven with a pillow block offset from the gearbox for wobble support. I did not include the air venting in there yet. Was thinking 50 gal plastic drum for the container. Pics attached.
This would be all build no buy basically besides the pump and the gearbox.