It’s all about speed, power and efficiency when it comes to today’s self-propelled field sprayers. In this issue, we take a closer look to find where those differences start.
Rogator rg900, rg1100 and rg1300
Rogator RG900, RG1100 and RG1300 sprayers are designed to move quickly and easily among a wide variety of crops, crop heights and field conditions. According to Rogator, their drive package also gives you more horsepower than ever before and matches it to the payload capacity, giving you more consistent field and road speeds with far greater fuel efficiency.
These Rogators have new Tier 4i AGCO power engines with the exclusive e3 technology. The models range from 280 to 339 hp with a pressure compensated drive system that monitors drive pressure. It automatically changes to a lower speed range, reducing drive system load while maintaining the engine r.p.m. you need for field conditions.
Features include unlimited wheel spacing from 120 to 152 inches and a 50-inch crop clearance. As well, an air suspension with an anti-roll system on the front and rear axles evens out your ride while keeping the boom at a consistent height.
www.rogator.com
Deere 4940 sprayer
John Deere offers four models of self-propelled sprayers from the 4630 to the new 4940. According to the company, the 4940 is John Deere’s largest and most productive sprayer, offering a range of options targeted at keeping you spraying accurately and efficiently through very long days.
The new JD 4940 sprayer has direct injection kits, allowing the operator to accurately inject chemicals into the carrier flow without having to mix chemical into the solution tank. This results in easier changeover between crops, faster loading times and less wasted chemical. There are four different injection systems, with capacities ranging from 35 to 200 gallons.
A variable-speed hydrostatic ground drive provides an infinite range of speeds in the field or for transport. Matching speeds to field conditions is done with the +/- button on the hydro handle. Power from the 9.0 litre PowerTech engine turns two hydrostatic pumps, transforming this power into oil flow and pressure. Each pump is plumbed to two opposite wheel motors.
www.deere.com
Case International patriot series sprayers
The Patriot Series from Case International comes in three models, from the Patriot 3230 bringing a 220-hp 6.7 litre six cylinder turbocharged Case IH NEF diesel engine with a tank size of 800 U.S. gallons, to the 4420 with its 290-hp 8.3 litre engine and tank capacity of 1,200 U.S. gallons.
New for 2012 is the Patriot 4430 rated at 324 hp. The 4430 is Tier 4A compliant, with boom widths from 60 to 120 ft.
Case IH emphasizes its “cab forward design” that offers better weight distribution, helping minimize soil compaction even with a full product tank. The Surveyor cab offers comfort and visibility to boost productivity by reducing operator fatigue. This is enhanced by the aircraft-style suspension, which helps both the boom and the operator by absorbing both vertical and lateral shock loads.
Each Patriot sprayer comes with the “AIM Command” spray system. This brings independent pressure control so the operator can manage droplet size to match field conditions without changing tips, speed or rate. In turn, this enables the operator to increase average field speed, control drift on the go, maximize chemical utilization, and limit off target application risk.
www.caseih.com
Miller nitro series sprayers
Miller offers six models in their Nitro series from 215 to 365 horsepower. The company calls the Nitro series the most productive and robust front-boom sprayer in the industry.
Miller engineering emphasizes operator comfort as one of its top priorities in the Nitro series. The front boom offers great visibility. The Nitro deluxe cab features a high back air-ride seat and an industry leading air-ride suspension. Nitro sprayers have high clearance (six feet) a turning radius of 13.5 to 15 feet, superior traction with direct-drive wheel motors and superior weight distribution. There is a wide choice of product tanks and options to best fit your operation.
These Miller Nitro sprayers also come with a light package containing 14 powerful and adjustable halogens that light up your work area. This can be enhanced with optional Xenon, plus front and rear mount field lights and an amber rotating beacon.
www.millerstn.com
Apache field sprayers
New for 2012, Apache offers the AS720, AS1025 and AS1220 field sprayers. These Apaches have new cabs offering 12 per cent more space, plus new ZF transmissions with a torque converter to help transfer more power to the ground. They also come with axles that can be adjusted from 120 to 160 inches.
Apache sprayers from Equipment Technologies differentiate themselves from other field sprayers by using tough mechanical drives instead of mounting a hydrostatic engine on each wheel. Key to this mechanical drive versus hydrostatic environment is “tractive effort” which refers to transferring all the power to the ground for maximum efficiency.
With no hydrostatic engines, the price point of the Apache is lower than competitive hydrostatic sprayers. According to Equipment Technologies, this cost is not only lower at the front end, but operating costs are lower as well. For instance fuel costs are much lower as there is no need to run engines at capacity in order to run hydrostatic motors. The units are also lighter, so the company says there is less soil compaction and crop damage.
www.etsprayers.com