Why buy a dedicated sprayer when tractors are sitting in the shed?
FARGO, N.D. —More farmers are hanging tanks and booms on their tractors as an alternative to buying a sprayer.
A tractor sprayer doesn’t offer the crop clearance of a high clearance sprayer, but a tractor sprayer can perform the necessary applications in low-growing crops.
In taller crops, the tractor sprayer handles the first part of the season and the farmer then hires a custom sprayer for the rest of the time.
Ron Boyd, inventor and owner of BoydAg in Georgetown, Texas, said starting with a good centre section is the key to making it all work.
His company manufactures aluminum booms up to 150 feet wide and a universal centre rack called the Bobtail, which can be adapted to virtually any tractor three-point hitch or tanker truck. It can also be added as an upgrade to existing high clearance sprayers.
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“If you have trouble with the rack, it will only lead to trouble with the whole spray operation,” Boyd said.
“We don’t cut any corners with our Bobtail centre section. It’s designed to take all the punishment a centre section will ever take in normal use.”
The Bobcat has individual height control left and right. The operator can spray with one boom folded completely out while the other boom is cradled in the transit position.
As well, the two sides can also run at different heights. For example, the operator can run with the boom two feet high on one side and four feet high on the other side. The rack is free-floating and self-centring.
“We’re mounting many of our booms on tractor three point hitches, using several different boom carriers.”
Boyd is a strong advocate of building booms with aluminum but is hesitant to use aluminum in the Bobtail.
“It would cut some weight, that’s true. European centre racks have some aluminum. I’ve been looking at it, but we abuse our machines so badly over here. I don’t know if it’s a good idea.”
The Bobtail sells for US$36,000 and requires modification in some applications.
For more information, contact Ron Boyd at 512-757-5862 or visit www.boydag.com.
