Case IH AIM Command FLEX gives operators ultimate control

It has been 25 years since Case IH released its Patriot sprayer, and now the manufacturer has upped the ante by launching the AIM Command FLEX technology to go with the new generation of Patriot machines that offers growers more flexibility and greater ease of operation than before.

The newest Patriot sprayers will now offer three levels of technology - Non- AIM Command, AIM Command FLEX and AIM Command FLEX S, with the three levels giving the customer increasing levels of spray control.

According to Case IH, the AIM Command FLEX offers some significant advantages over the previous Command PRO system.

One key feature of the FLEX is the 36 section overlap control which allows growers to control the boom sections separately to minimise overlap and save on the amount of chemical applied and costs involved.

The boom pressure can also be adjusted independent of the rate and sprayer speed for drift control.  With the push of a button, operators can toggle between two fully customisable spray pressures. Lower pressure can be used to achieve larger droplet sizes that are less prone to drift in sensitive areas, and a higher pressure can be used to increase the force droplets have for increased canopy penetration where drift is less of a concern.

A turn compensation function controls the flow rate according to the speed of the turn and the position of the nozzle on the boom to maintain the correct application rate when spraying around trees, utility poles or any curve in the field.

Operators also have the flexibility to determine the spray rates of each boom section to address any in-field conditions that they may encounter.

The Krieg family in South Australia received their newest Patriot sprayer with a limited edition 25th anniversary paint finish and AIM Command FLEX in April 2017 and is a big fan of the new technology.

The family farms at a property in Kangaroo Flat, about 40km north of Adelaide that produces a wide variety of crop types including wheat, barley, canola and oats to chick peas, lentils, hay and faba beans, across just over 3000ha.

Since arriving at the property, the new Case IH Patriot has done over 1000 hours and Robin Krieg, who used the AIM Command Pro in his last Patriot, says the FLEX technology is everything he expected and more.

“It’s an improvement on what we had last time in that the FLEX is easier to operate,” he says. “You can go from a fine spray to ultra-coarse with the press of a button.

“The individual nozzle control means you don’t waste any chemical and it works out to be very accurate – if you have 34 hectares to do, you’ve done 34 hectares - there’s no wastage of spray.”

He adds the ability to switch between spray pressures easily and quickly proved advantageous when contracting at different locations to minimise spray drift.

Another farmer in Victoria, Ryan Nalder, says the ability to spray in conditions that would ground other sprayers was one of the big advantages of the FLEX, saving precious time and money.

“Most farmers recognise the ideal spraying window can be quite small at times but with the ability to control your speed and droplet size at the touch of a button, we can extend that window,” he says.

“When we get into drift-sensitive environments, for example near fence lines, we can switch to a coarser droplet size, which allows us to spray with confidence in conditions where we probably wouldn’t have been so confident with a standard spraying system.”

Nalder and his family farm in the Mallee region of Victoria at Meatian, just south-west of Swan Hill. They took delivery of their second Patriot at the start of the season after making the switch several years ago from another self-propelled sprayer brand. The AIM Command feature was one of the attractions, Nalder says, and the FLEX on their latest Patriot is another step up.

“We like the turn compensation on the FLEX - being able to adjust the volume applied over the boom throughout a turn … ticks quite a few boxes,” he says.

The FLEX system also monitors each nozzle and notifies the operator immediately if a valve stops working or a wire becomes unplugged. In addition to alerts on the in-cab display, each solenoid valve has an LED indicator light to help spot problem nozzles quickly and easily.

Robin Krieg says the Patriot is perhaps the best sprayer on the market. “I’ve done things with a Patriot that would put other things out for days and I haven’t had to stop,” he says. He adds the option of the AIM Command FLEX completes the package.

“The coverage is good – it’s probably one of the best I’ve seen for fungicide coverage - and the accuracy and evenness is excellent. It certainly makes things easier for us.”