Classifieds spotlight: Top sprayer picks

While not the most existing job one can imagine, crop spraying and protection is one of the most crucial parts of farming to ensure a quality harvest and the best crops.

There is so much to know about spraying, from selecting the right nozzles to knowing what time of the day to spray. Having the right equipment to do the job right is also of utmost importance.

There are several types of sprayers growers can pick from depending on what they are trying to achieve or the size of their operation.

A self-propelled sprayer is a full-scale machine with its own powertrain and drive system and features a cab for operators to sit in and drive the machine. For that reason, self-propelled sprayers are more expensive than trailing units and are often a better investment for contractors who use it day in, day out.

Farmers with bigger operations might also gravitate towards self-propelled sprayers due to the tank and boom sizes available. For example, the Hardi Rubicon offers tank sizes of up to 9000-litres.

Some prominent brands of self-propelled sprayers sold in Australia include Goldacres, Hardi, John Deere, Croplands, Rogator, Case IH and more.

This 2018 John Deere R4045 self-propelled sprayer for sale has all the bells and whistles growers need to spray efficiently on their property. It has a 4500-litre solution tank, and features a 36m boom with ExactApply nozzle control. The ExactApply system is John Deere’s intelligent spraying system utilising Pulse Width Modulation for more efficient and smarter spraying.

With Autotrac, it is also capable of automatically steering itself.

Location: WA

Condition: Used

Hours: 1850

Price: $484,000 (excluding government charges)

The below Goldacres G6 that has done 1890 hours is also looking for a new home. It has a 36m boom, a 6000-litre product tank and several great technology for improved efficiency such as Goldacres’ RapidFire and RapidFlow.

The unit will be available from November 2020 and the seller is letting go of the unit as they are upgrading to Goldacres’ new Series 2 G6 sprayer.

Location: NSW

Condition: Used

Hours: 1890

Price: $396,000 (excluding government charges)

Trailing sprayers are sprayer units towed behind tractors and do not have their own powertrains. For smaller operations, they are an ideal choice as they are more affordable and do not take up as much space in the shed.

In terms of boom sizes, they can still go up to 48m, however tank sizes do not go up to what self-propelled sprayers can offer.

A few prominent names of trailing sprayers include AMAZONE, Hardi, Goldacres, Stoll and more.

This 2011 AMAZONE UX4200 sprayer looks the goods. We love not just the vibrant colours but the condition it is in, which is pristine. It features a 4200-litre product tank, 24m boom, auto rate, hydraulic drive pump and a chemical hopper.

Location: Vic

Condition: Used

Price: $36,300 (drive away)

Another great unit we found for sale is a brand new 2020 Hardi Navigator sprayer with 24m boom and a 4000-litre product tank. It comes with Hardi’s HC5500 DF4 controller and has flow and rate control for better spraying efficiency.

Location: NSW

Condition: New

Price: $117,500 (drive away)

In applications such as vineyards and orchards with taller crops, conventional sprayers just won’t work. In these instances, growers will utilise fan sprayers which consist of a solution tank and a fan which blows the product out on to trees or vines directly to apply the pesticides or other chemicals.

We found this Silvan P55 Two Row Turbomiser for sale that comes with a 2000-litre tank, a rate controller and vineyard heads ready to go straight to work in a vineyard. The seller said the unit has been well maintained with its bearings and pump replaced recently.

Location: SA

Condition: Used

Price: $11,500 (excluding government charges)

For spraying on smaller operations such as a hobby farm, vegetable patch or golf course, there is the option of a much simpler and much lighter mounted sprayer that can be mounted on to the cargo trays of ATVs, side-by-sides or trucks. No tractor required!

The only difference with this type of sprayer is there is more manual work involved, ie the grower/contractor will have to get out of the vehicle and physically spray chemical on to the crops via a hose and spray gun.

Another advantage of a mounted sprayer is its ability to spray where larger machines couldn’t access.

Check out this 2019 Quik Spray remote controlled UTV Sprayer we found for sale. It features a 300-litre UV stabilised tank, 100m Supa-Slip Hose and a T-400 spray gun.

Its remote controlled hose reel system allows operators to retract the hose by simply pressing a button.

Location: QLD

Condition: Used

Price: $12,544 (excluding government charges)