Machine spotlight: Case IH Patriot 4430 sprayer with AIM Command Flex S

Moving from a trailing unit to a self-propelled sprayer can be a big step but when productivity rates of up to 100ha/h can be achieved with a batching truck behind, there is no looking back.

The Case IH Patriot 4430 sprayer fitted with AIM Command Pro has been a popular unit since release, especially with controlled traffic growers in Victoria’s Mallee.

The Patriot celebrated its 25th anniversary last year with a special paint job and the addition of a new AIM Command FLEX technology, which has attracted the praise of growers around the country.

Farmers turned out recently to inspect the upgraded technology, AIM Command FLEX S, on a 4430 during demo days throughout southern NSW hosted by O’Connors Corowa.

At the event, farmers were impressed by overall ride comfort, reduced cab noise and boom stability of the Patriot 4430.

The demo model featured a 36.5m parallel-link boom and was set on a wheel track width of 120 inches, hydraulically adjustable from the cab.

The 4430 boasted a hydrostatic drive system featuring a parallel cross-flow design, trailing-link chassis suspension and was shod with Michelin 620/70R38 tyres for increased flotation.

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AIM Command FLEX S

AIM Command FLEX S offers turn compensation, applying a higher rate on the outer wings and behind the wheels to reduce the chance of missed weeds on corners.

It also offers nozzle valve diagnostics, accurate spray mapping, improved drift control and precise product flow.

At the heart of the technology is pulse width modulation (PWM), which ensures a constant application rate and spray pressure, even when the sprayer speed changes.

Urana grower, Corey Golder, was among southern NSW farmers to try out the Patriot 4430’s AIM Command FLEX S during the drive days at Daysdale, Urana, Berrigan and Coreen.

User-friendly

Golder said the Patriot 4430 is user-friendly for operators unfamiliar with self-propelled machines.

“We were running a Goldacres trailing boom and switched to a Patriot 4430 as it was one piece of machinery, simple and easy to operate,” he said.

“The suspension is good, there is a nice big cab with plenty of room, and the controls are well laid out.

“Both the visibility and lighting is good.’’

The Golder family mainly grow wheat, barley, canola and lupins and have used their Patriot 4430 for one full season.

“The trailing boom was 120-foot (36m) with an 8000-litre tank but now we have a 20,000-litre water tank and a batching plant, so it’s all ready to go in about 15 minutes,” Golder said.

“This saves time on driving back home to the water tank, and then back to the paddock.”

Golder said the family has the older AIM Command Pro on their Patriot which allows them to vary the speed between 15 to 25km/h and still get the same ground coverage.

“You don’t have to drive at a certain speed to set the pressure so we can slow down if it’s a bit rougher, or speed up a bit,” he said.

“The amount of ground it can cover, the ease of maintenance and usability certainly makes it value for money.”

Trailing to self-propelled

O’Connors Corowa machinery and precision agriculture salesman, Jeremy Dickins, said the switch from a trailing unit to a self-propelled machine could often be a big step for growers.

He said interest was growing in the new and used self-propelled market due to an increased uptake of controlled traffic.

“Some growers have looked at self-propelled machines to move hours off other tractors and free a machine up through the year, so they have a dedicated spray unit,” he said.

“The biggest advantage is productivity increase – there can be a 30 to 40 hectare increase by going to a self-propelled – and if you are following with a batching plant, it’s even more.

“If there is someone continuously batching chemical, upwards of 100ha/h can be achieved.”

Dickins said it is timely for growers to look at their boom spray options pre-sowing.

“From the demo days so far, growers were impressed with the simplicity of the AIM Command FLEX S system – there is less plumbing and wiring on the boom,” he said.

“A lot of people were also impressed with ride comfort, boom stability and reduced noise level in the cab.”

Dickins said the positioning of the corner posts in the cab allows the operator to see the boom without moving in their seat.

Engine and drive system

The 4430 is powered by a Case IH FPT 8.7 litre inline six-cylinder Tier 2 engine, with 335 rated horsepower and 374 peak horsepower.

Dickins said the parallel cross-flow design of the hydrostatic drive system is a great feature.

“There is backwards and vertical movement so instead of the wheel jarring it can rock back and take the punch out of a sudden impact, giving the machine a much smoother ride across a paddock,” he said.

“A hydraulic ram on the front allows the machine to have active traction control so if pressure is taken off one wheel in the wet or crossing a drain, it can drop the machine up to a foot (30cm) and allow that tyre to maintain traction on the ground.”

The cab-forward, rear-engine design places the static weight of the cab and engine over the front and rear axles, helping to reduce soil compaction.

“We have quite a few of these units in the Mallee in controlled traffic on sandy soils, and on sodic or sandy loams in the Riverina, and they play a good role in terms of reducing ground compaction,” Dickins said.

“The machine handles wet conditions well – there are two hydraulic pumps running fluid to the motors on the wheels in a cross-drive system.

“If one tyre starts to spin, the system will remove excessive flow to that tyre, and compensate the others with increased power.

“A cross-lock cutting switch allows all the wheels to have direct power, giving the operator plenty of options.”

Easy to maintain

The 4430 has an overall length of 9.1m, height of 3.7m, width of 3.5m (wheels retracted), ground clearance of 135cm and turning radius of 7.5m.

The open architecture of the machine allows for easy maintenance, with an additional stair added to the walkway on this model.

The hood is lightweight and there is easy access to the pump station and chemical inductor.

“The machines come standard with a 4542-litre tank and we have a 6000-litre option, which comes with an auto greaser,” Dickins said.

“In terms of maintenance, this machine has no grease nipples we have to put a grease gun on because of the auto greaser.

“It cycles every time the key is on and the operator can set up a sequence of time between greasings.

“There is access above the engine for checking oil and also to the main tank.’’

Effective spraying system

The 4430 is fitted with a 530-litre fuel tank to accommodate a full day’s spraying.

During the demo, the Patriot sprayed at 26km/h, burning about 33 litres of fuel.

The solutions tank is equipped with full-length sparge and rinse tubes for product agitation and tank cleaning, plus a 530-litre rinse tank.

“In terms of agitation, there is a sparge valve which can be opened for reticulation during spraying,” Dickins said.

“There is also a sprinkler and under-tank rinse system. When it comes to boom flush, we retrofit a full boom reticulation system so the fluid goes all the way through the boom and back to the main tank.

“This gives the option to flush the boom spray with fresh water out of the main tank and return it back to the main tank or to the ground.

“There is the ability to flush out while moving down the road without spraying any chemicals.”

The parallel-link boom has an adjustment height of 61-213cm, full boom breakaway of 30 degrees and wingtip breakaway of 2.7m.

Pulse Width Modulation

AIM Command FLEX uses pulse width modulation (PWM) technology to automatically maintain pressure and keep application rates constant, which helps to keep droplet size consistent.

AIM Command FLEX pulses 10 times per second to maintain the correct application rate, while reducing skips, overlaps and compensates for variation in ground speed across the boom during turns.

Each nozzle adjusts to match the application rate based on speed, position on the boom and the turn radius.

There is the option of a higher pressure setting for increased canopy penetration.

The operator can pre-set spray rates up to 30 per cent higher on up to eight nozzles for wheel tracks or fence lines.

“The plunger inside the AIM Command FLEX Nozzle Control Valve (NCV) goes backwards and forwards 10 times a second so every one-tenth of a second it is firing,” Dickins said.

“This allows the operator to set pressure and rate to better match the chemical manufacturer’s label in terms of rate and droplet size.

“If someone wants a droplet spectrum, there is a mobile phone app available to get a recommendation or speak to your agronomist.

Dickins added an app produced by Wilger allows operators to enter the spray rate, droplet spectrum and spraying speed, and then gives a tip recommendation to suit.

“We also have a handy app for remote control of the nozzles from outside of the cab, so if there is a blockage, each section can be turned on individually or the whole boom, and it gives you the ability to stop/start the pump,” he said.

Autofold Plus

Autofold Plus is part of the 36.5m spray boom package and allows the inner, mid and outer boom sections to completely unfold in around 30 seconds.

Autoboom provides height control and has additional ultrasonic sensors to maintain a level spray platform.

“There are five auto height sonar sensors across the boom keeping it at an even height above the ground, when ground conditions change,” Dickins said.

“It really comes into its own when crossing drains and contours.

“There is a rear pressure cylinder in the centre of the boom so if you do happen to hit the boom closer to the machine than the breakaway, the whole boom will actually breakaway up to 30 degrees giving you a chance to stop.”

Ultimate control

Aim Command FLEX S has a Case IH Viper 4+ touch screen interface in the cab, and allowing individual control over 72 nozzle sections.

“The nozzle and pressure selection we have in the demo machine allowed us to spray up to 29km/h or 70 litres - road speeds were up to 48 km/h,” Dickins added.

An ISOBUS weather station can be mounted to the Patriot’s roof to produce real-time weather data during spraying.

“Wind speed and temperature thresholds can be pre-set and an alarm will be sent once these parameters are reached,” Dickins said.

“The data will show the spray pattern and what each nozzle was doing at a given point in time, while the weather map can be set to update in real time.”

Options on the Patriot include the Case IH Viper 4+ controller and Wilger Combo-Rate II nozzle bodies.

For details, contact Jeremy Dickins on 0427 904 769.

Specifications

Engine: Case IH FPT 8.7 L inline 6 cylinder, 335 rated hp, 374 peak hp, 1470 Nm peak torque, turbocharged, after-cooled, electronically controlled diesel, Tier 2

Drive: Hydrostatic with full time 4-wheel drive

Wheel track adjustment: 305-399cm hydraulically adjusted from cab

Travel speed: 48kph

Dry weight: 13,109kg (36.6m boom)

Solution tank size: 4542 L, stainless steel

Nozzle spacing: 50.8cm off-centre

Overall length: 9.1m

Overall width: 4.5m wheels extended, 3.5m wheels retracted

Wheelbase: 4.1m

Tyre size: Available with 380/90R46, 480/80R42, 620/70R38 and 650/65R38

Ground clearance: 135cm

Turning radius: 7.5m

Boom length: 36.5m self-centering

Boom adjustment height: 61-213cm

Full boom breakaway: 30 degrees

Wingtip breakaway: 2.7m

Suspension: 4-wheel independent trailing link with spring and shock standard

Steering: Hydraulic power steering with master/slave re-phasing cylinders

Fuel tank: 530 L

Rinse tank: 530 L