Australian spray equipment specialist Croplands' newest and lightest self-propelled sprayer, the Mako 450, made its official debut at the recent AgQuip field days.
Weighing just four tonnes, the Mako 450 is currently the smallest self-propelled sprayer on the market, Croplands claims.
"This machine is ideal for all applications, but the main market it’s really fitting into is the row crop market," says Croplands Territory Manager for NSW and Tasmania, Dave Farmer.
"We’re also finding a lot of smaller broadacre farmers stepping into this machine as it minimises soil compaction, and it’s also a cheaper machine than the big, top-end ones that we see around the field-day site."
The Mako 450 replaces the Challenger SpraCoupe range which was discontinued three years ago. Croplands saw a need in the market for smaller, lightweight sprayers and decided to bring the machine into the country as well as into New Zealand.
According to Farmer, the Mako 450 offers a number of improved features compared to the SpraCoupe models, including stronger front and back axles for better stability, a more powerful engine and a more spacious cabin.
A Tier 3 Cummins 130hp engine powers the Mako 450 and is driven through an Allison auto five-speed transmission.
Its 140-inch wheelbase, combined with a narrow track width results in a tight turning radius of 4.2m.
"With the Mako, we can move away from the tractor/trailer combination. Yes, we only have 1500-litres of water, but it means we can get on to our country a lot quicker after rain."
A fully air-conditioned, carpeted cabin comes standard with the machine.
"There’s a lot more room in the cabin, it has an air ride seat, it’s a lot quieter…fully air conditioned. It's a charcoal filtered cab and has a glass door that seals nicely and gives operators a lot more visibility around the machine," Farmer says.
"The joystick and much of the interior of the cabin is very similar to the old SpraCoupe as it was such a popular system."
Suspension on the Mako 450 has also been improved and strengthened to offer better spraying stability and a more comfortable ride for the operator.
Croplands currently has two machines in the country and has placed an order for 15 more.
"Going by the interest we had at the field days, I wish we had brought 20 or 30 in," Farmer says.
"We’ve had that much enquiry from people wanting to do an upgrade. Response has been massive and all previous operators are amazed and really happy with the differences."
Pricing for the Mako 450 is $255,000.
Find out more about the Mako 450 self-propelled sprayer on croplands.com.au
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