Stara Imperador 4000 Series self-propelled sprayer review

Croplands set its sights on a self-propelled sprayer with a mid-mounted boom a few years back, and landed on the Brazilian-built Stara Imperador 4000 Series which the team launched at Farmfest in June last year.

At its core, the Imperador is a full-size self-propelled sprayer with a mid-mounted 36-metre boom, 4000-litre tank, 1.6m underframe clearance and a 3m hydraulically adjustable track width. Four-wheel steering, continuous recirculation and tiered booms are offered as standard equipment.

It’s the world’s first mid-mount boom unit, Croplands claimed, and with the unique configuration comes a myriad of benefits like improved visibility, better chemical application and a true 50/50 weight distribution.

The decision to bring it to Australia wasn’t one Croplands took lightly, visiting factories in Brazil and testing the unit extensively before rolling it out for customers, but the importer is confident it offers a unique solution for Australian farmers.

“It can be used anywhere around Australia, broadacre or row crop, but we think the row crop contractor or grower is going to be more inclined to buy it because it’s got really good clearance, it’s a nimble machine with the four-wheel steer, and while the 4000l tank isn’t the biggest on the market - it’s a decent size,” Croplands National Sales Manager, Jeremy Rennick said.

“But the most unique thing is that mid-mount boom. Everyone else puts their boom at the rear, or up the front, but this one is bang in the middle.”

Stara sent its technicians out to train the Croplands team on all things Imperador - including the fact the name translates to Emperor - and according to Rennick their remote service is also top-tier.

For those unfamiliar with the Stara brand, it’s an absolute powerhouse in South America with more than 60 years of experience producing sprayers, spreaders, planters and a range of implements out of its 8000sqm factory in Rio Grande de Sul.

“They’re punching out about 1800 sprayers alone each year, it’s a huge operation,” Rennick said.

A quick YouTube search will show just how durable these Imperadors are, too, and we get the impression ag equipment gets worked pretty hard over there.

In fact, just about every part is manufactured in Stara’s own facilities, and it’s built tough. The componentry is solid, and nothing on this machine looks like it was the result of cost-cutting.

It isn’t a budget machine, but Rennick is confident it offers strong value for operators wanting a well-balanced machine that’s gentle on the land but performs as good as any of the other high-end self-propelled sprayers on the market.

“It’s definitely competitively priced, against the same sized machines, especially when you consider the four-wheel steer, tiered boom, fill pump and section-by-section nozzle control are all offered as standard,” he said.

The Stara Imperador is a sophisticated yet durable machine that Croplands thinks has serious potential in Australia. After our initial drive, we’d have to agree - but let’s break it down.

There’s no exotic Brazilian powertrain in the Stara Imperador, with a trusted Cummins engine and Bosch Rexroth transmission putting power to the ground.

The 6.7-litre Cummins 6-295 CV engine produces 260hp, which is more than enough based on the road and paddock work we put it through.

“One of the first questions we get asked is what engine is in it,” Rennick said.

“People aren’t familiar with a lot of Brazilian machines, so they think they won’t know the motor but it’s a Cummins and Bosch Rexroth transmission.

“It's all common running gear for us.”

A ‘red engine’ is a plus for many growers, meaning parts are readily available and any diesel fitter is going to be comfortable servicing it. Being a Brazilian model, it also doesn’t require any AdBlue and the exhaust system is simple from front to back.

Of course, a perk of the straight through exhaust is the sensational Cummins roar this unit puts out. Worth noting, though, is that despite its impressive note the cabin is whisper quiet due to the rear engine placement and well-sealed cabin. There’s also a 4000-litre tank between the engine and cabin, which blocks sound.

Rennick points out that operators need not worry about whether the Stara is difficult to work on, and the workshop guys that assembled this unit locally confirmed its a well-laid-out machine.

“They’re a pretty straight-forward machine to work on. We can build one in around three weeks from start to finish,” Croplands Workshop Supervisor, Timothy Roberts said.

Croplands also offers a two-year/2000-hour warranty, and then the Cummins engine warranty is longer again.

Ultimately, the powertrain in the Stara is simple and proven, with an engine and transmission that should - in theory - go forever.

The key feature of the Stara Imperador is its mid-mounted boom, which offers true 50/50 weight distribution, improving stability and chemical application.

Surprisingly, it maintains its 50/50 weight distribution whether the tank is full or empty, and Brazil’s Agrarian Foundation of Agricultural Research conducted tests that found 58 percent more chemical reaches the target with the mid-mounted boom. Australia’s Kondinin Group also tested the machine for their Self-Propelled Sprayers Research Report and found evidence to back up these claims.

“So stability of the boom, not moving around, helps you do a better job because your spray is not floating all over the place - the spray goes straight down,” Rennick said.

“The other big thing, and it's really important with row crop guys, is the weight split. With that boom folded out in the middle, the weight is split 50/50 across the front and rear axles, it doesn't matter whether the tanks are full, empty, or anywhere in between.”

Which leads us to the next big benefit of the mid-mounted boom - it’s easy on the land. The Stara Imperador will tip-toe over soft ground, reducing the compaction typical of rear-mounted boom setups.

“A lot of machines with booms on the rear, the front travels alright but the back sags and causes a lot of compaction - especially in the black soil we’ve got around here and on the East Coast,” Rennick said.

Croplands has made some minor tweaks to the spraying hardware on the Imperador, but for the most part it was a perfect fit for our market straight out of the box.

“They do a couple of things differently in Brazil, in regards to the sprayer system, but this machine has a lot of bells and whistles that would normally be optional extras,” Rennick said.

“It’s got a tiered boom, so you can keep your spray constant over a wide speed range. The first set of nozzles spray, before a second set come on and offer more volume as you go faster - but pressure remains the same.”

With full boom recirculation, operators can also prime the system on the way to the paddock and the chemical solution will constantly circulate the system - from the chemical tank to the boom breakaway ends.

We spent most of our time riding shotgun in the Imperador, which is often a pretty good way to assess ride quality - with nothing to hold onto but a grab handle and not much control over how rough terrain is navigated.

It rides impressively well, even at the 20-odd-km/h we were doing and, yes, it’s a tall machine but it turns well too. Much of that comes down to the four-wheel steering, but the boom remains flat throughout - even over some rough spots.

The biggest perk of the mid-mounted boom, from the cabin, is the visibility. You can see exactly where you’re spraying, with a full view of the boom on either side.

There are safety benefits to the central boom too, with a spray pattern that doesn’t go under the machine, instead relying on the small rear boom that takes care of the machine’s footprint.

It has all of the creature comforts needed to put in a solid day’s work without roughing it, with logically-placed controls and straight-forward operation. If you’ve operated a self-propelled sprayer, this cabin will feel familiar- right down to the one-button boom extension.

Technology includes a Trimble GPS receiver on the roof and Stara’s own telemetry system, which handles remote monitoring. The Stara system allows operators to talk to Croplands or Stara, for the purpose of troubleshooting, and it can also be used to send assignments to operators.

This is a cabin we could spend time in with no real pet peeves spotted during our initial time in there.

Croplands has this unit out and about, visiting just about every Field Day and ag show on the calendar, but Rennick urges potential customers to reach out for a 'Ride & Drive'.

“The response has been really positive, and a lot of people aren’t used to a front-mounted cab but the visibility is just Mickey Mouse,” Rennick said.

“It’s still the only mid-mount boom in the world, so you can now get a big machine with 50/50 weight split between all four wheels if you’re worried about compaction.

“Once people get in and drive it, it really surprises them.”

The fact the Imperador is new to Australia may deter some buyers, but its spec sheet doesn’t lie. It’s a well-appointed machine with parts most farmers will know and trust and features that would normally be optional extras like the tiered boom and on-board fill pump.

Croplands has more than 50 years of experience in the sprayer game, which it draws on when bringing in and selling a new model like the Imperador.

The team has done their due diligence with the Stara Imperador 4000 Series, bringing a truly unique product to market, and we expect it will impress local operators once they spend some time with it.

All we have to do now is get out and do some real work in the machine for a day, which we’ll be doing in the coming months. Stay tuned, because we can’t wait.

Engine: Cummins 6-295 CV

Power: 260hp (optional 295)

Transmission: Bosch Rexroth

Main Tank: 4000 litres

Boom: 36-metre mid-mount boom

Spray System: Continuous recirculation and tiered booms

Steering: Four-wheel steer

Wheel Track: 3-metre wheel track

Underframe Clearance: 1.6 metres with 2 metre option