Forward Spray Rig Built From Old Tractor

Forward Spray Rig Built from Old Tractor SPRAYING Miscellaneous 10-5-9 A "forward control" spray rig built on the frame of an old Massey Ferguson tractor provides outstanding visibility and big carrying capacity for British farmer Tim Spurge who built it from scratch. Spurge farms near Harwich, England and does lots of in-season spraying of wheat, peas, linseed and other crops. He needed a sprayer that would do the job quickly with better up-front visibility. He spent about $9,000 to build the unit including the Massey 165 tractor used for the power unit, the wheels, spray tank and boom. The first step was to remove the cab from the tractor to open up the tractor frame. The engine, clutch and transmission were not modified but a power steering pump was installed to handle the increased load of the front cab, 450-gal. spray tank, and the 36-ft. boom. It was made from a second-hand steering ram and actuating valve with a hydraulic pump which is driven by the valve gear on the right-hand side of the engine. To increase field clearance of the homebuilt sprayer, Spurge installed bigger wheels both front and back which increases forward speeds in any gear. Finally, the 3-pt. linkage and swinging drawbar were removed. The sprayer chassis carrying the cab, tank, and boom was built from two lengths of 4 by 2-in. channel iron that's bolted along each side of the tractor and to the front weight frame mountings. Channel iron cross members brace up the frame. The forward cab mounts on rubber iso-blocks attached to the chassis beams at each corner of the cab frame to reduce vibration. Frame of cab was constructed from lengths of 1¢-in. sq. tubing. It's got a big front-opening door with gas struts to hold it open. Most of the conventional tractor controls were retained, including the twin-pedal brake and single-pedal clutch, by installing remote linkages beneath the new cab. Gear and pto levels are also operated through mechanical linkages. The tractor's original steering wheel and column were installed in the cab by mounting the steering gearbox to a chassis cross member with the drag link connected to the power steering unit. Sprayer pump is powered directly off the pto shaft. Complete sprayer controls mount in cab. Reprinted from Power Farming Magazine, Surrey, England.

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