Wind Doesn't Bother New Hooded Sprayer

Wind Doesn't Bother New Hooded Sprayer SPRAYING New Sprayers 7-5-14 Gary McCrea doesn't stop spraying his fields when high winds blow on his Roblin, Manitoba grain farm. Thanks to the "Spray Shield" he's developed for his trailer sprayer, he can stay out in winds of 25 mph or more with virtually no drift. "It lets you apply chemicals at the best time to kill weeds. You don't have to wait for perfect weather," McCrea, who's begun manufacturing the Spray Shield as a kit, told FARM SHOW. "I've sprayed in winds as high as 45 mph but we don't recommend that to customers." McCrea began selling the Spray Shield last spring and sold all he could build. It mounts in 4 to 5 hours and consists of a reinforcing bar that clamps to the front "dry boom" to hold a series of metal hoops and flexible plastic sheets that run across the front of the boom. Tough nylon sailcloth, covering the top and back of the sprayer, fastens on top with Velcro fasteners and a series of snaps so it can be removed quickly. No holes need to be drilled to mount the kit on most sprayers. "We expect most farmers to leave the Spray Shield on even on nice days. Preliminary tests have shown that we get a performance edge inchemical application under all conditions, probably due to the blasting affect of spraying under cover," says McCrea. One disadvantage of the Spray Shield is that you can't check the nozzles by sight. McCrea tells customers to stop occasionally on a dry spot ù such as a dirt road and check the spray pattern on the ground. Another option is to buy an electronic sprayer monitor. The shield doesn't interfere with sprayer operation or transport and it allows you to use flat fan nozzles at all times with no need for other, less accurate nozzles. It'll also let you cover more acres with your present sprayer, notes McCrea, avoiding the need for a second sprayer or custom applicators. Any size sprayer can be fitted with a shield. The largest one sold so far was for a 100-ft. boom. A 60-ft. Spray Shield sells for $800 to $900. The kit fits most sprayer models and can be adapted to others. McCrea is working on models to fit big custom rigs and spray coupes. For more information, contact: FARM SHOW Followup, McCrea Farms Ltd., Box 993, Roblin, Man., Canada ROL 1PO (ph 204 937-4708, or 204 937-2191).

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