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Oct 25, 2024

Simple sprayer ticks the box for Tarbolton farmer | The Scottish Farmer

Upgrading his sprayer to a machine with a wider boom and a larger tank, while keeping operation straightforward, has increased the accuracy and efficiency for Jim Strang across his arable and

Upgrading his sprayer to a machine with a wider boom and a larger tank, while keeping operation straightforward, has increased the accuracy and efficiency for Jim Strang across his arable and grassland crops.

The farm at Auchinweet, near Tarbolton, took delivery of a mounted 24m Kuhn Deltis 1302 to replace an ageing Hardi 15m machine. The latter had served the farm well since the 1980s, but Jim decided it was time for a change, with wider booms and intuitive operation high on his wish list.

“I didn’t want anything too complicated as we just need a machine that offers us straightforward operation and good output. It also had to be light and well balanced as we have some very steep land that a larger sprayer wouldn’t be able to cope with,” comments Jim.

He says a key factor in choosing Kuhn was the strong back-up and parts availability provided to his current Kuhn machinery. He was experiencing challenges sourcing spare parts for his Hardi sprayer and this highlighted how vital the support is for a small farm.

“I have a Kuhn straw bedder and rear mower, so I’m familiar with the brand, and the back-up and parts availability has always been good. We tend to buy machinery and look after it well so we can run it for many years. Our Kuhn kit comes through Bryson Tractors, which is only five miles away.”

The Deltis arrived in spring 2023 and Jim has covered over 300ha since. The farm is spread across two sites, including 80ha of spring and winter barley, along with additional silage ground and grassland for the Simmental beef cows and fattening bullocks.

Output increase

Upgrading from a 15m boom to a 24m has seen output skyrocket since the new sprayer arrived. The Deltis is Kuhn’s mid-range sprayer, and Jim’s model features a 1,300-litre tank and twin fold MTA 2 aluminium booms with Trapezia central suspension. In the cab is the simple RPB display that allows quick adjustments to the rate along with controlling the four boom sections.

“Although we aren’t the biggest farm, the output increase from upgrading the sprayer has been revolutionary. I can comfortably spray the 80ha of barley in a single day now, whereas before it was taking up to three. It rains a lot in Scotland and weather windows must be taken when they appear, so we like to control all operations ourselves.”

The increased boom width has played a large part in this, but another significant factor has been the onboard 170-litre clean water tank, which allows Jim to rinse the main tank and booms in the field – something that has proved a huge time-saver.

“My old Hardi sprayer didn’t have a clean water tank, so I would finish spraying the field and head back to the yard for a small amount of clean water before returning to the field to spray it out. This took a lot of time and slowed progress, especially when switching crops. Now, I just transfer the clean water into the tank at the end of the load and spray the water out before leaving the field. It has saved so much time.”

One area Jim has upgraded is the water supply on the farm. A new clean water tank has been installed as the previous one couldn’t maintain the quantity required for the increased output.

Simple controls

Controlling the spraying is via the simple Manuset controls, with a straightforward three-way valve for spraying, rinsing, and filling, depending on the operation. A 360º hand wheel selects the functions and the Optifiller 42-litre chemical induction hopper has a flexible body that folds away when not in use. It offers operators two options for rinsing cans with the handheld lance or the integrated can washer.

Jim says this is neat design and the foot-operated induction means he can control the flow of water without bending down. “The induction hopper folds away tightly to the sprayer when not in use and makes filling the sprayer much easier than our previous machine. It is big enough to hold a full can and the lance is useful for getting out the stubborn residues.”

Jim can hook the sprayer onto the MF 6470 in under 10 minutes, which allows flexibility to change jobs when the tractor is hauling a grain trailer during harvest.

“The PTO is long enough so it, and the hydraulic cables, can be connected to the tractor before reversing the final few inches to connect the link arms.”

Well balanced

The 24m aluminium booms sit on Kuhn’s Optilift suspended parallelogram suspension system, which features an L-shaped frame to transfer the weight close to the tractor. This allows a greater height range (up to 2.5m) when connected to the tractor than vertical sliding mast designs.

“It doesn’t feel heavy or cumbersome when in the field. The design means all the boom weight is transferred through the framework in the centre of the sprayer and the weight is close to the tractor, even when unfolded.

“The benefits of this are seen on the hills around the farm. The sprayer is stable and doesn’t feel like it overpowers the tractor. I do put a weight on the front to keep the tractor’s nose down when going up hills but I’m confident with how it handles.”

The booms feature Kuhn’s Trapezia mechanical suspension system and, although the Deltis represents an increase in capacity, Jim says the way the tank empties maintains a good balance on the hills.

“The clean water tank is on the opposite side to the induction hopper and the main tank has a deep sump to keep the weight as low as possible. As the main tank empties and weight shifts into the sump, the clean water tank provides balance.”

The upgrade to the Deltis has proved that Jim can increase output through simple choices without purchasing a sprayer with features he might not need.

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