Well went down to give the sprayer a dry run, or would that be a wet run?? Was going to mow hay in my roadside field first, but saw a doe who acted like she might have a fawn in the chest high thicket. I only mow hay to reduce my county tax to farm rate, so I let it go for a fawn bedding area for now.
As for the sprayer, I'll give the pros and cons and then I'll post pics off my phone.
First complaint, as I expected the sprayer wouldn't connect to my Deere I-hitch. Not a huge deal but I was kinda in a rush. I can adapt it later. Anyway, had to take Ihitch off and since it hadn't been off for years, everything pretty tight. So back to barn for ballpean hammer and pliers. Removed hitch and Back to top field where I had dropped the sprayer off.
Second problem, sprayer will need to be dropped on couple pallets as connector arms of 3 pt won't drop low enough to grab sprayer connections. Not big problem as it only weighs 150# so I just wrestled it on to the arms and pinned it in place. The other issue when I adapt it to the Ihitch is the bracket for the filter protrudes a bit so may have to think that thru.
So on the 3 pt now connect the roller pump to the tractor pto. Odd, the bearings on the female receiver which connect to the male tractor pto are nylon. Wont' rust, but long term, I would prefer metal. So anyway, everyone knows how fun connectors can be sometimes but I always keep spray lube to make it easy. Of course, spray was down at barn, so the second wrestling match ensued. After multiple attempts, and loss of religion involving various name calling of non lubricated receiver. Finally used my Gatoraid I had and poured on connector and it slipped in like , well, you know.
Went to barn and filled the sprayer with 20 gal of water. Easy access of large top opening. 15-20 gal is what I used in my Fimco /ac. Of course this test run was with water only, no waste of chemical. Fired up pto, really quite compared to atv and fimco I was used to. Three turn on leavers, one to suck up water and into filter, another to allow thru pressure regulator and agitator, and the main to allow spray thru boom or boomless tip, the latter I have. Kicked sprayer on and such a fine mist it is difficult to see its work except for the grasses getting blown by the spray.
20 gal did half an acre so I'll have to up my amounts or do some adjustments.
Handled my side hills well with just a pickup issue as tank emptied our, but as level ground it sprayed again with no problem unlike my Fimco.
Tap, this is for you as you cracked me up, and it is important, as to how big a drain tube it had to empty tank! I'm not kidding, I opened stopcock that at base of tank the little remaining poured out so hard it washed away some of the stone beneath it. Drained in seconds and no tilting or sidehill to drain like Fimco.
Not knocking the Fimco too much, I've had it 8 years and it still functions decent. It needs to have the inline filters replaced with large filter and better inlets, and the Fimco for the money is decent. But for me, Its off to Ebay.
I really not sure worth me buying the Kings sprayer as I seldom spray anymore even for my fall crop rotations. I just wait till grains are dead and T&M with no or little chemical use. As you know I don't worry very often of weeds or grasses in my plots but every 3 years or so. I am trying the Imox in my alfalfa plot for fun this weekend and will see if I still love this sprayer. I do like and hate the aluminum frame. I'm kinda a gorilla at the farm and steel or iron is more forgiving of my stupid moves. But plus, it won't rust even tho I always spray my stuff after Fert or chem and it will stay in barn. Pics in a sec.
