With wider reaches and larger tanks for chemical storage, they can work for longer and faster for larger farms.
Able to work independently without the need for a tractor or any other power, self-propelled sprayers are a significant investment for any farmer. If the scale of the farm warrants specialist equipment, then many farmers should be able to justify a well looked after used self-propelled sprayer (SPS).
Unlike the tractor-mounted sprayers, with tank capacities of around 1200 litres, the dedicated, self –propelled sprayer can carry 6,000 litres or more. Similarly, with booms of up to 36 metres, the reach of these machines is astounding. Getting between fields on the public roads should not be an issue as many of the self-propelled sprayers are road legal, with a sophisticated mechanism to fold the booms to get through gates and along the public carriageways.
Buyers of used self-propelled sprayers need to make sure that the dimensions are correct, but also to check the engine and driveline of the machine – in this sense it is much like buying a used tractor – take it for a test drive and, where possible test all of the boom mechanism to full width to make sure it is fully functioning.