Oliver Combine Makes Low Cost Sprayer

Oliver combine makes low cost sprayer COMBINES Conversions 15-6-7 Roland Beckmeyer, Hoyleton, Ill., turned an old 1954 Oliver 40 combine into a self-propelled sprayer equipped with a 38-ft. boom that offers great visibility and didn't cost much to build. Beckmeyer stripped away everything but the 49 hp 6-cyl. gas engine, frame, and axles. The combine didn't have a cab. He mounted a 400-gal. fiberglass tank on the frame and replaced the header with a 3-section boom. "I use it for preemergence application of herbicides. It works great," says Beckmeyer, who built his combine sprayer about 20 years ago. "The transmission has six speeds in forward and two in reverse. I usually spray in fifth gear at about 5 mph. On a good day I can spray 18 acres an hour. The 400-gal. fiberglass tank is mounted on the chassis which gives me a smooth, stable ride. It was relatively easy to convert the combine into a sprayer because I didn't have to move the engine and only had to modify the spray boom slightly so it attached to the combine." The tank rests in a cradle that's bolted onto the frame. Beckmeyer built a wooden platform to stand on while filling the tank. The centrifugal sprayer pump is mounted on the frame in front and powered by a drive pulley off the threshing mechanism. The boom is raised and lowered from the cab by the feederhouse hydraulic cylinders. It's hinged in two places and can be manually folded against the sides of the combine. Nozzles are spaced 20 in. apart and mounted on a hose running the length of the boom and 2 in. under it. Beckmeyer folds the two outside boom sections back and pins them. The chains mounted on the ends of the boom serve as markers. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Roland Beckmeyer, Hoyleton, Ill. 62803 (ph 618 493-6203).

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