Used 7,000-Gal. Semi Tank Makes Great "Nurse Truck"

Used 7,000-Gal. Semi Tank Makes Great "Nurse Truck" SPRAYING Miscellaneous 24-1-3 To reduce down time spent running for water, Dave Kirby, Rouleau, Sask., converted a 7,000-gal. aluminum semi tank into a low-cost "nurse truck" that he pulls with his 4-WD tractor from field to field. He bought the semi tank at a salvage yard for $3,200. It had been in a rollover accident but wasn't seriously damaged other than a dent on one side. He bought a used converter dolly at a salvage yard and mounted a drawbar hitch on front of it. He mounted an 8 hp Briggs & Stratton gas engine coupled to a pump under the tank. A hose delivers water from the tanker into the 800-gal. tank on his Bourgault 100-ft. pull-type sprayer. He loads the tank at a local water tower via a fill hole on top of the tank. "It greatly reduces the number of trips I have to make for refills," says Kirby. "I spray 4,000 to 5,000 acres a year, and my farthest field is about 20 miles from home. Lots of times I can spray for three or four days before I have to refill the tank. The tanker's pump fills the sprayer tank about as fast as it takes to get the chemical into the tank, so I have very little down time in the field. I had been using a 1,000-gal. tank on back of my 3-ton pickup and it seemed like I was constantly driving back and forth for water. "Quite a few of these semi tankers have been taken off the road for safety reasons, as far as hauling hazardous goods like fuel or fertilizer goes. But they work fine for hauling water." Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Dave Kirby, Box 173, Rouleau, Sask., Canada S0G 4H0 (ph 306 776-2349; fax 2382).

To read the rest of this story, download this issue below or click here to register with your account number.