High Clearance Sprayer Built From Pickup And Combine

High clearance sprayer built from pickup and combine COMBINES Conversions 15-3-8 "It walks right through even the wettest fields and has enough clearance to spray in 4-ft. high corn," says Doug Wulf, Hancock, Minn., who used the engine, automatic transmission, chassis and axles from a 1974 Chevrolet 4-WD pickup, together with tractor tires and a cab from an old Gleaner combine to build a self-propelled 4-WD high clearance sprayer. Wulf stripped the pickup down to the chassis, 350 cu. in. gas engine, and transmission and mounted the combine cab over the rear axle. He widened the axles and mounted 12.4 by 38 tractor tires on them, raising the chassis. He removed the final drives off a pair of old International F-20 tractors and mounted one on each axle, which raised the chassis another 1 ft. He converted the rear axle to a steering axle by welding one end of a steering knuckle salvaged from an old military truck to the axle and bolting the other end to the final drive above it. He mounted a 500-gal. tank between the engine and cab and bolted a 60-ft. Blumhardt boom onto the chassis in front of the cab. "It has a lot of capacity so I can cover ground in a hurry," says Wulf. "I can spray at 12¢ mph and cover up to 60 acres per hour. The combination of big tractor tires and raised chassis provides plenty of clearance. Having a final drive on each axle reduces the gear ratio and also reverses the direction of the drivetrain. I spent about $7,500 to build it. A new comparable size commercial sprayer could easily cost up to $50,000." Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Doug Wulf, Rt. 2, Box 36, Hancock, Minn. 56244 (ph 612 392-5592).

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