Deere Combine Reborn As Self-Propelled Sprayer

Deere Combine Reborn As Self-Propelled Sprayer COMBINES Conversions “I needed a commercial self-propelled sprayer but I couldn’t justify the $60 000 price tag I’d seen other combines turned into spray rigs so I built my own out of an old Deere combine for $12 000 and a lot of time ” says Daryl Dirks Scott City Kan     The sprayer is equipped with a 60-ft boom and 750-gal tank Power is provided by a 6-cyl 135 hp diesel engine The rig is equipped with state-of-the-art features including a sprayer controller and a GPS light bar for automatic guidance     He started with a 1973 Deere 7700 combine that he already had He stripped the combine down to the cab drive train engine and radiator The cab was originally located on the left side of the combine with the engine beside it He used the 4 by 6-in tubular steel frame off an old Krause disk to build a new frame then moved the cab over to the center and relocated the engine down behind the cab A 750-gal tank mounts behind the cab     “The Deere combine we used probably isn’t the best one for converting to a sprayer because the combine’s transmission and hydrostatic pump are belt-driven Two sets of belts went down to the front axle which restricted where I could relocate the engine I ended up using just one set of belts which allowed me to position the engine down low ” says Dirks     He mounted the boom from his 3-pt sprayer on the throat of the combine for unlimited height adjustment from 6 in above ground to 4 ft     The combine’s original rear axle was too small and narrow so he replaced it with the rear axle off a New Holland TR-70 combine He also installed large 14 9 by 28 rear tires off a Deere 4755 front wheel assist tractor The 18 4 by 38 front tires are new and slightly bigger than the original ones “I wanted taller tires than the original ones for more speed ” says Dirks “The bigger tires along with a bigger pulley that we installed on the driveshaft allow us to go down the highway at speeds up to 25 mph     “I use it mostly to spray pre and post emergence herbicides on wheat milo sorghum sunflowers and corn ”     Last winter he added an air bag suspension system installing 4 air bags designed for a Kenworth semi truck under the sprayer’s front and rear axle “The air bags improved the ride by 100 percent An electric pump automatically controls the air pressure ” says Dirks     Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Daryl Dirks 8701 W Road 270 Scott City Kan 67871 ph 620 872-3566; cell 620 874-1264; daryld@agapemail com

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