Plastic Tubes Simplify Sprayer Calibration

Plastic Tubes Simplify Sprayer Calibration SPRAYING Accessories 5-4-23 "Most farmers know they're wasting chemicals. They just don't have a good way to calibrate," says Jack Stufflebam, inventor of a just-introduced calibration system for farm sprayers that anyone can use with a minimum of waste, time and effort. Stufflebam's calibrator kit consists of 15 soft plastic tubes and tape to fasten them over sprayer nozzles. In 30 min. or less, he says, you can feel confident your application rates are on target. "Calibration methods now available are too complicated, too time consuming, or too expensive for most farmers to use as often as they should," says Stufflebam. "Recent tests by Ag Engineers at the University of Nebraska showed that two out of three farm sprayers cause application errors that cost $2 to $12 an acre in lost crop production, extra chemical expense or added mechanical weed control. Just one extra bushel of soybeans will pay for this new calibration kit." Stufflebam points out that many farmers don't use the best chemicals ù the ones with narrowest crop tolerances ù because they know their sprayers aren't accurate. With this kit, he says you can "tune" your sprayer to within 5% accuracy, depending on the volume sprayed per acre. Here's how it works: Each tube tapes over an individual nozzle. Once all are covered, turn the sprayer on for a 15 to 30 sec. burst. Markings on the face of the tube measure the captured liquid and indicate the gallons per acre broadcast at field speeds of 3, 5, and 8 mph. Conversion factors on the tubes enable operators to compute broadcast application rates for field speeds of 3 and 6 mph. Others factors let you figure out the rates if nozzles are spaced 30 or 40 in. on-center instead of the standard 20-in. spacings. "You can tell at a glance down the line of hanging tubes whether the nozzles are delivering the same out-put. It quickly spots mismatched nozzles or plugged nozzles. Once nozzles have been cleaned or replaced so they all deliver the same output, the sprayer can be adjusted to the desired gallons per acre. The tear-resistant tubes are expected to last a couple seasons. Kit sells for $7.95. For more information, contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Jack Stufflebam, president, Far/M Book Co., 4446 Madison Ave., Kansas City, Mo. 64111 (ph 816 561-0700).

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