Home Built 3 Wheel Sprayer

1989 - Volume #13, Issue #5, Page #11

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"Maneuverability and speed make this the handiest farm spot sprayer we've ever used," says Albert Helbig, Oakdale, Ill., who built his own 3-wheel sprayer from the ground up.
Helbig built the frame of the sprayer from 2 by 2-in. square tubing. The 3-speed transmission and differential were salvaged from an old IH Cub Cadet lawn mower. The sprayer's powered by an 8-hp. Briggs & Stratton motor.
Shafts extend out from the transmission to above the drive wheels where #40 chain drives the sprocket-equipped hubs (Helbig made the hubs himself). The transmission is engaged with a belt drive that's controlled by a foot clutch located above the left footrest. The 8.75 by 24-in. drive wheels were taken from a New Idea cornpicker.
The front "tricycle" steering wheel is a 4.5 by 13-in. car wheel. The steering wheel mounting bracket is equipped with a sprocket that's turned by a chain connected to a sprocket on the steering wheel column. The motor throttle and sprayer controls are located just under the steering wheel.
The sprayer is equipped with a 50-gal. poly spray tank. Helbig says the sprayer could easily handle a 100-gal. tank but he doesn't need it.
The rig is fitted with a 30-ft. long boom with three independently-controlled 10-ft. sections that can be activated alone or together for spot spraying. The rig's 8-hp. engine also powers a 5-roller spray pump. Boom height can be adjusted by moving it up and down on its mounting brackets.
"This sprayer works great for spraying wild garlic in our wheat fields. The narrow wheels do minimal damage in a standing crop, unlike the bigger sprayers we used in the past that left wheel tracks we could still see at harvest time.
"We also spot spray beans and corn. It fits 40-in. spaced corn or 30-in. spaced beans and requires little room to turn on end rows.
"Our farms are 5 miles apart so I put a tow bar on the front wheel to pull behind a pickup, which carries chemical and water. Three gallons of gas and 500 gal. of water will cover about 100 acres per day, traveling at speeds from 3 to 9 miles per hour. In second gear it runs at about 5 mph, which is the speed we use for spraying," says Helbig, who is considering custom-building the sprayer.
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Albert Helbig, RR, Box 108, Oakdale, Ill. 62268 (ph 618 329-5753).

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Home built 3 wheel sprayer SPRAYING Miscellaneous 13-5-11 "Maneuverability and speed make this the handiest farm spot sprayer we've ever used," says Albert Helbig, Oakdale, Ill., who built his own 3-wheel sprayer from the ground up. Helbig built the frame of the sprayer from 2 by 2-in. square tubing. The 3-speed transmission and differential were salvaged from an old IH Cub Cadet lawn mower. The sprayer's powered by an 8-hp. Briggs & Stratton motor. Shafts extend out from the transmission to above the drive wheels where #40 chain drives the sprocket-equipped hubs (Helbig made the hubs himself). The transmission is engaged with a belt drive that's controlled by a foot clutch located above the left footrest. The 8.75 by 24-in. drive wheels were taken from a New Idea cornpicker. The front "tricycle" steering wheel is a 4.5 by 13-in. car wheel. The steering wheel mounting bracket is equipped with a sprocket that's turned by a chain connected to a sprocket on the steering wheel column. The motor throttle and sprayer controls are located just under the steering wheel. The sprayer is equipped with a 50-gal. poly spray tank. Helbig says the sprayer could easily handle a 100-gal. tank but he doesn't need it. The rig is fitted with a 30-ft. long boom with three independently-controlled 10-ft. sections that can be activated alone or together for spot spraying. The rig's 8-hp. engine also powers a 5-roller spray pump. Boom height can be adjusted by moving it up and down on its mounting brackets. "This sprayer works great for spraying wild garlic in our wheat fields. The narrow wheels do minimal damage in a standing crop, unlike the bigger sprayers we used in the past that left wheel tracks we could still see at harvest time. "We also spot spray beans and corn. It fits 40-in. spaced corn or 30-in. spaced beans and requires little room to turn on end rows. "Our farms are 5 miles apart so I put a tow bar on the front wheel to pull behind a pickup, which carries chemical and water. Three gallons of gas and 500 gal. of water will cover about 100 acres per day, traveling at speeds from 3 to 9 miles per hour. In second gear it runs at about 5 mph, which is the speed we use for spraying," says Helbig, who is considering custom-building the sprayer. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Albert Helbig, RR, Box 108, Oakdale, Ill. 62268 (ph 618 329-5753).

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