60 Ft Streaker Pickup Sprayer

1990 - Volume #14, Issue #5, Page #07

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Dick Minnaert, Madison, S. Dak., stripped down a 1974 Ford 1-ton pickup to build a 60-ft. "streaker" sprayer that covers acres fast.
Minnaert cut away the cab and bed and overhauled the 6-cylinder engine, 4-speed transmission, and 4:10 rear axle. He cut apart the twin I-beam axles and raised them, then installed large 9.00 by 20 rear tires and 7.50 by 16 front tires. A belt driven by the engine's crankshaft powers the sprayer pump. A 500-gal. polyethylene tank is mounted over the rear axle just ahead of the 60-ft. Blumhardt boom.
"I built it because I wanted a sprayer that could go fast but still spray accurately," says Minnaert, who has built seven of the sprayers over the past 20 years. All but one, a modified 1938 International 1 1/2-ton pickup, are still in service. "I never liked pull-type sprayers because the boom bounces too much and because it takes too long to drive home and refill the tank with water. I call my rigs `Streakers' because they're stripped down and go fast. I can go 7 to 8 mph in first gear at heavier application rates and 12 to 15 mph in second gear at lighter rates. At an application rate of three gallons per acre I can cover a quarter section in about two hours. My `Streakers' are also fuel efficient. I can spray all day long on 20 gallons of fuel. The 140 hp engine has plenty of power to go right through mud, and the large rear tires provide plenty of traction. The wheels are narrow enough to easily fit between my 30-in. rows.
"I use Ford pickups because they have twin I-beam suspension which lets me raise the axles to provide 17 inches of clearance. Chevrolet and Dodge pickups don't have twin I-beam suspension so you can't increase the clearance unless you install extremely large tires which would prevent short turns. My sprayer weighs about a ton which is much less than some commercial sprayers, and it cost only $11,000 to build compared to about $20,000 for a comparable-size commercial sprayer."
The sprayer is equipped with a Raven monitor to set herbicide application rates and speed.
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Dick Minnaert, Rt. 2, Box 41, Madison, S. Dak. 57042 (ph 605 256-3627).

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60 Ft Streaker Pickup Sprayer PICKUPS Modifications 14-5-7 Dick Minnaert, Madison, S. Dak., stripped down a 1974 Ford 1-ton pickup to build a 60-ft. "streaker" sprayer that covers acres fast. Minnaert cut away the cab and bed and overhauled the 6-cylinder engine, 4-speed transmission, and 4:10 rear axle. He cut apart the twin I-beam axles and raised them, then installed large 9.00 by 20 rear tires and 7.50 by 16 front tires. A belt driven by the engine's crankshaft powers the sprayer pump. A 500-gal. polyethylene tank is mounted over the rear axle just ahead of the 60-ft. Blumhardt boom. "I built it because I wanted a sprayer that could go fast but still spray accurately," says Minnaert, who has built seven of the sprayers over the past 20 years. All but one, a modified 1938 International 1 1/2-ton pickup, are still in service. "I never liked pull-type sprayers because the boom bounces too much and because it takes too long to drive home and refill the tank with water. I call my rigs `Streakers' because they're stripped down and go fast. I can go 7 to 8 mph in first gear at heavier application rates and 12 to 15 mph in second gear at lighter rates. At an application rate of three gallons per acre I can cover a quarter section in about two hours. My `Streakers' are also fuel efficient. I can spray all day long on 20 gallons of fuel. The 140 hp engine has plenty of power to go right through mud, and the large rear tires provide plenty of traction. The wheels are narrow enough to easily fit between my 30-in. rows. "I use Ford pickups because they have twin I-beam suspension which lets me raise the axles to provide 17 inches of clearance. Chevrolet and Dodge pickups don't have twin I-beam suspension so you can't increase the clearance unless you install extremely large tires which would prevent short turns. My sprayer weighs about a ton which is much less than some commercial sprayers, and it cost only $11,000 to build compared to about $20,000 for a comparable-size commercial sprayer." The sprayer is equipped with a Raven monitor to set herbicide application rates and speed. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Dick Minnaert, Rt. 2, Box 41, Madison, S. Dak. 57042 (ph 605 256-3627).

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