Set an IBC tote on a carry-all, add a spray pump and a boom, and you have a 300-gal. 3-pt. mounted sprayer. While Seth Davis didn’t need a spray tank that big, the price was right.
“We have a small farm with about 7 to 8 acres of pasture,” says Davis. “I’ve been spraying multiple products with a 25-gal. sprayer on an ATV. I was doing a lot of fill, spray and refill.”
When he bought a bigger tractor, he decided it was time to upgrade his sprayer. “I wanted a 150-gal. sprayer, but when I found one, the seller wanted $4,000,” recalls Davis. “I looked at pictures of sprayers and decided to gather the components and make one.”
The 300-gal. tote was the starting point. From there, he went to Amazon and picked out what he needed, such as an 8-roller, pto-driven pump with 100 gpm flow. He also ordered a pressure regulator and a couple of valves, as well as a 4-way splitter.
“I got pressure gauges for the relief valve and the sprayer,” says Davis. “My hoses are all 3/4-in. contractor grade, and I went with a TeeJet Boominator wide coverage nozzle.”
Davis slipped a piece of wood inside the rear side of the metal cage on the tote and screwed the nozzle to it. While most components came together easily, the pump was a learning experience.
“I had to double up hose clamps on the pto pump the first time I used it,” he says. “To secure the pump, I first tried zip ties, which snapped immediately. My second attempt included adding bolts in holes on the pump and clipping them to the pto cover with a carabiner clip.”
When he finished, Davis’ costs were well under $4,000. The tote was $100, and the other parts totaled about $850. The carry-all was another $450.
“I went with a carry-all instead of a dedicated frame,” says Davis. “I only use the sprayer a few times a year, but I can use the carry-all other times too.”
Davis plans to add a smaller 15-gal. tank to the top of the tote for spot spraying. “I will power it with a 12-volt pump,” he says. “It’ll be handy for spot spraying with weed killer when I’m using the tote for foliar fertilizer.”
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Seth Davis, 840 Numa Byerly Rd., Lexington, N.C. 27292 (ph 336-497-7268; seth@tigerdog-builders.com).