How much tractor to run sprayer for orchard

WoodChuckDad · Jul 24, 2015

I apologize in advance. I have searched but have not found exactly the info I need. Partly because I don't know what kind of sprayer is needed for an apple orchard. I am still reading the tutorial on tractors I was sent.
A friend who has a small vineyard of about 9 acres under vine started off with a 40 hp kubota...they say it wasn't strong enough to run the sprayer...so they now have 2 john deere tractors. a 27 horsepower and a big 60 + monster.

smstonypoint · Jul 24, 2015

It seems to me that you first need to determine the type and size of sprayer you need for the size of your orchard. Do you need a 50-gallon tank? A 1,000-gallon tank?

Steve

gwdixon · Jul 24, 2015

Also, what is the power source for the sprayer? PTO, self-contained gas engine, electric?

A PTO pump would make the biggest difference in tractor selection. It seems that you need to determine the sprayer and then determine the tractor. A sprayer should have a manual to describe how much PTO power is required to run it.

If it is just a tow-around job it is simpler. My BX2200 tows a 400 gallon dual axle water tank fairly well on flat ground. It doesn't like it but it gets the job done.

smstonypoint · Jul 24, 2015

gwdixon said:
A sprayer should have a manual to describe how much PTO power is required to run it.

Yes. As an example, Request Rejected has sprayer models requiring anywhere between 18 and 100+ tractor HP.

Steve

EddieWalker · Jul 24, 2015

As others have mentioned, what type of sprayer are you going to use? I built mine from a 300 gallon tote and I use a 12 volt electric pump on it that I plug into a cigarette lighter on the dash of my Mule. I also installed one on my 35 hp 4x4 tractor. Both pull it easily, but the tractor is easier to set the speed with so I'm more steady in my application.

I went with an electrical pump because I didn't want to deal with hooking up a roller pump onto my PTO, and having to use my tractor all the time to spray. I spray twice a year and it's just a lot easier to use the Mule instead of taking off the mower from my tractor to use just those times.

oosik · Jul 24, 2015

I have a small sprayer with a 25 gallon tank. It attaches to the 3-point hitch and has a pto driven roller pump. I have it set up with a spray nozzle on a 25 foot hose. Soooo - I have to drive forward, stop and spray or get my son to come drive the tractor while I walk behind and spray.

It worked just fine on my previous 25 hp tractor and, of course, no problems on my current tractor.

One thing I learned - right off - spray all your fruit bearing trees/bushes, etc BEFORE you put Roundup in it to spray the weeds. The first time I used it I reversed this process - because I had cleaned the tank, I thought, I didn't kill any of the fruit trees - but I sure didn't do them any good. By fall all the trees had recovered.

I have since developed a much more aggressive procedure for cleaning out the tank.

Its a DemCo system.

RPW · Jul 24, 2015

Depending on the size of sprayer will determine the size of tractor. Not because of roller pump but because of the amount of weight the 3pt can handle. I run a 125gal. 3pt mount. I could have made a 250gal but the weight would have been on the upper end of my tractor's capacity.

California · Jul 24, 2015

Three issues to consider -

1) the sprayer docs will cite the pto hp you need to turn the pump.

2) if you need to pull a heavy sprayer uphill at a steady, reasonable speed while spraying- you need the hp to do that.

3) safety, considering terrain - you need a tractor heavy enough that the sprayer can't push it downhill. Photo - I'm using a tank like Eddie's to water new apple trees, and a little Yanmar that weighs less than a full tank of water. I wait until the tank is near empty (250 lb trailer&tank, + water) before I go down to the terraces at the back of the orchard. When I first built this, I arrived with a full tank of water to a tree on level, soft disced ground. I turned so I wouldn't drive into the tree and the trailer pushed the back of the tractor closer to the tree than I expected.

I've been a lot more cautious since.

WoodChuckDad · Jul 24, 2015

Thank you all for the input. I think I can get away with the 40ish HP range of tractor that I was thinking of. I am just starting to clear land this year and hoping to put some trees in this December.