How much tractor to run sprayer for orchard

[WoodChuckDad]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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.