watering and spraying rig

MACHINIST01 · Oct 11, 2005

I want to build a tow behind spray rig that I can use as a food plot watering system also.I would like to be able to go to the pond that is close to the food plot and fill a 55 gallon drum preferably with the same pump used to spray and use it to water the food plot.This is also going to be used as a sprayer to spray the plots with round up and such.I was thinking that I would use another smaller drum for the round up so I dont contaminate the the bigger drum with roundup.I am looking for some ideas on what I could use for the pump.I thought that I could use a bilge pump from a boat or a pump from a motorhome for the roundup sprayer and maybe a small gas powered trash type pump for the watering purposes.I know that it will take alot of water to successfully do the food plots but some is better that none,and the food plots are small so I feel it can be done.i was going to buy a sprayer unit out of northern but I thought if I could use a bilge pump or an rv pump then I could make it fairly cheap I have everything else to do it with.One last question do you think that the bilge pump or the rv pump would have enough psi for spraying purposes?

wushaw · Oct 11, 2005

The RV pump will work just fine for spraying Roundup, that's what mine is with two spray nozzels. I think using a trash pump is a great idea for watering food plots.

53gravely · Oct 22, 2005

55 galllons at a time is going to be a lot of trips to simulate an inch of rain over a food plot. maybe look at a truck tank on a trailer...like the maple sugar guys use.

LBrown59 · Oct 24, 2005

( The RV pump will work just fine for spraying Roundup, . )

Is this a pump that pumps liquids or is it and air compressor type pump that pumps air?

LBrown59 · Oct 24, 2005

I was thinking that I would use another smaller drum 

 What kind of smaller drum and where do you plan on getting it ?

CTyler · Oct 24, 2005

( 55 galllons at a time is going to be a lot of trips to simulate an inch of rain over a food plot. maybe look at a truck tank on a trailer...like the maple sugar guys use. )

Even a 210+ gallon tank goes fairly quick using a 12gpm pto pump. Put my tank on the 4x8 dump trailer and made a cheap boom 10' wide with 1/2" PVC and 10 sprinker heads. If I had to over again I'd just drill holes for watering.

Not sure how big an area needs to be watered but it takes a lot of water to dampen an area.

oliver28472 · Oct 24, 2005

I think 1 inch on 1 acre = 27,000 gallons.

MACHINIST01 · Oct 25, 2005

I know that me watering a small plot is a uphill battle but the summer that we had here was very dry in the first part of the year,I thought that any water is better than no water.I have a few 55 poly drums and thought about strapping two or three of these to the trailer and then pumping them out onto the plot.I know that I cant succsefully water the plots like they should be but it might help it enough to grow better. The smaller drum would be a 25 gallon plastic fuel type cell that I have from an rv that was used for water storage,that way I am not using the same tank to water the plots with in the summer.

Panache · Oct 25, 2005

Bilge pumps don't put out much pressure. I use one to water trees where I am just emptying the barrel as opposed to spraying with it. 2" pipe attached to the barrels with several holes along it would get the water out better than a bilge pump.

oliver28472 · Oct 25, 2005

What about using gravity fed drip tubes under plastic on raised beds. That would save a lot of water.

oliver28472 · Oct 25, 2005

Never mind that. It's a food plot not a garden. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

jeffinsgf · Oct 25, 2005

PTO Pump would be more efficient for both jobs. One pump can be fit to different barrels quite easily, for either watering or spraying chemicals.

kuby · Oct 26, 2005

Here is what I have for watering trees. It uses the same pump to load and unload and a spray boom could be used but I belive a seperate pump would be needed to spray.

kuby · Oct 26, 2005

The first was unload mode and this is load mode.

kuby · Oct 26, 2005

Fire fighting mode or another obtion for watering trees.

kuby · Oct 26, 2005

Watering trees in a row or shelterbelt

MACHINIST01 · Oct 27, 2005

The only reason I wanted to use a bilge type pump is because they are easy to get ahold of.

JRP · Oct 30, 2005

One question is how big is your tractor?

Attached is a photo of my water tank. It is a $40 300 gallon container that was used for a food additive. Poly plastic with galvanized box, plastic pallet, and plastic 2" ball valve. With a 2" valve you could easily gravity flow to empty. A 2" PVC header with 1/2" holes would empty pretty quick. Eliminating a pump would cut costs a lot and allow you to put more into the trailer. I tried to set up a hose with rope such that when I pull the rope the end of the hose is above the tank top = no flow. When I let out the rope the hose drops below the valve = water flow. Cheap valve. It did not work well but was an implementation problem, not an idea problem.

Anyhow, if you are making a trailer you could move 300 gallons at a time. A small tractor could pull the trailer. I use my container on a 3pt forklift. It is 2400 lbs full so I know it is back there. I water oak trees.

You could use a 2" water pump to fill the tank in about 3 minutes. You can leave the pump at the water hole and not have to pull it with tank.

You can clean a sprayer tank with amonia and not worry about contaminating your water with roundup.

Email me if you want a pic of the hose valve. It was made to water trees. Turns on/off the water without getting off the tractor.

jrpoux@tisd.net.