Redball has entered the self-propelled sprayer market with a 1,200-gal. stainless steel sprayer with a 140-gal. integral rinse tank and a ProAction Flex boom. The boom is a lattice-truss pendulum boom, which is available in 80- and 90-ft. widths. The 2-wd mechanical drive sprayer is powered by a Tier 3, 275-hp, 6.8-liter John Deere diesel engine. It has an Allison 3000 automatic transmission with a locking torque converter, a JCB on-the-go locking differential and gear-driven drop boxes. Axles, which adjust from 120 to 152 in., are suspended with an automatic axle-leveling air bag system with sway control.

The sprayer's bolted flex-design frame is built from ⅜-in., 110,000-psi C-channel steel, with heavy-duty open-section cross members. The wheelbase is 13 ft. 9 in., allowing for a turning radius of just 15 ft. The overall sprayer length is 27 ft. with booms folded. Crop clearance is 48 in. with 14.9X46 tires, both front and rear. Heavy-duty disc brakes can be found at all four corners.

Although Redball has built its reputation with industry-leading high-clearance trailer sprayers, members of its engineering and production staff have designed and built many of the top self-propelled sprayer brands now in the field, says Redball President Steve Claussen.

“We started this project with a tremendous base of in-house knowledge and experience about self-propelled sprayers and the factors that make them productive and cost-efficient to operate,” Claussen says. “This sprayer takes a fresh approach at integrating features that maximize in-field productivity and reduce downtime with components and systems engineered and built for longevity and serviceability.”

Suggested list price is $185,000. For more information, contact Redball LLC, Box 159, Benson, MN 56215, 877/332-2551, www.redballproducts.com.

John Deere's new 4930 sprayer features a 325-hp John Deere PowerTech Plus engine, 1,200-gal. spray tank and 120-ft. boom. The 4930 sprayer also is able to put out dry product with a dry spreader attachment and integrates Ag Management Solutions (AMS) precision guidance components for auto guidance, prescription variable-rate applications, and field mapping and documentation. These integrated AMS features carry over to Deere's existing line of sprayers.

“Growers have different pestilent pressures they need to spray for, because of precision guidance technology. Whether it's the individual farmer or the commercial sprayer, they can gain more efficiencies in passes through the field and in input savings,” says Craig Weynand, sprayer product marketing manager, John Deere Des Moines Works. “With GreenStar GPS and using the AutoTrac guidance system to actually steer your sprayer, you can run a 120-ft. boom and get overlap down to a minimum. Plus the operator is able to go around the clock, so visibility isn't as big an issue. Automated features like BoomTrac, a boom self-leveling system, and Swath Control Pro, which automates on/off functions of individual sprayer sections based on input from the GS2 rate controller, make it easier to do the job and reduce input costs. These integrated technology features reduce the stress and strain on today's applicators.”

The GreenStar 2 Rate Controller with Swath Control Pro is available on John Deere 4710, 4720, 4920 and 4930 self-propelled sprayers and for pull-type sprayers. The company claims that using AutoTrac and Swath Control Pro reduces input costs at least 5%.

Suggested retail prices of the 4930 sprayers range from $270,203 to $291,415, depending on boom length. For more information, contact John Deere, 11145 Thompson Ave., Lenexa, KS 66219, 866/993-3373, www.johndeereag.com.

AGCO has given its Spra-Coupe 4000 series sprayers a cosmetic overhaul, but they are essentially the quality sprayers farmers expect, says Joel Krause, sales engineer, AGCO Application Equipment. The 4455 and 4655 have a new hood design that falls in line with AGCO's larger Spra- Coupe series. The biggest advantages to these popular sprayers are that they are fuel efficient, have a lightweight design and, at 13 ft. 9 in., have the tightest turning radius in the business, Krause says.

“That tight turning radius allows [the operator] to make pass after pass and get down the field a lot faster without spending needless time backing up and repositioning the sprayer,” he says. “It gets the applicator out of the fields quicker whether they're spraying herbicides or insecticides. Both have narrow windows of opportunity for control.”

The 4000 series offers 400-gal. poly tank capacity and features a new optional 60/80-ft. breakaway boom. The 60/80-ft. boom design allows two different spread widths, depending on the application job, in a single boom. And because the sprayer weighs less than 14,000 lbs. full, Krause says that applicators can spray in wetter conditions than if they used another sprayer, without worrying about compaction.

Suggested list prices of sprayers with a 60-ft. boom and automatic transmission range from $92,614 to $98,990. For more information, contact AGCO Corp., 4205 River Green Pkwy., Duluth, GA 30096, 888/989-8525, www.agcocorp.com.

Case IH introduced the Patriot SPX3320 sprayer late last summer. The 1,000-gal. model is the smaller sibling of the SPX4420, Case IH's 1,200-gal. model. The company says the Patriot's quiet, comfortable cab allows operators to cover more acres because they can remain productive longer in a comfortable environment. Comfort, along with power and efficiency, are the keys to getting acres covered quickly and effectively, says Mark Burns product specialist for Patriot sprayers.

“We offer an option to conventional spray technology, AIM Command, which is pulse width modulation technology — pressure control that is independent of rate and ground speed,” Burns says. “It helps [operators] keep the optimum chemical droplet size for efficient use of chemical and aids in drift reduction.”

Both models feature even weight distribution over the axles, which reduces compaction by spreading the load, Burns notes.

Suggested list prices are $186,636 for the SPX3320 and $215,155 for the SPX4420. For more information, contact Case IH, 700 State St., Racine, WI 53404, 262/636-6011, www.caseih.com.

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