Wednesday, January 22, 2014

Workshop Wednesday-Squirt Squirt!

 When people ask me what I do its easy to tell them where I work but what I do can't be summed up in one sentence. Ya there's wrenching and snow plowing but a big part of my job is landscaping. I do a lot of fertilizing and broad leaf weed control applications. Over the years my employers have given me a lot of freedom to build the equipment I need for these apps. I don't have pics of all the rigs I've put together but I do have a few.

 The Toro tractor is a 5200 fairway mower. Plenty of diesel power and a nice heavy platform for all the weight I was gonna hang on it in the form of tanks full of water.



 The two rear 20 gallon tanks could each hold a different product and be switched to flow through the 300' hose reel.


The sprayer is a Pro Lawn Spray Shield. Mother nature doesn't always cooperate and spraying under a hood prevents spray drift. The 30 gallon tank will cover 50,000 square feet. The bars on the roof are "limb lifters" and make going under branches easier.



Wide wheel stance allows for good traction on slopes.


 This will be a three point sprayer. I had to build this frame kinda heavy to handle the 50 gallon capacity of the tank.



 I use the three point sprayer for Round-up type applications. I can spray from the hose or the 12 foot folding boom in back. Just the other day the boss told me I have to build one this winter for a customer that really likes the design. I'm in the process of gathering parts. Thats kinda what got me thinking about making this post even though its -1 degree outside right now.



 This is the rig I have been using the last few years. Every year I tweak it a bit to suit my needs. This year I wanted to add another tank on the back to spray another products out of the hose reel but I've recently changed gears. The boss offered me a donor zero-turn mower that I will bastardize and change into a dedicated fertilizer spreader. Oh boy...the gears are turning. Ya, I get excited about this kind of stuff. Stay tuned for a full write up.


 I like doing fert and weed control apps. I have always done outside work but this type of work can only be done in nice weather. When the weather sucks I can come into the shop and work on equipment. Win-win.

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