What To Consider When Choosing a 3-Point Sprayer

The 3 point sprayer comes in a lot of sizes and models, and this  3 point sprayer buyers guide can help you make your choice wisely.

First, before you make any decisions, it’s helpful to consider the size of the acreage you’ll be spraying. In fact, if you’ve just got a lawn to spray, any old pump-up sprayer will work just fine. And you can use whatever pesticides you like. But an ag sprayer sure comes in handy when you plan to spray wide areas like crop fields, pastures, or acre-plus lawns.

Now, when you’re spraying a food plot – for either human or wildlife consumption – you also need to think about where that plot is and what’s surrounding it. You will want to know where your chemical spray is going to land, which helps you know whether to use booms or nozzles.

You’ll also want to work with the size of your tractor. Can your machine handle the weight of a loaded sprayer? Water is eight gallons to the pound, so if you are thinking about buying a 200 gallon tractor sprayer, you’ll be adding an extra 1,600 lbs. behind your tractor. Can your tractor handle that? Or do you need to downsize on the sprayer tank?

What Size Three Point Sprayer Do You Need?

Sprayers come in sizes from 50 gallon to 1,500 gallon tanks, but anything above 300 gallons should be reserved for pull type only. Add too much weight behind your tractor and the extra pounds will push you down the hillside or lift your tires off the ground when you head uphill.  On the other hand, If you get a tank too small, you’ll spend too much time refilling for each new run. Figure on spraying fifteen gallons per acre, and you can probably determine what size sprayer will be your best choice.

We offer The Enduraplas Land Champ 3 pt sprayer tank because of its many superior qualities. For openers, it comes in several sizes, all with a low profile that adds to your safety.  These sprayers keep the weight closer to the tractor wheels, and that, plus the low profile, enhances safety when spraying up steep hills.

Is It Easy To Attach?

Whether you have several tractors in your shed,  or will be trading your current one in at some point, you want to be ready to go when it’s spraying season. You don’t want to waste time getting the sprayer system hitched up to your tractor. All tractor 3 point hitch systems vary in size, so a universal system that can quickly attach to all tractor brands is very much a plus.

Is The Pressure Good, and Easy to Control From the Driver’s Seat?

This is an extremely important aspect to look for in a sprayer. Excessive liquid blasted from a sprayer can damage your plants, while pressure that is too low might mean the liquid may not reach your plants at all. You need to find a middle ground between the two. And it’s a real plus to have a system like Enduraplas that lets you control your pressure from your seat and save you having to get off your tractor. Easier on your body, and a real time saver!

Does the Tank Have A Good Drainage System?

Depending on what you are growing (or what pest you are planning to eliminate), you may be using more than one chemical. Without a drainage system, you would not be able to empty your sprayer after each application. That means you might end up blending two kinds of chemicals that you really don’t want mixed. To address this problem, a sump in the tank’s base lets you remove all liquid so each batch of chemical is the right one.

How About A Chemical Flush System?

This option is a step beyond tank drainage. A new option on modern 3 point hitch sprayers, this separate freshwater tank allows you to completely flush the chemical from your plumbing lines and booms. This means clean and ready lines each time you work with a new chemical. You won’t run the risk of contaminating a batch of fresh chemical prior to application.

Does the Agitation System Work Well?

Your chemicals must be thoroughly mixed to avoid uneven spraying results. There should be an agitation system at the base of the tank to continually ensure that the chemical and water swirl and mix. This is often an optional feature, but one that you probably want to include.

What Boom Attachments Do You Need?

When looking for a 3 point boom sprayer, you’ll need to think about whether you’ll need to use a steel boom, a poly boom, a boomless nozzle kit, or a combination of them to cover all your spraying needs. Since each of these vary in size and purpose, know where and what you’re planning to spray before purchasing your new tractor boom sprayer.

Is The Tank Algae Resistant?

Enduraplas was one of the first companies to implement the colored sprayer tank. White tanks – the old stand-by –  let sun through. And that means potential algae growth. That  means contaminated chemicals and  potential harm for your growing plants. Having a colored tank blocks the sunlight and eliminates the algae problem.

Is The Sprayer Easy To Install and Use?

Before you purchase, understand how to install your sprayer and how it works. When a sprayer is too complicated for convenient usage, and is frustrating and irritating, it’s obvious you won’t want to use it. Be sure to find a system that you can install without a lot of hassles, and can  work with easily.  Be sure it has a reasonable usage and installation process.

 Is The Sprayer Easy to Move?

At some point, you have to un-hitch your 3 point sprayer and move it into your shed to store it over winter.  It can be a difficult task, but the Enduraplas sprayers have conquered the problem with integrated fork points that make this task easy.