Floyd Wagoner used parts from several old pickups to build a self-propelled, articulated 4-WD spray rig.
He put an articulation joint just behind the cab and mounted a hydraulic cylinder on each side to steer the truck. A 400-gal. poly tank mounts on back with a 30-ft. long, 3-section boom from an old home-built, pull-type sprayer.
"It works better than a pull-type sprayer because the cab protects me from chemicals and I can cover acres a lot faster. I go about 12 mph," says Wagoner. "It turns a little shorter than a conventional pickup. The front wheels are fixed so whenever I turn the rear wheels follow the front wheels. There's only two sets of tracks which really works great for spraying in drilled soybeans because less of the crop gets run over. Also, with only two tracks I can make turns in muddy spots a lot better."
He mounted the cab from a 1966 Chevy pickup on the frame off a 1958 Ford 1-ton 4-WD. He cut the frame in half and used a 1-in. dia. steel pin inside a steel bracket to join the two frames together. He also mounted an 18-in. long, 2-in. dia. cylinder on each side. He mounted the rear axle off an old Ford 3/4-ton pickup on front. The rear axle is also off a Ford 3/4-ton pickup. The 6-cyl., 300 cu. in. gas engine was salvaged from a 1979 Ford F-150 1/2-ton pickup, and the 4-speed transmission and transfer case came out of an early 1960's IH 4-WD.
"I use it to spray both preemergence and postemergence herbicides on soybeans and milo," says Wagoner. "When spraying drilled soybeans I use conventional size pickup tires. Otherwise, I use 14 by 16 floater tires because they don't pack the soil as much and provide a softer ride. I'm now building a 51-ft. hydraulic-fold boom for more capacity.
"The engine has over 100,000 miles on it but still works good. An air tank mounts behind the cab to provide air for the sprayer's foam marker. It also comes in handy for putting air in the tires.
"There are three belt-driven accessories -- the air compressor, power steering pump, and sprayer pump. To provide power for the pumps and compressors I used a jackshaft and three extra pulleys that run off the crank-shaft."