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Bumper-Mounted Spray Boom Operates Off 12-Volt Pump
"I use it to spray weeds along fence lines and in odd spots around our farm. It applies chemicals much more evenly than a spray wand and reduces exposure to the operator," says Alan Saathoff, Hondo, Texas, about the homemade spray boom he bolted onto the rear bumper of his Chevy pickup. It operates off a 12-volt motor and is supplied by a 25-gal. tank that mounts in the pickup bed.
  The boom is made from 1 1/2-in. sq. tubing and is hinged near the middle. The main boom measures 78 in. long while the wing boom is 47 in. A pair of metal tabs welded onto the boom line up with pre-existing holes on the bumper.
  The tank and motor are one unit and were originally designed to be used with a wand. A hose runs from the tank, over the pickup tailgate, and down to a "T" fitting on the boom. To operate the boom, Saathoff uses an "on-off" tether switch that runs from the motor up through a sliding glass window and into the cab.
  The nozzles are on 19-in. spacings. The main boom section has five nozzles while the wing boom has three nozzles. Each boom section has its own valve, so Saathoff can use either section by itself, or both at same time.
  "It won't replace a spray wand completely, nor is it designed to spray large areas. However, it works a lot better than using a spray wand out the window of my pickup as I had been doing, where a gust of wind would sometimes blow spray back into my face," says Saathoff. "It also applies spray more evenly than a wand and reduces the chance that I'll miss a spot.
  "Another advantage is that it saves time. With a spray wand, I always had to vary my speed or even stop, depending on the weed density. Now I can drive at a consistent speed and get more done."
  Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Alan Saathoff, 909 CR 331, Hondo, Texas 78861 (E-mail: alsaathoff@hondo.net).


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2002 - Volume #26, Issue #1