Deere 4440 Converted Into A High-Clearance Sprayer

2011 - Volume #35, Issue #3, Page #25

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When Robert Petrukovich spotted a high-clearance Deere 4440 tractor for sale, he decided right away to turn it into a self-propelled sprayer.
"I designed a mount that would work like a front-end loader," says Petrukovich. "You just drive into it and pin the sprayer to the brackets on the tractor frame. When not in use, it has stands that hold it up."
Petrukovich credits commercial sprayers he has seen for much of his design. The sprayer frame starts with a parallelogram that flexes to keep the booms at the correct angle to the ground and correct distance from the ground.
The 67-ft. boom is a 3-piece design that auto folds back around the tractor with 5-ft. breakaway tips on either end. The center section is about 12 ft. wide with 22 1/2-ft. wing sections. Cylinders on the parallelogram control the distance between the boom and the ground in two stages. The first stage gives the boom a range of 18 to 36 in. ground clearance. Repositioning the cylinders for the second stage gives the boom 3 to 7 1/2 ft. ground clearance.
"Left and right boom sections also have their own hydraulic cylinders for adjusting to field slope," says Petrukovich. "Gauge wheels suspended from the booms offer added support if a boom tips too much and might strike the ground."
All cylinders are controlled with a Fasse three-circuit multiplier. Petrukovich can control all boom cylinders without taking his hand off the control.
A ball valve turns the sprayer flow on and off. Controlling individual boom sections is done with a simple valve that lets Petrukovich turn on all sections, either side section or a combination of center and side.
"I just have to stop the sprayer, open a window and adjust the valve," he explains. "I prefer the manual to electric solenoid."
Boom sway from side to side has minimal impact on the tractor. The two boom end lift cylinders connect to a tube within a tube base unit that works like a shock absorber for sway.
Petrukovich fashioned a rear platform for a 420-gal. spray tank and bolted it to the 4440 frame. He went with a pto-driven pump to avoid interfering with available power to the tractor or the boom lifts. The pto drive also lets him use tractor rpm's as a rate controller.
"If I want to spray more water, I just change the pulley on the pto," explains Petrukovich. "I usually spray around 8 1/2 mph, but I can vary from 7 to 9 without affecting the application rate.
Petrukovich has equipped the 4440 with GPS and auto steer. However, should he want to verify the GPS, he has half tires suspended from boom ends. He can manually drop them to leave drag marks in the field.
"I like to know that if the GPS goes down, I can continue to spray," he says.
Petrukovich estimates total costs of about $12,000.
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Robert Petrukovich, RR 5, Lloydminster, Alberta, Canada T9V 3A1 (ph 780 745-2574).

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Deere 4440 Converted Into A High-Clearance Sprayer SPRAYING Miscellaneous When Robert Petrukovich spotted a high-clearance Deere 4440 tractor for sale he decided right away to turn it into a self-propelled sprayer I designed a mount that would work like a front-end loader says Petrukovich You just drive into it and pin the sprayer to the brackets on the tractor frame When not in use it has stands that hold it up Petrukovich credits commercial sprayers he has seen for much of his design The sprayer frame starts with a parallelogram that flexes to keep the booms at the correct angle to the ground and correct distance from the ground The 67-ft boom is a 3-piece design that auto folds back around the tractor with 5-ft breakaway tips on either end The center section is about 12 ft wide with 22 1/2-ft wing sections Cylinders on the parallelogram control the distance between the boom and the ground in two stages The first stage gives the boom a range of 18 to 36 in ground clearance Repositioning the cylinders for the second stage gives the boom 3 to 7 1/2 ft ground clearance Left and right boom sections also have their own hydraulic cylinders for adjusting to field slope says Petrukovich Gauge wheels suspended from the booms offer added support if a boom tips too much and might strike the ground All cylinders are controlled with a Fasse three-circuit multiplier Petrukovich can control all boom cylinders without taking his hand off the control A ball valve turns the sprayer flow on and off Controlling individual boom sections is done with a simple valve that lets Petrukovich turn on all sections either side section or a combination of center and side I just have to stop the sprayer open a window and adjust the valve he explains I prefer the manual to electric solenoid Boom sway from side to side has minimal impact on the tractor The two boom end lift cylinders connect to a tube within a tube base unit that works like a shock absorber for sway Petrukovich fashioned a rear platform for a 420-gal spray tank and bolted it to the 4440 frame He went with a pto-driven pump to avoid interfering with available power to the tractor or the boom lifts The pto drive also lets him use tractor rpm s as a rate controller If I want to spray more water I just change the pulley on the pto explains Petrukovich I usually spray around 8 1/2 mph but I can vary from 7 to 9 without affecting the application rate Petrukovich has equipped the 4440 with GPS and auto steer However should he want to verify the GPS he has half tires suspended from boom ends He can manually drop them to leave drag marks in the field I like to know that if the GPS goes down I can continue to spray he says Petrukovich estimates total costs of about $12 000 Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Robert Petrukovich RR 5 Lloydminster Alberta Canada T9V 3A1 ph 780 745-2574

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