When Don Dutertre splashed insecticide into his eyes three years ago and lost his eyesight temporarily, he decided he had to find a better way to handle chemicals. The Dinsmore, Sask., farmer came up with the new Chem-Ease "gun" that's not only safer but also eliminates the need to lift and pour chemical containers.

What's more, after emptying containers and feeding chemicals to the spray tank, Chem-Ease automatically rinses out the can with water and feeds that to the spray tank, too. The unit works so well that some sprayer manufacturers have started to supply it as standard equipment on every sprayer they sell.

The gun-shaped Chem-Ease plumbs into either side of the spray pump with two 1/2-in. lines. The operator simply stabs the sharp end of the device into the steel or plastic chemical container. It slips in almost without effort, shrouded by a spring-loaded, chemical-resistant, rubber boot that prevents back-spray. Once inside the container, you open a valve that quickly draws the chemical out of the container and into the spray tank as the tank is filling with water, which provides instant agitation. Once the container is empty -- takes about 1 min. -- another valve is opened and 12-jets of water thoroughly rinse the container from all angles. Then the other valve is opened again and the rinse water sucked out.

Chem-Ease mounts on the sprayer in a dust-proof mounting bracket. "It's built rugged to last a lifetime. Except for the rubber boot, which can be easily replaced, there's nothing to wear out. We think it's going to become standard equipment on most sprayers," says Dutertre, who's looking for U.S. distributors.