The new Hardi Saritor 2 5500 features a range of lightweight aluminium Pommier TR5 boom options from 36.5 metres to 42.5 metres in size, Matt Wood investigates.
Named for the Roman god of hoeing and weeding, the 5,500 litre capacity Saritor 2 uses a 6.7 litre Cummins engine for power and relies on a twin pump Sauer Danfoss hydrostatic drive to get all four wheels moving.
Hardi Australia claims the French manufactured sprayer and Pommier boom combo now tips the scales with a modest tare weight of between 13.9 and 14.5 ton.
The company is also predicting users can enjoy potential fuel consumption savings of between 8 and 10 litres an hour.
Machine footprint is an issue for nearly all crops and sprayers are no exception, especially as sprayers are now often utilised throughout the crop cycle.
In an effort to reduce compaction and crop damage, the Saritor is equipped with spreadable axles making it possible to adjust the machine’s wheel track from 3 to 4 metres.
Each axle can be adjust individually moved to either match existing wheel tracks from other machines or to deliberately work outside existing tracks to reduce damage.
A four sensor AutoTerrain function and Paralift help keep the boom off the deck using ultra-sonic sensors as well as a centrally mounted pendulum sensor.
Electro-hydraulics and nitrogen dampened shockers work in conjunction with each other to maintain a consistent spray height at all times.
Spray pressure is provided by a 680l/min centrifugal pump which can run dry for up to two hours.
The pump maintains pressure of up to 11 bar across the systems making for almost instantaneous section control.
I recently visited Hardi HQ in South Australia and had a closer look. I also got to drive and fiddle with the big red machine while I was there.
The Hardi HC 9500 spray control unit also looks to be very intuitive and simple to use and seems right at home in the clean uncluttered New Holland sourced cab cab.
The only other screen in the Saritor cab is a small readout for the Sauer Danfoss system.
As a result, visibility is excellent.
A multi-function joystick takes care of boom control as well as forward and backwards motion, and a reverse camera also pops up on the screen when selected.
In-cab noise is surprisingly low for a hydrostatic machine thanks in part to the Sauer Danfoss system which isn’t dependant on high rpm for hydraulic functions.
Hardi says the machine can spray from as low as 2000rpm again contributing to fuel efficiency claims.
Our initial impression is that the Saritor 2 is quite a slick package with a very user friendly interface.
Catch Matt’s video test online next week and don’t miss his full review in the February issue of NewFarmMachinery on sale February 24.
Find self-propelled sprayers for sale on TradeFarmMachinery.com.au