The Crop Cruiser Evolution appears to be a heavy-duty sprayer in what promises to be a light-weight package.
Manufactured in Ballarat by local company, Goldacres, the Evolution is the top-of-the-line self-propelled sprayer in a line-up that also includes the tow-behind Prairie boom sprayer range.
The self-propelled (SP) sprayer market appears to gaining a bit of momentum in Australia. Modern farmers are spraying now more than ever and those on large acreage now have to stand back balance the costs of their machinery outlay.
The Australian landscape provides some unique spraying circumstances for farmers. They want to cover as much ground as possible in the shortest time possible. But washouts, creeks, rocks and rough ground make for a punishing environment. Australia’s loose sandy soil structure also makes crop compaction an issue for big, heavy machines.
A tractor over 300hp is clearly wasted towing a boom sprayer alone yet this size of tractor is now very popular amongst those on the land. However, the cost of a trailable boom sprayer and a lighter-duty tractor to tow it adds up to a similar price to buying an SP-sprayer.
The Crop Cruiser uses a 225hp 6.7-litre tier 3 Cummins QSB engine which is backed by an Allison automatic transmission. Power is transferred to the drive wheels via a simple chain drive; by using this drive train the Evolution has an extremely impressive tare weight of just 11,000kg in 4WD form with a 5,200-litre tank and a gross weight of just 16,500kg.
Goldacres claim this all adds up to a fuel-efficient machine (15 litre per hour) and with a comparatively low total cost of ownership over the unit’s lifetime.
NewFarmMachinery recently spent a few hours with the Crop Cruiser Evolution spraying fungicide. This machine was fitted with a 36-metre, seven-section boom and a 5,200-litre tank capacity.
This SP can maintain an average of around 30km/h while spraying and can cover plenty of ground in a timely manner.
Our test unit was fitted with a Lycatronic spray control unit rather than Raven unit that is fitted to most Goldacres machines. Both spray control units provide auto steer and easy section control.
Low noise levels and excellent driver comfort were immediate impressions and the Claas-sourced cabin provided excellent visibility both when spraying as well as when folded up in transport mode.
Climate control and a Bluetooth-enabled stereo keeps things happy on the driver front, while manoeuvrability for such a towering machine was excellent.
There’s little excuse for squashing the front gate or scaring the dog in this machine.
For the full review of this big machine with a little footprint see Issue 4 of NewFarmMachinery magazine, on sale November 25, or subscribe to the magazine to receive every issue straight to your doorstep.
Click here to find Goldacres spraying equipment for sale.