Our best self-propelled sprayers available

What do you get when you chuck a 20-year-old Goldacres Crop Cruiser prototype and a brand-new Case IH Patriot 4430 in a paddock? A bloody good day!

It also proves how far technology has come over the years. The inclusions of GPS, intelligent on-board software and modern engines have changed the farming landscape and it’s becoming more advanced by the day.

• See it here: Sprayer Showdown – Goldacres Crop Cruiser vs. Case IH Patriot 4430
  

Massey Ferguson’s new 9130 self-propelled sprayer is sure to be a hit thanks to its competitive price and simple operation.

Farms & Farm Machinery jumped behind the wheel of the Brazilian-made 9130 at a recent AGCO demonstration near the Melbourne airport and were impressed with the product. The MF9130 was originally built and designed specifically for the Brazilian market as they were looking for a simple and heavier duty machine.

• See it here: Massey Ferguson 9130 First Drive
  

Initially I believed that self-propelled sprayers were a costly piece of machinery that only had one use on the farm, as opposed to a trailing unit where the pulling tractor could also be used for other purposes throughout the year.

However, with spraying becoming such a major part of cropping operations, large properties can keep a spray rig busy for most of the year, which makes the self-propelled unit a more viable option.

• See it here: Amazone Pantera 4502 review
  

Compact self-propelled (SP) sprayers are nothing new but they’ve kept a low profile on many markets. A low capacity compact SP may seem a bit over the top for smaller mixed farm holdings, but once you have a closer look at some of the compact units available on the Australian market they do start to make some sense.

The Hardi Presidio is just one example of a relatively simple machine that makes sense in the right application.

• See it here: Hardi Presidio 2700 review
  

I’m going to take a look at a self-propelled Househam from the Veg Boss range which is designed predominantly to suit the requirements of the horticultural industry. It has a 170hp (127kW) Caterpillar engine, fully hydrostatic four-wheel drive transmission and is fitted with self-levelling load compensating air bag suspension.

• See it here: Househam AirRide Veg Boss review

The stance of the Crop Cruiser makes it an imposing sight as it sits perched high above the ground on its tyres. However, imposing as it may be one of the big selling points that Goldacres commonly brings up is the light tare weight of the machine (11,000kg).

The reason for the lean physique of the Crop Cruiser mainly stems from the fact that unlike many of its competitors the Goldacres unit uses a direct mechanical drive rather than a hydrostatic drive.

• See it here: Goldacres Crop Cruiser Evolution review