Farmers in control at Sprayer Demo Day

Edd Mowbray 22 February 2018

>More in

With some self-propelled sprayers now costing the same as your average three-bed detached house in the Lake District, it’s no wonder farmers are keener than ever to get time in the seat before parting with their hard-earned cash.

Now in its third year, the National Sprayer Demo Day took place at Warter Priory Estate in North Dalton, Driffield, this week, with a large selection of sprayer manufacturers keen to let operators have go in the seat.

The damp wheat stubble field offered some rolling slopes for drivers to test everything from cab suspension to boom levelling, along with how the sprayers coped when the conditions turned unfavourable.

It was the first chance for many farmers to see some new machines in action, including the rebranded Agribuggy, now sporting McConnel yellow. Unfortunately, punters keen to get their paws on the new Fendt Rogator were out of luck as this remained on the static display with the outgoing Challenger coloured machine putting in the hard graft.

The event is increasing in popularity as farmers see this as an ideal way to compare machines on an even keel, from the lightweight pond skaters such as the Agribuggy to monster, high output machines such as the Agrifac Condor.

American giant John Deere was showing a carbon fibre boom attached to its R4050i sprayer, while it was the debut for Househam’s Predator at the Demo Day, after its launch at Cereals last year.

We pick through the runners and riders below.