Improved performance and accuracy for lightweight sprayer

Engine remapping might not be a modification commonly associated with self-propelled sprayers, but one Oxfordshire operator says it has delivered numerous benefits for his nimble Househam Spirit. 

Increasing output and accuracy from his lightweight self-propelled sprayer has led Dean Hambidge to add a selection of upgrades that have made his life easier, improved spray quality and maintained traction on the steep Oxfordshire hills he farms.

Dean Hambidge was sceptical about remapping but the improvements to his sprayer’s performance have turned it into a new machine © Avon Tuning HD

Section control through a retrofit Teejet controller has improved the accuracy of spray shut offs at the end of each row; Norac boom levelling now delivers a constant boom height across the 24m width, regardless of terrain; and an Avon Tuning HD (ATHD) engine remap has provided an extra 35hp to master the hills.

Dean says the latter, which was added this summer following a visit to Avon Tuning HD at Cereals, has made such a difference to the way the sprayer operates and has been the biggest surprise of all the modifications.

Steep hills make up over 50% of the land Dean farms © Avon Tuning HD

“I was really struggling to maintain power on the steep banks. Some of our hills are so steep that we only combine them in one direction.

“Hills make up around 50% of the land we farm, and I aim to spray at a constant 12kph, but the sprayer would struggle to go over the top of these hills at 7kph.

“This not only reduced output but had detrimental effects on the spray pattern and droplet size. As spray pressure is dictated by the forward speed, as the pace reduced, so did the pressure.

“The quality of the droplets and consistent pattern were affected due to the sprayer not having enough power,” says Dean.

F & J Hambidge, run by Dean and son Jack, is based at Hill Farm just outside Chipping Norton, perched on the second highest point in Oxfordshire.

Dean solely operates the 2013 Househam Spirit S3-24 covering a spraying workload totalling 6000ha/year, involving arable and grassland applications, along with contracting grassland, maize and arable spraying for a local dairy farm.

The lightweight Househam Spirit can now maintain spray quality and pressure when climbing the steep Oxfordshire hills thanks to the ATHD remap © Avon Tuning HD

Nimble sprayer

Dean did consider purchasing a newer, larger sprayer, but the size and weight characteristics of his Househam Spirit that he values highly, couldn’t be replicated in a new machine with higher output or wider booms.

“The Spirit has a 6t empty weight, which for a 24m self-propelled sprayer is so handy when it’s wet,” says Dean.

“We can skip across the ground, barely leaving a mark in most cases, which means we don’t have large ruts to contend with throughout the year.”

However, the insufficient power was a big issue, and Dean says after discussing this with the ATHD team, he thought the idea of a remapping upgrade would be worth a go despite being very sceptical if it would do anything.

“I thought for around £500 for the remap, it was worth a punt. The other option for me was buying a new sprayer, but this would be £200k to upgrade and undoubtedly be heavier than the Spirit.

“I’m not the most mechanically minded person so I was unsure if a chap with a laptop could make any difference, but it was instant.”

The ATHD team assessed the engine on the sprayer to ensure it could handle the modest Stage 1 increase.

The sprayer runs a four-cylinder CAT engine that offered an ordinary 140hp from standard, which the remap pushed to 174hp.

The work took around two hours before trying the Househam on some of the steepest fields Dean sprays to check it all worked as it should.

“The engineer ensured I was happy with what he’d done before he left. It was great service.

Immediately, I could climb the same hills at 10.5kph that I was previously crawling up at 7kph. It felt like a new machine. We now maintain the droplets and pattern required to apply the products in the most effective way.

We spend a significant amount on chemicals, so applying them accurately is essential to allow them to work effectively,” says Dean. 

Maintaining spray quality across all the land Dean farms has been one of the biggest improvements following the remap © Avon Tuning HD

No more fuel 

Dean highlighted that some of his scepticism begun with the realisation there must be a catch somewhere down the line.

“My thought was that shoving loads more air and fuel into the engine to generate more power would only cost me more money in fuel or the engine would run hotter, and potentially be more unreliable, so we’d not be any better off.

“However, I don’t think the fuel use has increased at all. It’s a tiny 120-litre diesel tank on the sprayer and I can still get a full day’s spraying out of a single fill up as I could before.

“I’m also much quicker moving between farms on the hills. Before the remap I was down to 14kph on some of the steepest hills, whereas I can now maintain 30kph all the way up. This makes it a bit safer as cars are less inclined to overtake me.”

The nimble Househam hasn’t used anymore fuel since the remap, with a full tank still lasting a full day’s spraying © Avon Tuning HD

The improvements to the sprayer have been so positive that Dean is now tempted to get ATHD back to apply a remap onto his John Deere 6155R, which he says is a bit flat.

“We could just do with a bit more power on this model. We have a JD 7R 330 for the heavy work but the 6155 does seem a bit underpowered on 18t grain trailers or the front and rear mower we have.

“If I can get the same performance benefits seen on the sprayer for a small cost, this makes sense to me,” concludes Dean.