What is thought to be the world’s largest sprayer has been taking Australian agricultural shows by storm this Spring.

Launched by Aussie company GoldAcres, the 14,000 litre capacity Quadramax is aimed squarely at those spraying the massive acreages of the Western Australian prairies.

Two 6000-litre tanks and two front-mounted 1000-litre direct chemical injection sub-tanks mean that, when fully loaded, the colossal machine weighs close to 27 tonnes.

Heavy-duty twin trusses and tubular steel surround the main tanks, but what makes the Quadramax so appealing for the large scale farmer is the ability to apply multiple chemicals without having to reload, ideal for those with hundreds of thousands of acres to cover, says the company.

Because there are three direct chemical induction units, it’s possible to spray several products, for example a blanket application of herbicide, a selective herbicide as a spot spray and an insecticide, all at the same time.

Direct injection, although a rarity in the UK, allows operators to carry several different chemicals in neat form, and by a complex plumbing and injection system, only inject what is needed at the correct time. In essence, it means you don’t have to contaminate the fresh water tank and can carry out several operations simultaneously. 
 
Twin 250-litre pumps also allow these to be applied through two separate boom lines, all controlled electronically by a Raven 4070 controller operated by a joystick in the tractor cab. Buyers can choose between 30m or 36m boom length options.

The Quadramax can be set up to be used in front of, or behind, an existing drill combination, but it’s worth noting that as it’s comparable in weight to a combine, it’s going to need upwards of 350hp to pull it. Booms can be removed and the tank just used for liquid fertiliser injection through the drill itself, adds the company.

And, if your farm is equipped with GPS, spray-zone mapping is able to turn nozzles on and off, just like the cutting-edge sprayers over in Europe. Two 600-litre rinse tanks mean that at the end of the day you’re able to clean your tanks with minimal disruption.

Remarkably, this massive machine has a transport width of just 3.66 metres and has all-round airbag suspension. As it’s based on 3m wheel centres and has a front steering axle, it’s more than agile enough to follow the tractor’s wheel marks, claims GoldAcres, who’s also just started importing Lincolnshire-based company Househam sprayers, too.

It may be a while before we see a rig this big over here – but what do you think of it? We’re waiting for a price from the company, but as soon as we have more details they will be on www.fwi.co.uk. Have your say on this massive rig here.

For a video, click on  Australian Farmonline website, here.