Dual role keeps Atlas busy
30 January 1998
Dual role keeps Atlas busy
The latest version of
Cleanacres Atlas self-
propelled sprayer gained a
host of improvements at its
launch last year. Geoff
Ashcroft spoke to one of
the first customers to get
the revised machine
WITHOUT being able to apply liquid fertiliser via the sprayer, Dick Burge and his arable manager, John Collins, could not have justified spending £60,000 on a Cleanacres Atlas 2500 self-propelled sprayer.
"It would have been too expensive a machine for spraying our 1160 acres of cereals," explains Dick Burge of Itchen Valley Farms, Itchen Abbas near Winchester, Hants, who geared up to the Atlas 12 months ago, replacing an ageing Evrard trailed sprayer.
"We needed a sprayer which could handle fertiliser as well as chemicals and there was little to choose from besides the Atlas," says Mr Burge.
Using the sprayer to apply liquid fertiliser has effectively doubled the workload for the Atlas and means about 2428ha (6000 acres) are covered annually.
"If we can cover about 60,000 acres of work over a 10-year period, then the cost of owning the sprayer will break down to about £1/acre," says Mr Burge.
Arable manager John Collins shares the view. "With falling farm incomes, it is important these days to make full use of any piece of kit, to help spread the initial investment," says Mr Collins.
To this end, the 159hp, 2500-litre (550gal) capacity Atlas with 24m (80ft) boom has been kept busy at Itchen Valley Farms for about 10 months of the year and in this time it has clocked up about 300 hours.
"The cab is quite comfortable and affords good visibility," explains Mr Collins. "Its a shame the air-conditioning is useless, but Cleanacres is looking into it."
Praise for suspension
On the plus side, the sprayer is fitted with a hydro-pneumatic suspension system, which gets particular praise from John Collins.
"Its a very smooth ride – on the road and in the field," he says. "The sprayer also self-levels through the suspension while the tank is emptying so weight distribution and boom height are kept constant."
Output at Itchen Valley Farms has reached 90ha/day (225 acres/day), but a more consistent 60ha (150 acres/day) is regularly achieved.
However Mr Collins is less concerned with long days spent spraying at high outputs and more concerned with having the capability to spray at exactly the right moment.
"Weve noticed spraying windows becoming shorter and shorter, so we need to be able to spray at a few hours notice, and cover a good area in perhaps only half a day," he says. "And applying low water volumes of about 80l/ha with the Atlas means I can sometimes cover up to 30ha on a single spray tank.
"It means we dont waste hours running back and forth to a bowser, nor does it need extra labour to sit with a bowser waiting to refill the sprayer."
Mr Collins reckons he can do a good days spraying, only having to refill the sprayer three times.
"The main pump really is too efficient. When doing a tank mix, you have to make sure you dont fill the tank too fast, before youve got all the pesticides in."
"Also, its time the Atlas had an external pto control and throttle so you can control all the functions from outside the cab when refilling – having to climb in and out of the cab to regulate filling is hassle," he adds.
"The spray tanks sight gauge is also useless, so we use a flow meter when filling. Its extremely accurate and combined with Cleanacres Magic box control system in the cab, gives very accurate application rates when spraying." *
When not applying pesticides, Itchen Valley Farms Cleanacres Atlas applies liquid fertiliser to help justify its cost.
Below: Dick Burge (left) and arable manager John Collins remain sceptical about electronic components lasting the life of the machine.