Sharon, If you are in the East (U.S. that is) check these guys out (it's where I got mine)
http://www.forshawonline.com/catalog/products.asp?SubCatID=45 or plug in "BIRCHMEIER SPRAYER" into google and wade through all the pest control companies that sell 'em. Ed > i tried the google search for the birchmeirer sprayer , but all i found > was a company in france selling livestock drugs . does anyone have a > U.S. site? :)sharon > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Merla Barberie" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Sent: Thursday, August 01, 2002 10:19 AM > Subject: Re: Spray Nozzles and Sprayers > > >> Hi Lloyd, >> >> Our experiences with the solo system and others of its ilk have been >> they same. They won't handle BD preps without jamming up and scoring >> your > plastic >> pump barrels. >> >> What we're gone to is a home-built system with flo jet pump and one >> liter pressure tank to smooth the flow with a fine screen flo jet >> filter on the intake and a commercial hand nozzle, trigger type with >> interchangeable > fairly >> large diameter tips of much larger size than the intake size screen. >> It's > set >> up to use open barrels of BD preps. It does fine. Gives us about a >> 30 > ft. jet >> spray reach on the roadside and will reach anywhere in the orchard >> that we > need >> to because it can be extended with a garden hose. Since it's a >> diaphragm > pump, >> it's not subject to the scoring that the piston pumps are and it runs >> off > a 12 >> volt electrical system, though I found that it takes a high amperage >> DC > plug >> (trolling motor). We've destroyed quite a few backpack pumps with BD > preps. >> >> What you said is right on. >> >> Herb (of HerbnMerla) >> >> Lloyd Charles wrote: >> >> > ----- Original Message ----- >> > >> > From: Allan Balliett >> > > I don't know about the rest of you, but I could sure use mentoring >> > > in picking a sprayer and in picking sprayer tips. I have to admit, >> > > I was pretty dumbed up as I looked at the wall of sprayer tips etc >> > > at TRACTOR SUPPLY the other day. >> > > >> > > I think I've outgrown my SOLO. I want something that will let me >> > > put more spray out faster. My solo has to be cleaned about every 5 >> > > minutes. A reflection of a larger problem, Im sure, but just the >> > > same, it gets very grating >> > >> > Hi Allan and frustrated sprayers >> > Dont know if this will help but here goes >> > During the eighties and early nineties we did a lot of field >> > spraying, including quite a few thousand acres of contracting, by >> > ground rig boom spray at very low application rates, super fine >> > nozzles = 25 litres/ha (about 2.5 gallon/acre). The system needs to >> > be pretty good to operate > at >> > this level but results were fantastic and productivity (work rate >> > per > hour >> > doubles) >> > There is a basic rule for the trouble free operation of >> > any >> > spraying gear that says " never put anything in the tank that wont >> > go > easily >> > through the nozzle" this manifests much more so with fine jets and >> > low > rates >> > however it seems that the manufacturers of spraying equipment can't >> > be bothered with this because they continue to put a coarse strainer > several >> > times larger than jet size on the tank inlet then put fine strainers >> > on > the >> > jets. This almost guarantees blockages with any of the things that > readers >> > on this list will be using. (teas, molasses, fish, kelp, BDpreps) >> > all > have >> > fibrous stuff that will block small diameter jet strainers real >> > quick >> > Reverse the order of filtration - put a fine mesh filter, > smaller >> > than your jet size on the tank inlet - this is the largest capacity >> > and easiest to clean one in the system - put a medium filter in the >> > line > after >> > the pump - then put the coarsest screen, almost the same size as the > jets, >> > on the nozzle - in many cases, if the other two are in place and >> > working properly, and your application rate is over 100 l/ha you can >> > run > succesfully >> > with no nozzle filter at all - life will go much easier with ANY > spraying >> > gear if you stick to this basic trick - its just common sense really >> > but > in >> > most cases you are going to need to home make a better tank inlet >> > filter than the manufacturer supplies - a piece of fine woven cloth >> > will often > do >> > just nice - this will work with any sprayer from your 2 gallon pump >> > unit > on >> > up. >> > Hope this helps some as sprayer blockages are just about the >> > ultimate frustration! >> > Cheers all >> > Lloyd Charles