Sprayers and fertiliser spreaders: how to buy for your tractor
Crop protection and fertiliser application
Sprayers apply herbicides, fungicides and liquid fertilisers, while spreaders apply granular mineral fertilisers and sometimes dry mixes. Both types of machine work together with a tractor, so first find out your power, whether you have hydraulics and a power take-off shaft, how many acres you must treat and in how many days.
How to choose a sprayer and a spreader
First, the sprayer:
- Type: mounted (usually up to 1,000 l), trailed (from 1,500–2,000 l), self-propelled. For a small farm a mounted one is enough.
- Tank volume and boom width: the bigger they are, the faster the work, but the demands on the tractor grow.
- Pump and nozzles: even application depends on them. Double filter protection extends the life of the pump.
- Control: manual, hydraulic boom folding, or a computer with dose control.
- Tank material: plastic resists aggressive chemicals but does not like impacts.
Spreader: a centrifugal (disc) one is simple and fast, but the spread depends on the granules and the wind. A pendulum one gives a more even application across the width. Look at the hopper capacity, the spreading width and the material: stainless steel lasts longer against aggressive fertilisers than painted metal.
What to put in your request
- type of machine — trailed sprayer, mounted, spreader;
- tank or hopper volume, for example 2,000 l;
- working width — an 18 m boom or another;
- which tractor — make and power;
- make or model, if you have one in mind;
- equipment — hydraulic folding, dose control;
- condition and year;
- delivery district;
- budget, if you want to name one.
Example: “I need a new trailed sprayer of 2,000 l, an 18 m boom with hydraulic folding, for a 60 hp tractor. Delivery to Nagpur district, budget up to ₹4 lakh. I need a warranty and service in my region.”
How to compare offers and what to avoid
People often take a bigger tank that the tractor cannot pull, or a boom wider than the field allows with trees on the edges. They forget to rinse the tank after every chemical and to calibrate the nozzles at the start of the season. Another mistake is not asking whether the region has service and spare parts for the pump.
Ask about the tank material, the pump, the set of nozzles and filters, and about the warranty and availability of parts. For used machines, ask to check that the boom and pump work and that nothing leaks, because small parts wear quickly after aggressive chemicals. Before the season you can ask for a trial run with water.
Also find out whether a pressure gauge, filters and hoses are in the set. A cheap offer may simply lack parts that another already includes.
When working with chemicals, use protective equipment and follow the instructions on the product. It is better to check rates and doses with an agronomist.
How it works on BlaBlaPrice
You write one request, and sellers reply with prices and terms. The system compares the offers and shows the best-value one first, and sellers see their place among the others. Your phone is hidden.
For pulling power, look at farm tractors, for sowing, seeding equipment, and for working the soil, tillage equipment.
