Additionally BASF, Syngenta, Bridgestone UK Ltd., Stocks AG Ltd., LH Agro UK Ltd., Precise Solutions GPS Ltd., and RTK Farming Ltd., were also in attendance.
A little form filling and a short test of sprayer knowledge was obligatory for anyone wishing to test drive a sprayer, as was the necessity to show that they were suitably qualified to do so.
Then suitably equipped with a yellow high visibility vest, to meet site health and safety requirements, drivers were able to take in turn to put their machines of choice through its paces, alongside the manufacturers or dealers demo driver.
Each test drive took in the region of 30 minutes and enabled a good assessment of the machines on offer. This is where events such as this come into their-own because no amount of looking at a sprayer sat as part of a static display at a show can replace a test drive.
For visitors the event gave them an opportunity to compare like for like, chat about options and possibly draw up a shortlist of sprayers for an on-farm demonstration. For manufacturers getting potential customers to come along and see the self-propelled sprayers on offer all in one place could probably cut down on the numbers of one man one machine on farm demonstrations, as the customer had already narrowed down their choice.
The fifteen key sprayer manufacturers that attended this years National Self-Propelled Sprayer Demo Day were: – Househam who were demonstrating the high technology, low weight, entry level Spirit with them; Knight Farm Machinery who had the New Knight 1800 “LC” which is available with 3500 or 4000l tanks, options of the stage 4 174hp Perkins engine or the Stage 5 225hp model from the same family, also there was the larger New Knight Trailblazer II 3600 to 6000l model.
Agrifac were demonstrating the Condor IV with StrictSprayPlus and StrictHeigthPlus; Horsch had the Leeb PT 280, which has an 8000l capacity tank. McConnel introduced the Agribuggy A280, their new high performance self-propelled crop sprayer; Chafer had brought the self-propelled Interceptor; Sands Agricultural Machinery Ltd has the Horizon 5500l sprayer fitted with a 3 fold, variable geometry 36m steel boom.
Bateman Engineering were showing the Bateman RB35; Landquip had the CV self propelled fully hydrostatic machine; Chantry-Dammann were demonstrating the Dammann-trac DT2800 S4 EcoDrive 7000l, 36m model; Hardi had the Hellios III, a low ground pressure front mounted boom unit; John Deere were demonstrating the R4040i; Fendt had brought along the Rogator 655; South Cave Tractors were showing the S-TRAC and Amazone the Pantera 4502 with its 4500l tank.
