Dairy farmer maximises efficiency while reducing costs with his Hustler Applic8r boom sprayer

New Zealand farmer Garth Pickford runs a 192-hectare dairy farm. He highly recommends Hustler Equipment for their high-quality agricultural tools and machinery, including Softhands bale handlers, Swifthitch quick hitch, and bale feeders, all of which he uses in his farming operation and for contracting services. Garth recently added the Applic8r LX1150 boom sprayer with an 1150-litre front tank to his collection and is thrilled with the performance of the unit. Watch this video to discover what sets Hustler apart from the rest.

Garth Pickford is a dairy farmer in New Zealand who manages a 192-hectare farm. 

Garth’s farming operation is based in the Rangitikei District. He milks about 200 cows on a 192-hectare land where he also rears all the offspring.

The Rangitikei District is located in the lower North Island of New Zealand and is known for its fertile soils, diverse farming activities, and stunning landscapes. The district’s primary agricultural activities include sheep and beef farming, dairy farming, horticulture, and cropping. The region is also increasingly embracing sustainable and regenerative farming practices.

Garth also offers contracting services, including spraying. 

“We’re more than happy with what we’ve purchased”

Recently, he purchased the Applic8r LX1150 boom sprayer with an additionnal 1150 litre front tank – virtually doubling the capacity of the spraying unit – and he couldn’t be happier. “We had an old Hardi sprayer that wasn’t doing the job properly,” Garth said. “We did our research, we tried three different companies. Hustler came out best offer and contacted our local dealer who is Mech Agriculture in Palmerston North Region, and we’re more than happy with what we’ve purchased.”

“Brilliant gear, build quality is awesome, very reliable”

The front Applic8r LX1150 tank is designed to help farmers cover more ground in less time. “Why I purchase front tank, so that we’re not filling up regularly all the time,” Garth continued. “We can do 15 hectares in one trip, as opposed to doing 8 hectares with the one tank.”

Garth chose to add to his spraying unit the optional 20L ErgoMax™ induction hopper and pre-mixing system that allows the operator to pre-mix powders, chemical, or fertiliser before it goes to the main tank – all filled up from waist height for extra convenience. Designed with a smart sluice feature and container rinse nozzle to simplify clean-up and is fully sealed to prevent dust entering the hopper during transport and contaminating your spray.

Garth was particularly impressed with the seamless integration with the ISOBUS system and section control. “With the section control on, we could do 15 hectares. There was a 30% saving, and it quickly paid for itself by buying the section control.”

“With the section control on, there was a 30% saving, and it quickly paid for itself”

ISOBUS is a standardised communication protocol used in agricultural equipment that enables different devices to communicate and work together seamlessly. Section control is a precision agriculture technology that allows for the automatic control of individual sections of a boom sprayer, turning on and off the spray nozzles on each section as needed to ensure even application and reduce waste.

When used together, ISOBUS and section control offer several benefits for boom spraying units:

1. Precision

   Section control technology helps ensure that chemicals are applied only where needed, reducing overspray and improving accuracy.

2. Efficiency

   By turning off individual sections of the boom sprayer as needed, section control reduces the amount of overlap and waste, improving efficiency and reducing input costs.

3. User-friendly

   ISOBUS technology simplifies the operation of boom sprayers, allowing for control and monitoring of multiple functions using a single terminal, improving ease of use and reducing operator error.

4. Data management

   ISOBUS technology allows for automatic data collection and transfer, improving record-keeping and analysis, as well as aiding in compliance with regulations.

In terms of build quality and reliability, Garth had nothing but praise for Hustler equipment. “Brilliant gear, build quality is awesome, very reliable. All the welds and everything are very well done and made out of good quality steel,” Garth said.

“I would recommend to anyone”

He also noted that Hustler is always innovative and willing to listen to feedback from farmers. “They’re always talking to farmers, finding out what sort of things they want.” Overall, Garth highly recommends Hustler equipment to other farmers. “Hustler equipment I would recommend to anyone,” he concluded.

All in all, the Hustler linkage boom sprayer range Applic8r – with the industry’s best warranty, unique best-in-class agitation and mixing, toughest design on the market, user-friendly low profile – is simply one of the best compact mounted boom sprayers on the market today.

Customise your Applic8r online and contact us today, you’ll be glad you did!