Depending on where you live, you may be starting to think about preparing your sprayer and other equipment for the 2014 planting season. Before you apply your first fertilizer application, you should be sure to include these steps in your sprayer spring start up.
1. CHECK FLUID LEVELS AND TIRE PRESSURE
Check your engine oil, hydraulic oil, differential oil and planetary or dropbox oil and change as needed. Your engine requires 15w40 oil. The hydraulic and differential systems use universal hydraulic oil, and the planetary or dropbox needs 80/90 oil.
Depending on the model of tires, your air pressure will vary; however, typically we recommend 35 PSI on the front tires and 49 PSI on the rear tires for standard tires. Keeping tires at the recommended PSI will prevent excessive soil compaction in the field.
2. CYCLE THE REAR SUSPENSION
Cycling the rear suspension lubricates the cylinder rod and seal on the cylinders. It also prevents the eyelets on the cylinders from breaking when the axle pivots. To cycle your Apache Sprayer’s rear suspension, start the machine and unhook the leveling rods at the ball joints. Then, hold the switch arm up until the cylinder stops. Once completed, hold the switch down until the machine lowers all the way. Connect the rod, and the machine will go back to its normal height. Repeat on the other side.
3. GREASE THE ENTIRE MACHINE
Greasing all the components will prevent parts from wearing out too quickly. It is necessary to grease your steering components including the tie end rods on the cylinders. A lack of regular attention to this area can lead to erratic steering. Greasing the driveline will prevent premature wear on the driveshaft. When greasing the booms, include the rack lift parallel bars, boom fold pivots, sway pivots and cylinder flag pins.
4. INSPECT THE WET SYSTEM AND BOOMS
Put 100 gallons of water in the product and rinse tanks to check for leaks in the wet system. After adjusting the booms, pressurize them and inspect the hoses for any leaks. If any of your hoses are damaged, this is a good time to replace them. Install your nozzles and check them with a spray calibrator. To retighten the product tank straps, fill the tank with 250 gallons of water and tighten the straps until secured.
5. VERIFY FIELD COMPUTER CALIBRATIONS
Field computer calibrations include the boom, meter and speed calibrations. Always verify the correct controller calibration values are entered in your machine. It is important to make sure nothing has been changed in the calibrations.
Performing regular maintenance checks on your Apache Sprayer will help you prevent mechanical issues. For more information on Apache Sprayer maintenance, consult your owner’s manual or check out the Apache Maintenance section on our blog.