How To Maintain Your Spray Rig For Your Farm

When you own a farm with crops, many pieces of equipment are going to be necessary to keep your farm running well. Your spray rig is essential for maintaining the health of your crops. They are expensive pieces of equipment. To keep your investment working properly, there are ways to ensure your spray rig is maintained. Everyone is aware of the fact that taking care of your farm equipment means it will last longer and work more efficiently. When performing QLD Farm Work, this is an important part of the job.

It can seem like a daunting task to keep your sprayer rig maintained. It can be difficult to accomplish if you don’t have the right tools for the job. Below is some information on routine checks to perform and best practices for keeping your spray rig in working condition for your farm.

What To Do Before Initial Use

• Visual Inspection

When you first buy a spray rig, it needs to be thoroughly inspected before using it the first time. Start with a visual inspection to ensure there are no obvious signs of damage or cracks.

1. Check Filters- Remove all filters by unscrewing the screws. Clean out any dust or particles that might have been built up since its last use. If you have a new spray rig, you can skip this step.
2. Check Hoses- One of the most important places to check is the hoses of your spray rig. Check the connections and the fittings for each. Inspect closely for any slits or small cuts that may have occurred during the shipment or unloading of the equipment.
3. Look Inside Tank- Remove the lid to the tank and look inside. Check for packages, insects, dust, debris or anything else that should not be in it.

• Gas Engine Inspection

1. Oil Level- If your spray rig is driven using a gas engine, you will need to check its oil level each time before using it. This is the same as with all gas engines. No matter what type of engine your rig has, you should follow the owner’s manual that came with it. It will describe the process of checking the oil levels accurately.

To ensure your inspection was completed properly and there are no issues with your spray rig, run some clean water through the unit to test how it works. While using it, check for any leaks.

Sprayer Maintenance To Perform Before and After Use

Each time you plan to use your spray rig on your farm, there are some steps to take both before and after you are done. Performing these steps will help reduce the chance of an unexpected breakdown. Be sure there are no leftover chemicals in the plumbing lines or tank before adding other mixtures. This will ensure no chemicals are mixed that cannot be.

Before Using Sprayer Each Time

1. Visual Inspection- Check all hoses for leaks. Check the fittings to make sure they have not become loose from the last use. Vibration during use can cause fittings to get loose while spraying.
2. Inspect Filters- Each day you plan to spray, clean out the filters and make sure they do not get clogged. Your equipment will not work properly if the filters get clogged.

After Using Your Spray Rig

1. Cleaning- Clean the inside of the spray rig tank. Begin by emptying any leftover contents. Fill the tank up with clean water and run it through the system. For best results, do this process twice.
2. Flushing- To ensure no chemicals are left in the tank and combined with the next additives, flush the system’s spray lines and pumps. If chemicals are mixed, it could cause dangerous results.

If you know for sure you are using the same chemicals in the tank the next day, you may not need to clean the tank out after use. Keep in mind, however, that certain chemicals can only be stored for certain amounts of time. Refer to the chemical’s container for specific storing information.

Follow each of these tips often to make sure your spray rig lasts a long time. Keeping up with maintenance will mean fewer breakdowns and broken parts to replace on your spray rig.