pre mix/fill tanks Cancel The title field is required!

1. Ryan Sears

   

   1 posts
   
   2/27/2013 3:02 PM

   I apologize in advance, I cannot seem to come up with any search results on past conversations regarding these. I know the topic came up here not long ago It seems.
   Anyway, I am researching pre mix/fill tanks and or induction systems. Not sure how much spraying you have to do to make one of these systems make sense. What is better, a pre mix tank or induction tank? Homemade or commercially built? Price range some of you are able to build/buy one of these systems?
   Thanks

   
   
   
   
2. Matt DeVer

   

   0 posts
   
   2/28/2013 6:02 AM

   Ryan,
   
   We constructed a pre-mix tank in house with agitation. The tank hold 250 gallons, which is good if some rinsing is needed their is room in our 300 gal sprayer. A sump pump sits in the tank and is slightly elevated so can draw in the contents. The mix is constantly circulating until ready to empty into spray tank. The tank is elevated so sprayer can pull underneath it. Makes mixing and filling a smooth process. While out spraying, another individual mixes the tank, so its ready when need to fill again. If you would like any additional information let me know. Can send pictures and figure estimate on cost to construct.
   Send me an email, if like more info.
   E-mail smdever@fuse.net
   
   Matt DeVer
   The Cincinnati CC

   
   
   
   
3. Larry Allan

   

   0 posts
   
   2/28/2013 8:02 AM

   If you go to this site http://precisionturf.ca/products.php and click on Products and then click on Product series "B" you will see some designs as well as a filling meter that comes in handy. You can make the tank up in house if you want. Ag dealers usually have a variety of cone bottom tanks, just ad a pump and agitators and you are good to go
   I have a 750 gallon tank with 2X1,5 HP pumps and the filling meter. I just throw the required product in the mixer to complete all fairways and then meter out 1/3 of the mixing tank into the sprayer tank and top up with water. It speeds up the spraying time immensely. I have the 750 mix tank plumbed into the irrigation system and can fill it in about 2 minutes. The transfer to the spray tank takes about 5 minutes.
   If time is of the essence, a mixing tank is a great addition

   
   
   
   
4. Derek Haley

   

   0 posts
   
   1/31/2014 7:01 AM

   We are a 54 hole facility and needless to say spraying takes up a large portion of our time. In trying to maximize efficiency I am doing a little research on pre mix/fill tanks. On our championship course we have 35 acres of fairways. We currently spray at 60 gallons to the acre with two 300 gallon toro sprayers. Spraying fairways the way we do know takes 2 people from about 6:00 to 11:30. I would like to get this operation down to 1 person instead of 2. Here are my questions:
   
   Would we lose any efficacy cutting back to 50 gallons/Acre which would eliminate one tank refill?
   
   
   Second part is in regards to a pre mix station. We currently have a 500 gallon cone bottom tank with an agitator system and a transfer pump that we do not use. I plan on buying a hypro cleanload inductor similar to the one that comes on the toro 5800 to complete this pre mix station. Here are my questions:
   
   Is a 500 gallon tank large enough to mix 35 Acres of spray material at one time or would it be too highly concentrated to keep consistency of the spray solution?
   
   Typical fairway spray would include: Primo, Trimmit, phosphite, fungicide, sometimes fertilizer (urea and micros)
   
   Does anybody currently use this setup in this manner? Would I need a larger tank, say 1000 gallons?
   
   This system would only make sense to me if one person could come in a little early and pre mix the entire fairway spray in one 500 gallon tank and then use a calibrated hose gun to pump in 75 gallons of solution and dilute with the remaining 225 gallons in the spray rig tank.

   
   
   
   
5. Melvin Waldron

   

   43 posts
   
   1/31/2014 9:01 AM

   Derek,
   
   I will give you my 2 cents if it's worth that, but as far as gallons per acre, a lot of that will depend on your product that you're spraying. Check the labels. I do know we can get away with some fungicides at 1.5 gallons per 1000 sq. ft. or 65 gallons per acre when the label calls for 2 gallons. I do wonder if we lose some of that products efficiency and maybe that's why we get 17 instead of 21 or 10 instead of 14 days control. Of course another factor in that could be our type of nozzles as well.
   
   I don't know if I am of much help with your specific tank questions. I have had experience with just a 100 gallon mix tank, just enough to load the sprayers. We would have someone at the shop mix a load while the sprayers were out spraying. Turned a 2 man job into 3, but the down time between loads and staying in front of play probably made it worth the effort.
   
   Mel

   
   Melvin H. Waldron III, CGCS, Horton Smith Golf Course, City of Springfield/Greene County MO
   
   
6. Philip Desbrow

   

   0 posts
   
   2/2/2014 8:02 AM

   Ryan,
   
   I am currently building one right now and just about complete. I do like your idea of only mixing just the products and then adding the correct amount per tank. For me it takes (5) 300 gallon tanks to spray fairways at 1 gallon/1000 so I plan to mix up a 1500 gallon tank one time. I figured it takes us about 20-30 minutes to mix and fill each tank and if I can do all of that ahead of time I can cut about an hour plus of my total spray time. All the sprayers have to do is back up and fill then off they go, they should be done by 9:30 or 10 at the latest well ahead of play. The benefit on mixing just once is the time it takes but the most important is the reduced chances of spills and employee contact also your accuracy on adding product has now increased. One last thing, because you have already mixed everything you have reduced your spray rigs idle time and you should see a savings in fuel cost all around.

   
   
   
   
7. Derek Haley

   

   0 posts
   
   2/3/2014 6:02 AM

   Phillip,
   
   How big is your mix tank, 1500 gallons? We are currently set up with a 500 gallon tank. I am trying to figure out if mixing the entire spray for 35 acres in one 500 gallon tank would be too concentrated for our ecotronics transfer pump. We would pump in 75 gallons of the highly concentrated mix into the spray rig and dilute with 225 gallons of water. We have a 1000 gallon tank located in our fertigation pump station but would rather not switch the tow tanks if we don't have to.
   
   Derek

   
   
   
   
8. Philip Desbrow

   

   0 posts
   
   2/3/2014 2:02 PM

   Derek,
   
   My tank is 1600 gallon, the most important thing in my opinion is that it needs to be a cone bottom tank. Then you have less chance of the product settling and the pick up is at the bottom rather than plumbed in on its side such as flat bottom tank. I saw that once and let's just say the bayleton never made it out. I had to piece this together over the course of a year and if you need parts let me know. I know of a great company that happens to sell everything and is the cheapest I have ever seen. With your technique I'm sure it's been done before but it may be to heavy to pump on certain products. Check out my blog and you can see a few pictures of the setup I am working on, nothing new or innovative here.