Precision Equipment or Just an Expensive Toy

[Shaggy98]

I've been wanting to put a skid sprayer on my UTV for a couple years now, but just haven't taken the time to do it.  I've got a small 16 gallon sprayer with a 10' boom and a 25' wand on one of my ATV's, but that is primarily for around the yards and spot spraying thistles in the pasture.  I was talking to the setup man at one of our local spray shops, and I can get a 60 gallon skid with a 50' wand and 15' boom for right at $650.  Here's where it gets interesting, I've got most of the equipment on hand to rig this unit up for flow control and also GPS guidance including steering.  Should I take the time to do this?  Additional out of pocket expenses would be right at $500 which mainly consists of wiring.  I will admit that it might come in handy on some test plots are just anywhere else I need to do spot spraying.  Just not sure if it is necessary.  What do you all think, anyone else have a setup that is similar?

[buckfarmer]

I'd go for the 60gallon skid for a year then see if the other stuff would help. I had a skid in my toyota. This year I'll put in dad's gator. Still have small spot sprayer on ATV for steep pastures and woods.

[Shaggy98]

Good idea buck, I might just do that. I just thought if I wanted to try a few new products having the GPS and flow control would allow me to have a small swath through a portion of my field. Some fields the 80' boom of the field sprayer would work just fine, but I've got 2 or 3 small patches that work great for my own little experiments.

[farmerguy89]

let the universities do the test plots; you pay them to do that.

I have thought about spraying some neighbours pastures w/ dicamba (dunno if your allowed to do that where you are or if you like something else.. we have strange ways both sides of the fence) before, but did not think that it required an ATV..

For what its worth, I am almost certainly the guy who does not do a lot of spot spraying.. sooo, maybe if you itch for this stuff its a good idea.

For me, I would like to keep my $1150.