PATRIOT sprayers have been given an eye-catching makeover, marking their 25 year involvement in agriculture.
Case IH announced it has manufactured a limited number of celebratory Patriot 4430 sprayers featuring a unique silver and red paint finish, decals highlighting the anniversary, and the very latest features, including the new AIM Command FLEX advanced spray technology.
Bellata, NSW, farmer Andrew Lowien took delivery of one of the special-edition Patriots recently, saying the high tech features are already proving their worth.
“I haven’t done a lot with it yet, but it’s already living up to expectations,” Mr Lowein said. “Just the stability of the boom, and the width. I notice I’m getting more done.”
Black Mountain covers more than 2700 hectares about 25km east of Bellata, which Mr Lowein farms with brother Grant.
“One of my neighbours had a Patriot and it’s been pretty tough for them in that it’s stood up to everything they’ve thrown at it,” Mr Lowein said.
“So I took theirs for a run and liked it. I liked the boom stability and I’d researched a lot of the other features of the new system. I knew I wanted the AIM Command FLEX.”
This latest advancement in spray technology is said to help operators be more efficient without sacrificing accuracy, regardless of speed and terrain, resulting in higher potential return on investment in high dollar crop protection products. Features include the ability to adjust spray rates up to 30 per cent higher than the target rate on up to eight nozzles, with a single push of a button. In addition several levels of boom section control are available. This means the same machine has the flexibility to spray with seven boom sections, 36 sections or individual nozzle control.
Mr Lowein said he was also impressed by the comfort of the Patriot cab, and the reduction in outside noise to a minimum.
“The spaciousness of the cab is great and the lack of noise,” he said. “I’ve had another brand and it was just noisy. The constant, loud noise was getting to me after a while.”
The special edition Patriots also include many long standing features including the cab-forward, rear engine design, Michelin tyres, Raven Industries technology, and Wilger Combo-Rate nozzle bodies.
New Case IH family cab styling, 360-degree lighting package option and AIM Command FLEX (with no additional hardware needed) make it all the more attractive for those in the market for a new sprayer.
Case IH sprayer product manager – Australia and New Zealand, Alyx Selsmeyer, said when Case IH brought the first 4260 Patriots to Australia almost 20 years ago, it changed what growers thought of when it came to a self-propelled sprayer.
“Features like the cab-forward rear-engine design and near 50-50 weight distribution were as important then as they are now,” Mr Selsmeyer said.
“Combine that with industry-leading technology to improve accuracy, and it shows why the Patriot has always been a strong machine in Australia.”
CLICK HERE for more information about the special edition Case IH Patriot sprayers.