Take care of your sprayer now, and it will be ready to go next spring.

Timely application during those tight spray windows every year is a big reason to own your own spray equipment, and once it’s time to go next spring you want your sprayer to be ready to go. Before you tuck your piece of equipment away for the winter, some maintenance will serve you well. We suggest to not delay winterizing your sprayer in order to avoid potentially high costs and frustration about time consuming repairs next spring. The right maintenance now will protect your sprayer from damage caused by the freezing temperatures during late fall and winter to help improve its longevity and resale value.

Here are our tips and recommendations for long-term storage of your sprayer:

• Clean and wash the entire sprayer to remove dirt, debris, oil, grease, chemicals and fertilizer. Once tanks have been cleaned, nozzles, screens and filters should be removed and cleaned separately in a bucket containing water and the recommended cleaning agent.
• Always remember to read the product specimen label for the last product or chemical used and adhere to personal protective equipment requirements when cleaning.
• Touch up any chips, scratches and rusted areas with the appropriate protective paint to reduce corrosion.
• Lubricate exposed areas, such as hydraulic cylinder rods, to minimize corrosion.
• Fill the fuel tank and add a conditioner. The conditioner will stabilize the fuel for extended storage periods, and a full tank minimizes condensation. Also, drain the Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF) tank, if applicable.
• Change engine oil and other lubricants. Follow the operator’s manual guidelines for appropriate fluid and filter changes.
• Clean the product system flow meter.
• Remove spray tips and nozzle bodies from the nozzle body assemblies and store separately. Maintaining the sprayer’s nozzle is imperative to achieving the best spray performance, and the cost to do so is nominal compared with the cost of chemical used. Spray nozzle tips can wear over time, with dry chemicals in suspension causing higher rates of wear than liquid chemicals. That’s why it’s important to check the nozzle flow rates, look for potential problems and confirm the accuracy of the sprayer. After you have rinsed and cleaned your sprayer, look for mismatched and worn nozzles and damaged nozzle screens. Replace nozzles if needed and make sure to remove nozzle tips and nozzle bodies from the nozzle body assemblies. Check spray tips for wear and replace as necessary.
• Winterize the product system plumbing. Thoroughly flush the entire system, including fence row nozzles and foam marker systems, if equipped. Run Young’s Equipment Sprayer Antifreeze through the system (1 litre per foot boom length) to eliminate the possibility of freezing. Do not use liquid fertilizer, which can cause corrosion.
• Charge batteries and then remove and store them in a safe area.
• Remove rate controllers and electronic displays. Cold weather storage can cause issues with display screens.
• Properly inflate tires and check on them occasionally through the winter. A tire left flat for an extended period can be ruined.

If you need parts, fluids or filters to get this important task done, give your local Young’s Equipment branch a call. We stock everything to get you going.

If you prefer to leave these essential tasks to the experts, now is the right time to do it! Winterization is a vital part of the Young’s Equipment Winter Inspections program.

No matter how you choose to approach sprayer winterization, it’s important that you do it before bone-chilling temperatures settle in. Remember: If you take care of your application equipment, it will help you take care of your crops season after season.