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”Stainless steel makes me feel safer“... (Part 3)

Average reading time approx. 7 minutes

”Stainless steel makes me feel safer“ or why a farmer opted for a plant protection sprayer with stainless steel tank

There are many different reasons why a farmer decides to buy a certain machine. In the first part of our blog series with the topic ”PE vs stainless steel in the plant protection sector: What is the best choice for my farm?” we had a look at the advantages of each tank version and in the second part we told you why a farmer from Lower Saxony went for a PE tank.

Now we will tell you why Klaus Jopp, a farmer who runs a 420 hectares farm in the north-eastern part of Hesse, bought a HORSCH Leeb sprayer with a stainless steel tank.

Klaus Jopp’s farm

Many years ago, Klaus Jopp started to work as an employee on the farm that until 6 years ago was not only an arable farm but also a pig farm. As the owner of the farm did not have a successor, Klaus Jopp took the opportunity to rent the farm. He now is living there with his wife and runs the farm with her together with an employee and an apprentice.

His current farm profile:

Wheat

22%

Rye

22%

Barley

21%

Rape

21%

Peas

10%

Sugar beets

4%

Which kind of tank for his farm?

The decision for a certain machine is influenced by many factors? Is the machine in line with my farm? How long is the service life? What are the advantages of the machine? And last but not least: How flexibly can it be adapted to my farm? Experiences from the past, of course, play an important role, too. 

For his Leeb 6 GS Jopp had listed various criteria. With his former machine that had been equipped with a GRP tank he always noticed an unpleasant, chemical odour in the inside of the tank after the machine had been cleaned. For him, this was a sign that there still were residues of the plant protection agent in the tank material. Moreover, with his previous sprayer there now and again were problems with leakages.

Advice and practical support from colleagues

He, thus, started to look for an alternative. Due to intensive discussions with colleagues Jopp came across the HORSCH stainless steel tank. The advantages of this combination soon became obvious: Due to the very fine pore spectrum of the stainless steel tank the cleaning process is carried out considerably more efficiently as less agent ingredients can adhere. Even after several years the tank is almost residue-free after cleaning. “When I tested the odour my assumption was confirmed“,Jopp said. For after cleaning you do no longer smell any odour of the plant protection agent in the tank. For Jopp this is a sign that the tank is absolutely clean and that there are no more residues. The continuous inside cleaning system combined with the stainless steel tank „makes him feel good”. Cleaning is carried out quickly and safely and it, thus, is very efficient.

Wide rotation and frequent crop changes as a challenge

Considering the wide rotation and the frequent crop changes there is a real additional benefit with regard to time saving and safety. Especially when changing from wheat with sulfonylurea-containing products to rape or sugar beets which both react very sensitively to this ingredient.

”You have to be able to rely on the cleaning“, Jopp comments. A second sprayer that would specifically only be used for these crops would be an alternative. But in Jopp’s opinion this does not make sense as the expense is in no relation to the benefit compared to a Leeb GS. For the fixed costs for another machine and also the running costs would not justify the additional costs for another plant protection sprayer. Moreover, due to the continuous cleaning system you can avoid buying a second sprayer and the costs for this system amount to only a fraction of the costs for another sprayer.

Top quality as a contractor

Another aspect resulted from the contracting tasks. Klaus Jopp is a service provider in the plant protection sector for other farmers. He can only convince his customers by an optimum quality of his work. There is almost no tolerance for errors. Moreover, the orders have to be carried out at a rather short notice. Spraying wheat in the morning and in the afternoon spraying directly into maize – a residue-free cleaning is indispensable. For the customers expect a certain flexibility and operational reliability.

The nozzle layout with 25 cm also is an important issue. Due to the little target area distance drift can be avoided effectively and efficiency can be increased significantly. In combination with the active boom control system BoomControl all requirements are met according to Jopp.

The right decision

Due to the excellent experiences of his colleagues and the good support from the HORSCH sales department the decision was quickly taken, and Klaus Jopp has never regretted his investment. Till this day Jopp is very satisfied with his machine and convinced by the stainless steel tank.

The decision which tank material is best for a farm always is a very individual one that is based on experiences. It often is not possible to make a general statement at first sight. But we hope that we were able to provide you with some insights into the various reasons of our customers.

Do you have any questions with regard to this topic or do you not yet know which kind of tank is the right one for your farm? No problem. Just contact us. We are looking forward to assisting you in this matter.

Which tank material is possible for the respective machines?

Leeb AX

PE

 

Leeb LT

PE

 

Leeb GS

 

stainless steel

Leeb TD

PE

stainless steel

PT

PE

stainless steel

VL

PE

stainless steel