Cereals 16: Mountie holds 2,200 litres

‘Right up there amongst the world’s largest mounted sprayers,’ is Hardi’s claim for its new Mega model. Though the pictured version holds ‘just’ 1,800 litres, the new offering does extend up to 2,200 litres with 12-28m booms. So, paired with an 1,800-litre front tank, Hardi is now able to supply a front/rear mounted combi with a total carrying capacity of 4,000 litres. In terms of build, the Mega is said to be completely new from the lift frame forward, as its booms are still sourced from Hardi’s existing Master range. Of the new components, arguably the stand-out feature is an intriguing semi-automatic quick-hitch system, which effectively enables the operator to start the hitching process farther away from the sprayer. This two-stage procedure gives him an extra 40cm of standing space in which to couple all the necessary pipes and cables between tractor and sprayer before he then climbs back in the cab and reverses back to fully lock the hitch in place.  Also new is that the Mega’s lower link mounting points benefit from rubber cushion suspension, while rather more familiar will be the Dynamic Fluid 4 fluid control system inherited from Hardi’s Commander range of trailed sprayers. First deliveries of the Mega mounted machines are expected to take place this autumn.