John Deere previews new sprayer at Cereals Event

It will not be demonstrated in the Sprays & Sprayers arena, but John Deere’s new R4050i self-propelled sprayer will make its UK and Ireland show debut at Cereals 2016, next month. Previewed at last year’s Agritechnica, the R4050i features a 5,000-litre capacity spray tank and an ultra-lightweight carbon fibre boom. Scheduled to be in full production at the John Deere Horst factory in the Netherlands for the 2018 season, the R4050i will join the existing 4,000-litre R4040i in limited numbers from early 2017. Removing around 900kg from the rear, the carbon fibre boom on the larger machine is not only considerably lighter than steel or aluminium designs, but the material used in its construction is claimed to be around 5.5 times stronger. Able to flex, John Deere says this relieves the boom structure from the stress that can cause fractures in metal booms. Able to spray at widths of 18 or 36m, the new boom is designed to withstand the high dynamic loads created at high application speeds of 20 to 30kph, and the company claims the low inertia reduces the roll and yaw movement often seen in wide spray booms. The R4050i is powered by the same 6.8-litre John Deere PowerTech PSS engine as the smaller machine. Producing a maximum output of 255hp, the engine uses SCR to meet EU Stage IV emissions regulations. The sprayer chassis features dual-strut independent wheel suspension, and hydraulic track width adjustment as standard. There is also a choice of two-wheel, four-wheel or crab steering to suit different crop and field conditions. Also standard is the GreenStar 3 2630 touchscreen display, and the R4050i comes AutoTrac ready and with a free one-year JDLink Ultimate subscription. A Hydro Handle multi-functional control lever is included as part of the standard package, as is Solution Command electronic sprayer control for automatic filling, mixing, spraying and rinsing. A 50-litre PowrFill inductor ensures the safe transfer of crop protection chemicals into the main tank. Total spray pump capacity is a maximum of 560lit/min, with a flow of up to 380lit/min. B