John Deere has launched its next generation of self-propelled sprayers, manufactured at the company’s Horst factory in The Netherlands. With the new R4140i 4000-litre capacity and R4150i 5000-litre capacity machines, engineers have further increased performance, precision, safety and operator comfort.
The focus of these latest developments has been on improving sprayer output while ensuring that the highest possible application quality is maintained and also delivering an improved operator environment. The premium design cab offers a new generation operator interface with fully integrated technology, such as the John Deere universal 4640 display mounted on a new armrest.
JDLink telematics for wirelessly transferring data both to and from the sprayer is available as standard, including free activation for five years. An upgraded lighting package improves visibility at night, both when working in the field and filling the sprayer with chemicals, to ensure maximum productivity in all conditions. The new cab is available at two specification levels depending on customer requirements, as well as with optional Category 4 operator protection to meet the latest safety regulations.
Both models are available with steel booms from 24 to 36m wide, and continue to use John Deere’s leading PowrSpray solution system, with direct rate control for fast filling and highly accurate application rates. Combined with the innovative, automated AirRinse system, this reduces the solution system’s dead volume to as low as 5 litres for maximum cleaning performance.
To ensure that nozzles are no longer a limiting factor for efficient spraying, ExactApply is now available as an option on the new R4140i and R4150i. Already available for two years on US machines, ExactApply is an ‘intelligent’ solution that combines the ability to change spray nozzles manually from the cab or automatically depending on application rate and speed. It can also maintain droplet size while changing speed through the use of pulse width modulation (PWM) technology up to 30Hz.
With ExactApply, each nozzle is controlled individually via GPS based section control. Furthermore, with PWM enabled, turn compensation ensures that application rates remain consistent across the full boom width even when turning the sprayer. ExactApply technology enables savings in crop protection products of around £5/ha, while at the same time yield can be increased by up to three per cent by reducing under/overdosing to a minimum.
To reduce non-productive time on the road, the sprayers also feature a new 50kph transmission option. Production of the John Deere R4140i and R4150i self-propelled sprayers starts in October 2019, with availability from dealers planned for early 2020.
