Accurate Turf Spraying Saves Dollars

This is the second in a series of monthly blogs that we trust will help you gain more confidence when selling Smithco products. This second blog concentrates on the benefits of GPS on turf spraying and how Smithco’s Star Command control technology is the best in the business.

Today, technological advances keep on coming, and in our particular turf care sector, it’s patently true. Golf course superintendents are always on the lookout for new products and equipment that can help them improve playing conditions and conserve resources and that’s where we, at Smithco, can help.

GPS-guided turf sprayers have been around for some time now, but Smithco turf sprayers have always been at the forefront. Not only does a GPS-guided sprayer improve the quality of applications, it also helps to save money over the longer term. While the initial investment of GPS-guided turf spraying can be significant, superintendents will usually see a return over a three- to five-year timeframe, through savings in products and labor.

GPS-guided turf sprayers are a significant development because they greatly reduce the risk of human error during spray applications. Even the most skilled sprayer techs can miss an area or inadvertently overlap their coverage. These mistakes waste product and time and have the potential to cause serious turf problems. Smithco's lineup of GPS-guided turf sprayers eliminate these issues because each individual nozzle is controlled by a computer that confines applications to desired areas and prevents overlaps or under-spraying.

Our technology allows areas to be mapped by driving around a perimeter or during the actual spraying process. Once an application is entered into the system it can be repeated with great precision, making it possible to perform all applications with more accuracy and efficiency. Using GPS technology also allows an operator to stop and resume an application in exactly the same spot. It also keeps track of how much product is needed to complete an application, helping to save time and reduce waste.

When it comes to accuracy, precision, and productivity in any turf spraying application, Smithco sprayers are simply the best in the business. They deliver maximum capacity spray applications; saving time and money on the course and fewer trips back and forth to the maintenance facility means more work gets done in less time.

This is a result of our long-term partnership with TeeJet Technologies and their DynaJet pulse-width modulation advanced rate control and dual nozzle system. This provides the ultimate control over spraying speed, pressure and droplet size. Spraying is consistent across any area regardless of terrain, shape or sizing of the surface area.

We incorporate these control options into two specific systems which we have designated Star Command 1 and Star Command 2.

Star Command 1 features TeeJet Radion Rate Controller. Radion with DynaJet Pulse Width Modulation controls sections of the boom and allows automatic tip control with independent control of application rate, ground speed and pressure.

Star Command 2 with TeeJet’s Matrix 908 provides consistently less than 2-inch corrections, turn compensation, individual nozzle control and features industry-leading 10-inch nozzle spacing, offering a 100% greater accuracy than our competitors.

Both systems feature drift control, which allows the spray tech to select the droplet size on the fly. 

Droplet sizes range from fine, medium, course, and very course and can differ between applications. If required, a larger droplet size can be specified to control the drift and still maintain the correct rate.

Spray Star Turf Spraying Takeaways

• Precision and consistency - apply products to exact areas with fewer operator errors and less wasted product

• Individual nozzle control - only spray inside designated boundaries, without wasting chemicals on non-targeted area

• Increased pass-to-pass accuracy - saves time spent spraying

• Control drift – select larger droplet size, but maintain the correct application rate

• Environmental benefits - reduced usage of chemicals on environment.

• Electronically capture/analyze spray data - date, time, temperature, rates, chemicals and geolocation of applications

• Value proposition - Labor savings, reduced cost of inputs, automated steering, electronic documentation and ease of use 

• Peace of mind - GPS-enabled spraying unit ensures the same consistent coverage regardless of the operator’s skill level.