Trombone bucket sprayer calibration

SPRAYER CALIBRATION (Trombone bucket sprayer)

Trombone bucket sprayers have a sprayer wand made up of two pieces. The front piece slides back and forth on the other, much like the slide on a trombone. This movement creates a suction that pulls the mixture out of the bucket through a small hose clipped to the side. The opposite end of the hose is attached to the sprayer.

Trombone sprayers are useful in treating tall trees that cannot be covered by small compressed air sprayers and hose-end equipment. They are particularly useful for spraying fruit trees.

Like the siphoning device, the trombone sprayer requires a bucket; but there are some major differences. The bucket is not stationary and is carried to the job. There is no attachment to a faucet, nor is a garden hose used to deliver the product.

When using a trombone sprayer, you mix the pesticide product at the label rate, in the bucket; a ratio of 1:1 is used rather than the 16:1 ratio used for the siphoning device.

     

 

Trombone sprayers can be used to treat tall trees. Fully primed, a trombone sprayer can reach trees as tall as 20 feet.   Their range of treatment is unlimited. The sprayer is not tethered to a garden hose and does not have to be used in proximity to a water faucet.   Contamination possibilities are minimal. A garden hose is not used to deliver the product.   Trombone sprayers are easy to operate. Equipment is self-contained, portable, and relatively easy to maintain; and it requires minimal storage space.   They are easy to monitor. The level of the bucket mixture is observable while spraying

Trombone sprayers are expensive. A quality trombone sprayer costs $40–$60.   They are somewhat inconvenient. Larger jobs require the user to stop and refill the bucket several times.   They are awkward. The pesticide applicator has to lift and carry the bucket as the job progresses, and it is very heavy when full. Drift can be a factor. Movement of the spray off-target, due to a breeze or wind, can be a problem when spraying tall trees at high pressures.