GRASSLAND MANAGEMENT GRASSLAND MANAGEMENT EQUIPMENT AND TOOL REVIEW Equipment and Tool Review Nate Fayram and Kevin Doyle
Who we are
What we do
Where we work
In case that wasn t enough
HERBICIDE BACKPACK SPRAYERS HAND-HELD HELD SPRAYERS NALGENES ATV SPRAYERS
BACKPACK SPRAYERS BRANDS Solo vs. SP
IMPORTANT DIFFERENCES SOLO Wand attaches to handle Hoses attach directly to piston One year warranty
IMPORTANT DIFFERENCES SP 6 mouth Handle attaches to lid Rubber elbow pieces connecting hose to piston often tear More expensive than Solo 6 month warranty
SP2 Rubber Elbow
TAKE HOME NOTES In reality, neither brand is perfect. Extensive use will create problems Pick one brand and go with it. Streamlining makes maintenance easier.
PISTON vs. DIAPHRAGM Piston Made for higher pressure More wear and tear
PISTON PACK
PISTON vs. DIAPHRAGM Diaphragm Lower pressure Can withstand abrasive chemicals Better for wettable powders
DIAPHRAGM PACK
NOZZLES FLAT CONICAL SPONGE
NOZZLES Flat Useful for large monocultures like RCG or Phragmites Also good for basal barking
BASAL BARKING
NOZZLES Conical -Much better for spot spraying -Can adjust spray from tight line to wide fan -This style is much more versatile - Offered in both brass and plastic *Side note: there is a filter in tip of plastic Solo nozzles
CONICAL NOZZLE
NOZZLES Sponge Place piece of sponge or foam end of paintbrush over tip of nozzle Cover with cloth and zip tie to wand Great for herbiciding many cut stems and over-water treatments Reduces overspray Uses less herbicide
MAINTENANCE Leaking Lubing O-rings O and gaskets Lids screwed on properly Using/maintaining filters Retightening after first uses O-ring Lid Gasket Lid filter
HERBICIDE CLOTHING
OTHER OPTIONS
HAND-HELD HELD SPRAYERS
ADVANTAGES Great for stump treating small populations spread over large areas Few parts makes for easy fixing Cheap Hudsons are fairly sturdy and can withstand some abuse
OPTIONS
TAKE HOME NOTES Hand-held sprayers You get what you pay for Use backpack when covering large dense areas Can attach sponge to end of spray bottle
NALGENES + =
ATV SPRAYERS Booms Hose and Gun Wick Chiwaukee prairie
ATV SPRAYERS Boom sprayer Great for large areas of RCG, Phragmites, site prep Adjustable height Always keep wrenches on hand
ATV SPRAYERS Boomless Wider spray than boom Negotiates trees better without boom arms
ATV SPRAYERS Boom and boomless On/Off switch Vehicle is top heavy Tanks on front and back Can use as reservoir to fill off of
BOOM SPRAYER
BOOMLESS SPRAYER
FRONT AND BACK TANKS
ATV SPRAYERS Hose and Gun Sprayers Great for fairly dense patches spread out over large areas Garlic Mustard in woodlands Foliar spraying brush RCG, Phragmites Excellent/efficient alternative to backpack spraying
ATV SPRAYERS Wick Great for cattails, phragmites,, woody resprouts,, large dense patches with natives underneath Different designs ATV Tractor Backpack
Tractor Tractor mounted mounted wick wick
ATV MOUNTED WICK
HAND TOOLS Aspen Girdlers Parsnip Predators Propane Torches
HAND TOOLS Aspen Girdlers Sharpened truck springs, screw drivers etc Cheap alternative to buying
HAND TOOLS Parsnip Predators Small trench shovel with sharpened concave tip Great for cutting large stems and roots Parsnip, sweet clover, knapweed, Queen Anne s lace, thistle, Japanese hedge parsley etc. Warning: Made for slicing only. Don t t crank on it or it will snap! Designed by TPE
PREDATOR vs ALIEN
PREDATOR vs ALIEN
HAND TOOLS Propane Torches Great for Garlic Mustard rosettes, JHP, small brush Alternative to herbicide Can attach backpack straps for easy carrying Weighs about 23 lbs
TORCH AND BACKPACK
Power Tools
Brushcutters Brands: Stihl, Husky, etc String trimmers are too weak Brushcutters/clearing saws better for brush and weeds Relatively tough if used correctly Can be maintained and repaired similar to chainsaws
Attachments Brush blades vs grass & weed blades Shoulder Harness Fuel Bottles
Applications Sweet Clover Parsnip Japanese Hedge Parsley Brush
Applications Fire breaks Cut then rake
Chainsaws
Bore Cutting Technique
Sharpening and Maintenance $15 $20 $100 $400
Chain Making Equipment $100 Cost Comparison: Breaker/Spinner $100 100 Chain $240 (~66 18 chains) + $1/chain for preset/tie strap = $6/chain for first 100 ; < $5/chain after *Breaker/Spinner paid for in 25 chains if normally $10/chain (can be $10-20/chain)
Biodegradable bar and chain oil
ATV pull behind mower Works, but cannot take a lot of abuse Only in relatively flat situations with few rocks and stumps Can handle relatively dense grass and weeds, and firebreaks through grass Wide turning radius Pull start, sometimes hard to start 2 ac/hr Rough Cut $2000, DR $3000
Billy Goat walk behind mower Cannot take a lot of abuse Problems with cables ripping loose, pull start breaking, etc Cannot handle dense grass and weeds as well as DR Pull start 2/3 ac/hr ~$1500
DR walk behind mower Works well, we have not been able to break it yet Can handle dense grass and weeds as well as dense brush (small stems) Easy to maneuver and self propelled with 4 gears Electric start ~$3000 depending on size/model
Small mowers Advantages/Disadvantages All fairly loud (ear protection) and will throw rocks, wood chips etc (eye protection) DR recommended over other options Use/Applications/Techniques SC and WP when flowering Brush Fire breaks
Heavy Equipment
Weeds/Small Brush
Dense Brush
Small brush/weeds/resprouts resprouts
Timber Harvest
Equipment you already have