New Player for 1000-gallon Sprayer Market
Hagie, a 60-plus-year-old sprayer maker offers a new take on just what a sprayer should look like.
Willie Vogt 
Published: Sep 8, 2010
Self-propelled sprayers are pretty standard machines. They all include a cab, tank and engine, along with a boom. The changes and innovations come in where that boom is mounted or how the engine is placed.
The folks at Hagie Manufacturing, are turning up heat on the competition for the 1000-gallon sprayer market with the new STX10 sprayer. This is a front-boom (a Hagie trademark) design sprayer that looks like nothing else in the company's line. "We're taking a new approach with this sprayer," says Jim Williams, Hagie.
Alan Hagie, the third-generation head of the company, says it is "easy to see" the innovation in the new design. He notes, however, that the company has long been known as an innovator in the self-propelled sprayer business.
"We have a culture of innovation," he notes. "There's a new thrust of innovation you can see with the STX10 sprayer."
No doubt, the new STX10 sprayer from Hagie brings a different look to the market, from it's "shrouded" design to enhanced new features, the 1000-gallon sprayer market just got even more competitive. Williams notes that with the launch of the STS line a decade ago, the company set itself apart in the front-boom sprayer market. And the STX takes that to the next level.
First, he explains that the new front-boom design uses a c-channel approach where fluid and hydraulic lines rest. They're protected, and the boom gets a cleaner look too. "That boom is also lighter and stronger too," he says.
Second, Hagie built its own cab for the sprayer rather than purchase an existing cab from another manufacturer. This allows them to create their own operating environment and offer users higher comfort, safety and visibility. The high-back operator seat is a comfortable place to work as well.
Quick access to connections is easy with the flip of a switch. These connectors drop down on a single panel for easy access. And they raise back into the machine with the touch of a button too. That cab also includes active filtration that keeps cab air cleaner for the operator, which is important when applying crop protection products.
Third, the machine features independent air-ride suspension with 8-inches of travel and the ride can be adjusted so it runs as smooth empty as when the tank is full.
Power comes from a Cummins QSB Tier 3 diesel featuring 240 horsepower.
The sprayer is also designed to be lighter to help ward off compaction worries. The c-channel frame is ridge and lighter than a box steel frame. That c-channel, just like in the boom, also helps with routing hydraulic and fluid lines on the machine.
The sprayer is also well balanced, for top operation. The design has the weight split at 48% front and 52% rear. This means a balanced ride whether the 1000-gallon tank is empty or full.
The STX10 has 60-inches of clearance, which allows it to handle most late-season sprayer challenges a grower might have. That's important as farmers try maintain control of the accuracy and timing of crop protection products for best results.
But perhaps the biggest change is that styling, which features sculpted panels that cover the tank and engine. "Those panels provide air flow to the engine for better operation," Williams explains. "And this machine will be affordable. We will price it competitively in this machine class."
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Tagged: crop protection products, sprayers
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