SPRAYER REVIEWS
1
midas touch Goldacres had just launched the G3 and G4 series of compact selfpropelled sprayers in 2014. Matt Wood went for a drive in the new entry-level machine
Goldacres G series self-propelled sprayers Engine
4.5-litre Cummins QSB
Power/ torque
165hp (121.4kW) @ 2,300rpm/ 459ft-lb @1,500rpm
Trans.
Allison 2500 5-speed
Main tank cap
G3 – 3,000 litres; G4 – 4,000 litres
Wheel track Fixed or adjustable from 2m to 3m Booms
18-36m options available Delta Plus and TriTech options
Transport width
3,500mm
The use of this driveline also makes it possible to spray at a very low 1,700rpm.
B
allarat-based spray equipment manufacturer Goldacres has developed a flexible range of self-propelled units to cater for holdings both big and small. The latest cabs off the Goldacres rank are the G3 and G4 machines. As you may have guessed, the G3 is a 3,000-litre unit while the G4 is a 4,000-litre unit. While the larger Crop Cruiser range is making inroads as an efficient, broadacre machine, the smaller machines are targeted at holdings of 5,000 acres (2,023ha) or less. The G series is also priced to compete with the purchase cost of a spray dedicated tractor and trailing spray unit. While it’s fair to say many farmers will most likely have an old 150hp (110.3kW) or less tractor somewhere, the reality is most of us get sick of the taste of Aerostart on a cold morning as we try to breathe some life into an old banger.
SIMPLE PHILOSOPHY The G series machines continue with the Goldacres philosophy of a simple mechanical driveline. Power is provided by a 165hp (121.4kW) Cummins QSB engine and is transmitted to the drive wheels via an Allison 2500 series automatic transmission. Also in keeping with the rest of the Goldacres range the power from the tranny gets to the ground through the company’s mechanical chain-driven wheel units. These units effectively become a drive leg forming a mechanical connection between the JCB diff and the drive wheels themselves. The sprockets run a 1:1 ratio to make, meaning that what happens at the top happens at the same speed as what happens down the bottom. This differs markedly from competing machines using hydrostatic transmission and hydraulic wheel motors for propulsion. The reasoning behind this type of mechanical propulsion is to maximise fuel efficiency and reduce weight. Goldacres also claims a mechanical drive is much cheaper and easier to maintain over the long term. It becomes a total cost of ownership proposition.
HIGH SPEED-LOW REVS The use of this driveline also makes it possible to spray at a very low 1,700rpm, again reinforcing the Goldacres fuel economy position. While the Allison auto transmission does use a torque converter to get the machine moving, like many autos used these days it mechanically locks up once out of first gear, meaning there’s no driveline power loss through the torque converter while working. Fuel economy figures from Goldacres after field testing has seen these machines return fuel usage of between 7 and 9L/h. Another factor at play would be the light tare weight of the machine; the base model G3 equipped with a 24m Delta Plus boom tips the scales with a dry weight of under 8,000kg, while the G4 flagship equipped with a 36m Tritech comes in under 9,500kg. This also gives the green machine an enviable power-to- weight ratio and conspires to deliver a very delicate footprint indeed.
CLOSER SQUIZ Goldacres launched the range with a dealer drive day near the company’s Ballarat headquarters and it proves a good opportunity for me to have a closer squiz at the new units. At first blush the new G machines don’t appear to be that much smaller than the towering flagship Cropcuiser. But a closer look does reveal the more diminutive size of the new units. The cost of the base G3 machines comes in at around $270,000 depending on specifications, while the higher-spec G4 will set you back in the vicinity of $340,000 again depending on specs. (Ed’s Note: 2014 prices.) The G series use disc brakes to bring things to a stop; these are mounted inboard on the drive axle of the G3 while the 4 gets disc stoppers all round. Wheel track width can be manually adjustable from 2m to 3m, or a range of fixed width options can be specced.
ITALIAN STYLE The G series uses cabs sourced from Italian manufacturer Turino and like larger machines in the Goldacres stable feature climate
Looking for a sprayer? Search for ‘sprayer’ on TradeFarmMachinery.com.au or type the TA or DIY code shown here into the keyword search field
52 TradeFarmMachinery.com.au
FFM2103_395 editorial.indd 52
$308,000
TA1058210
2014 GOLDACRES CROP CRUISER. 225hp Cummins eng 3218hrs. • NSW 02 8315 0204
$319,000
TA996696
2015 GOLDACRES G4. CROP CRUISER SPRAYER. Self-prop, 1555hrs. • QLD 0428 054 644
$35,200
TA1035303
2004 GOLDACRES PRAIRIE 4024. 4000L tank, 24m Delta boom, trailed. • SA 08 7007 6816
THE TRACTOR YOU WANT IS NOW EASIER TO FIND
11/02/2021 5:09:13 PM
