Huge self-propelled sprayers can cover lots of ground in a hurry, but many no-tillers are finding a useful and productive niche on their farms for smaller sprayers.

Pull-type and ATV sprayers are showing up on more small- to medium-sized farms, as well as in large no-till operations where they’re used to complement large sprayers or custom application.

Whether it’s burning down cover crops, accessing wet ground or staying on top of invasive weed threats, no-tillers and strip-tillers are using small sprayers to address a myriad of application needs.

And with AGCO’s decision to cease production of the storied SpraCoupe small self-propelled sprayer (parts will still be made), the role of small sprayers still being manufactured could see some expansion as well.

Large-acreage farmers with big sprayers at their disposal especially are finding the small units come in very handy.

“A large percentage of our customers have large, self-propelled sprayers,” says Jeff Mick of JM Innovations of Edwardsville, Ill., which specializes in ATV sprayers. “They’re finding that there’s a place for small sprayers in all operations.

“It seems like the bigger sprayers get, the more small sprayers we sell. There is no silver bullet out there — no one sprayer is the best choice for every spraying job.”

Light Weight, Low Cost

Near Dana, Ind., strip-tiller Josh Bishop recently purchased a JM ATV Mini Floater sprayer with a 200-gallon tank and 60-foot-wide self-leveling booms.

For most spraying jobs, he relies on saddle tanks and 60-foot, 3-point booms mounted on a John…