Mike Strand joins Episode 145 to discuss model year ’22 Hagie
sprayer updates.
John Deere has streamlined their Hagie model lineup and will
offer the STS 12, STS 16, and STS 20. The number correlates to the size of the
solution tank (1200, 1600, and 2000-gallon tanks.
Tune in to learn more about these sprayer models and when
they’ll be available for those interested.
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This episode's full transcript:
Tony Kramer: Hi, I'm Tony Kramer with RDO Equipment Company. Thanks for tuning in to another episode of the Agriculture Technology Podcast.
This is episode number 145 and today we are going to be talking about the model year 2022 Hagie sprayer updates.
I'm excited to welcome Mike Strand who is a corporate business account manager with RDO Equipment. Thanks for joining us on the show today, Mike to get started. I'd like to hear a little bit more about you and your background and how you got involved in the industry.
Mike Strand: Hey, good morning Tony. Originally I grew up in Minot, North Dakota, raised on a small grain farm. Graduated at NDSU in 2006. Went through the Ag Systems Management and ag business program there. I've been with RDO for about 15 years. I started working for RDO right out of college. I've been in the parks department as an account manager until 2009, then I moved into service. Recently I moved into the corporate business account manager position.
Tony: Yes, you've been with RDO awhile and sat in a couple different chairs, part, service, sales, all over in this corporate business account manager brings you back into the sales world which is exactly why I wanted to have you on the show today to talk a little bit about these model year 2022 Hagie update. Diving right into it, Mike, the first thing I noticed is John Deere restructured their Hagie model lineup, they kind of slimmed it down a little bit, what models are now being offered come model year 2022?
Mike: We got three models at offer, its STS 12, STS 16, and the STS 20. The number correlates to the size of the solution tank 1200, 1600, and 2,000-gallon tanks. All models all the same basically standard options on them. They all have 74 inches, a clearance ground an underframe clearance, they all come standard with the All-Wheel steer and they are all very well-balanced machines whether the machine has a full solution tank or an empty one and anywhere in between. The other thing that they all three come with is the John Deere nine-liter engine, coupled together with the command drive system.
Tony: Let's talk a little bit about the weight distribution. It's not necessarily new, they've offered this for a couple years now but Hagie a couple of years back came out with their kind of revolutionary hybrid boom. Tell us a little bit about this hybrid boom and what makes it so great?
Mike: The hybrid boom comes out as half aluminum, half steel. The inner 60 feet of that boom are steel, the outer wings are aluminum. They offer four different boom sizes, it's 90, 100, 120, and 132 foot. On the 132 foot boom, the first 70 feet is steel, and the rest of it is aluminum. The boom itself very lightweight helps with the balance and the weight distribution on the machine and that's a huge factor in it. The transport visibility and the new cab design has made this sprayer an excellent option. One of the other big changes they made on this machine is they moved the suspension airbags inside the wheel dish instead of on the top, and what that does is that it gives you over the rail visibility for when you're going down the road, side roads, just overall good visibility everywhere.
Tony: I know from sitting in different Hagie's over the years when John Deere first acquired the Hagie line, the older Hagie machines, I will say coming from my seat on the bus used to a rear boom machine and not having to look through the boom, this new hybrid boom is definitely awesome when it comes to visibility, transport visibility down the road and then you mentioned the suspension system, the airbags taking that from up above up by the cab going down below into the wheel dish. These new model year 2022 sprayers are going to have even greater visibility than what some of the older ones have. Now with that, Mike, I want to jump into some of the new stuff, the exciting new technology that's being added to the Hagie's.
I know a lot of people have been asking for this for quite a while. We can confidently tell you that here model year 2022, you are going to see a lot of the technology, a lot of the integration that everyone has been asking for. Starting out let's just talk about the integrated John Deere technology that they've added.
Mike: Yes, since the Hagie came out with these SDS sprayers, John Deere has redesigned and integrated all the John Deere technology that comes in a normal John Deere sprayer, they come up with a new cab with the integrated Gen four command arm right in there. Along with that is the integrated Starfire 6000 receiver on the roof. With the gen four, you basically have all the same application packages as a John Deere sprayer, which includes auto-track vision, row sense, section control, anything that you need to get your product to the ground most efficiently is available for these.
Tony: I know one thing, seeing the pictures when you look at them, it's going to be very similar to sitting in one of the John Deere R series sprayers, the new 600 and 400 series sprayers having that Gen four command arm right there. Taking a step back along with that John Deere technology, something that was added to the John Deere line of sprayers last year, I believe and now they've added it to the Hagie line and you mentioned it back when we were talking models, but the command drive system. Tell us a little bit about the command drive system and why that's so awesome on a sprayer?
Mike: The command drive system is basically the propulsion system. It acts a lot like an IVT it basically is an IVT. What it does is instead of a sprayer that normally operates at say 2200 RPM going down the field, this will lower the engine RPMs say from 2200 down to 1600, 1700 when you're in the field.
That's huge on fuel savings on a comparable model you're looking at roughly about 20% fuel savings just by using it. The other thing and it's not new, new but real-time traction control. What that does, it diverts the oil to the non-slipping wheels so you get into heavy mud, loose ground hills, whatever it is, the system is going to automatically take care of it for you. There's no inputs needed at the time of using the sprayer. With that there is two presets for that and then there is also a custom setting if you choose to go in and if an operator decides to tweak the system himself. Couple one other thing, the programmable speed ranges with that transmission. You can rapidly change from your spray speeds to your turn speeds with just the click of a button on the back of the control handle on the cab.
Tony: That's pretty awesome and like I said they came out with it I believe it was last year in the John Deere lineup of sprayers and I know a lot of people have really loved it. Like you said, it's almost like an IVT. The engine just does what it needs to do it increases or decreases RPMs as it feels necessary. I know one of the things when it comes to transport, the sprayer's not screaming at 2200 RPM as you're going down the road, it actually backs way down, super quiet, very efficient. That is really awesome. Just bringing that John Deere technology into the Hagie lineup. Now another thing they came out with this year, or they're coming out with this year in the model year '22 sprayers is the power spray solution control system, what is the power spray solution control system?
Mike: Power Spray, there's a couple of key features to it here. The biggest one is the predictive pump control. What that does is, that anticipates changes in flow to maintain your target rate. It basically uses a look ahead, especially using prescriptions, straight rates, and whatnot. It just sees what's coming up. It takes that into account, figures out what it's going to need to do, and gets your product down. It also has an electronic solution tank level indicator. What that does is it gives you real-time feedback on where your solution tank is at. Also, it has fast and accurate loading with an optional dedicated pull-on pump, and up to two different fill locations are available. One is on the front, and then the other one is mounted to the sidestep. The last option is an Eductor on this for this system. If you don't have a mixed cone in a trailer, and you need to load in the field and all you have is water. It acts just like a normal Eductor, you mix your chemical, pull it into the tank, and fill your tank and away you go.
Tony: I know a lot of guys are really going to like that power spray system on there, the predictive pump control itself, you get into any sort of rolling terrain hills or anything like that, where your speeds may vary just a little bit, that predictive pump control is definitely going to come into effect when you're trying to keep a very consistent rate to get that product down. Now the last thing I want to talk about Mike and a lot of people have been asking for this, I'm really excited to tell people that we now have it that is now an option for order but the 2022 Hagie can now be ordered with ExactApply.
Mike: Correct. ExactApply compatibility is a huge thing for this sprayer, before it was just on the John Deere model sprayers. Now they've opened it up, decided to put it on there. That takes along with the gen four display in the cab. All the updates that John Deere has put on this sprayer has made it a heck of a machine. A couple of the big things, it does work at the 15 hertz and the 30 hertz, PWM. The other big thing is the turn compensation if you're not familiar with turn compensation, as you're making your turns and your outer boom is going faster and your inner boom is going slower, it accounts for that. It keeps you from underapplying on one side and overapplying on the other. Again that was that's been available with the ExactApply on the John Deere's previous but again, they've added that.
The third thing on the ExactApply is you have individual nozzle control across the boom. Instead of having larger sections. This is shutting off individual nozzles. You have very, very little overlap when it comes to end rows, triangle, point rows, anything like that. As the boom crosses into a already sprayed coverage map, each nozzle itself individually turns off.
Tony: Yes, I know a lot of guys have really enjoyed their ExactApply sprayers from the John Deere lineup and now to bring that over to the Hagie portfolio. It's a huge thing, a lot of the Hagie lovers have been asking for this. It's an exciting time for the Hagie sprayers. Now let's talk availability Mike, I know a lot of this stuff is the model year 22 sprayers what is availability look like for these features and options?
Mike: Basically the availability, new pricing comes out here June 21. All the prices are going to be out, all the features are going to be out everything's going to be available. It is going to be considered a model year 2022 for these particular updates and these particular sprayers. November 1 would be the earliest delivery date for these machines.
Tony: Yes, and actually right now, beginning of June here, I believe, early order programs should be open now. If you're interested in these sprayers, I would definitely get on top of it and get something ordered up. Now, that being said, Mike, if someone would like to learn more about the model year 2022 Hagie lineup, where can they go? Who can they talk to?
Mike: A couple of options you have there, talk to an RDO account manager or product specialist. Everybody is informed on these very well versed in any questions that you have, we can get answered another option go to rdoequipment.com right in the search box, type in Hagie a whole list of features and information comes up there. Also if you visit deere.com do the same thing search Hagie. John Deere is fully engulfed in these Hagies. All the information is out there that you need. If you have any questions on it, feel free to reach out to anybody at RDO and we'll get your answers.
Tony: Yes, absolutely. Like I said, Here June 2nd, 2021 early order program is now open, pricing should all be available. Get in, get your question answered. Thank you very much for sitting down with me, Mike, taking the time to talk about these new model year 2022 Hagie Sprayers and get out there and happy selling.
Mike: Thanks for having me.
Tony: Thanks again for tuning in to another episode. If you have questions about the technology and products discussed or have ideas about future episodes, please leave them in the comments below. You can also subscribe to RDO's YouTube channel and be in the know about each episode or tune in on any streaming service. Thanks again for listening.
