John Deere does not usually do something without putting a great deal of thought into it first, so its purchase of Mazzotti sprayers in 2017 indicated that the company considered the brand to have a future, despite the pressure for farmers to spray less chemicals.

That was six years ago and up until now farmers in Ireland have not had the opportunity to purchase them over here, but that has now changed and the wholly owned brand can now be bought here with a full dealership backup.

Already working in the field

The machines are being imported by Templetuohy Farm Machinery which is already Ireland’s largest John Deere dealer, and Niall Flynn, whose family farms just to the north of Swords in Co. Dublin, has been appointed specialist sales manager.

John Deere sprayer
The Mazzotti sprayer is already hard at work and fits in well with the predominantly John Deere tractor fleet on the farm

There are two good reasons for Niall being asked to take on the role; the first is that he already has extensive experience in working within the John Deere dealership environment, both as mechanic and salesman; while the second is that the Flynn farming enterprise has actually bought a Mazzotti 4080 for its own use.

Niall is keen to point out that the purchase came before the appointment. It was only when the deal was done that he was approached by TFM to work for the company selling the product.

Little to large

The 4080 is the second Mazzotti to arrive in Ireland. The first, a MAF 3180, was purchased as a demo model by TFM and has already made its public debut, first being seen at the Agri-Care precision farming event earlier this year and then at the TFM open day in April.

Mazzotti sprayer TFM
The first Mazzotti to arrive in Ireland was this MAF 3180 on display at the Agri-Care event in Wexford this February

Mazzoti makes a range of machines from a 2,100L lightweight for horticultural work, up to a 6,500L sprayer which still has a turning circle of less than 6m.

The MAF machines are split into three ranges with wheelbases of 3,1m, 3.4m and 3.8m. The two sprayers currently in Ireland have the 3.1m wheelbase and 3.4m wheelbase and so represent the smaller of the two MAF series sizes.

Fleet upgrade

It is the mid-sized 4080 which is now working on the farm, although that is only a relative term, for it is still a large and impressive machine and is fitted with most of the options available.

It was bought in to replace a 23-year-old Multi Drive 4200, which was built in the UK but the company no longer exists.

It is though, fitted with a John Deere engine and has since acquired the green and yellow livery, although it is by no means a JD machine.

Multidrive 4200 sprayer
Although in John Deere livery, it is in fact a Multi Drive 4200 and is undergoing preparation for sale

The MAF 4080 is a bigger and more modern machine altogether with the latest John Deere 6.8L engine providing 225hp, more than enough according to Niall, and it has already coped, without a murmur, on some fields that were a little wetter than ideal.

The wheels have 42″ rims and VF (very high flexion) tyres which give a ground clearance of 1.1m and, thanks to that larger radius, a softer footprint than a smaller tyre of the same width is capable of.

Mazzotti Poclain drive motors
Suspension is provided by six pneumatic accumulators and the track width is hydraulically adjustable

This extra ground clearance was of particular interest to the Flynns, especially for oilseed rape, while the hydraulic track adjustment, from 1.8m to 2.25m, allows it to follow the wheel marks of any previous tractor that worked on the field.

Tried and tested spray system

Mazzotti is, in essence, a manufacturer of 4WD platforms and would have come with a variety of booms and tanks, but since the Deere takeover it has naturally standardised on the JD Power Spray system with Kverneland booms.

Booms transport width
With the 24m booms folded, the sprayer has a transport width of 2.25m

One of the major features of this set up is that the flow rate in the spray line is controlled by varying the speed of the 750L/min centrifugal pump which, it is claimed, gives a far greater accuracy of application than standard systems relying on a diaphragm pump.

The filling circuit relies on a smaller 600L/min centrifugal pump which can draw water up from 7.6m through either one of two filling ports.

Mazzotti self propelled
Niall at the control panel situated on the left of the machine. The intake hopper lowers hydraulically, as do the steps up to the cab

When adding chemical during the filling operation, flow into the tank can be paused, giving time for cans to be emptied and rinsed before the tank is full.

Drive to the wheels on the 4080 is via four Poclain wheel motors driven by a twin Sauer hydraulic pump which can provide a road speed of up to 50km/h. A mechanical drive is available on the smaller 3180.

Mazzoti sprayer Flynn Farms
The forward cab gives a 50/50 weight distribution while the NORAC 7 height sensors accurately maintain boom height above the crop

One of the main objections to anything self-propelled is cost, but this is where Mazzotti scores for everything bar the booms is built in house, presenting significant opportunities for saving cost.

At this level of specification, the MAF 4080 will work out at around the €290,000 mark, which, Niall assures us, is a competitive price in this market for this level of machine.

Added benefits of Mazzotti

Not only does it come in at a good price but it has the full precision farming suite of electronics, including auto steering and section control.

The Flynn family is powering ahead with harnessing the power of digital technology and the fact that it slots right into the John Deere system is a huge bonus.

Another plus it that despite it being run as an autonomous company within the parent group, Mazzotti sprayers enjoy the full back up of the corporation’s parts network and any part is available from any John Deere dealer, usually by the next day.

Niall Flynn with his father Jerry, who has taken to the Mazzotti after 23 years of the MD4200.
Niall Flynn with his father Jerry, who has taken to the Mazzotti after 23 years of the MD4200

With the pressure being put on farmers to reduce chemical inputs, it might seem a little short sighted to go selling self-propelled sprayers.

However, Niall points out that the new chemicals now coming on to the market often need multiple applications and with the growing popularity of liquid fertiliser the sprayer is here to stay for a long time yet.