Do rope wicks and gravity feed systems work? 

In the 1990’s some experienced farmers made the rope wick’s and PVC pipe wipers work – and for their time, rope wicks were considered somewhat effective due to people being in desperation to get on top of their weeds without harming their pasture of crop and due to the fact that there was nothing else available until around 1995.   Rope and PVC pipe system were prone to breakages (and therefore large chemical spills) and were also very inefficient and frustrating to use, with not being able to regulate the flow of chemical on the go, which is why they are not made by any leading brands anymore. 

Pump feed systems are now considered a essential requirement of a Weedwiper, not just to push out enough chemical when required, but also too be able stop the flow. Stopping the flow on a wiper is critical otherwise chemical will continue to leach out of the wick system and cause dead brown spots though out your pasture comply known as ‘dripping damage’.

Sprayer companies like Silvan have now stopped supplying rope wick wipers – and other leading sprayer manufacturers like Rapid SprayTTI , Croplands now recommend the Redback Weedwipers to their customers. 

Weedwipers have evolved tremendously – what to look out for in a Weedwiper. 

In recent years this ‘revolution’ in Weedwipers as seen huge changes in Weedwipers. From the year 2005, pump feed systems were the new standard and gravity feed systems were considered ‘old school’.

However there is much more to it than simply being a pump fed system!

Innovation has played a huge part in weed control, this couldn’t be more true when it comes down to Weedwipers.

A very simple concept on first impression,  but the more you look into them the more you see they are quite a science. Hundreds and hundreds of innovative, practical  farmers have tried to make their own, only to come to it that they are extremely difficult to get them right!  You need a degree + 30 years experience in plumbing, welding and fixing sprayers as well as sell half of the farm (not quite), but it is expensive to build a one-off Weedwiper. 

High performance Weedwipers are a science.  Built on a deep knowledge pool of experienced sprayer specialists, paired with a talented team of farm machinery engineers and years of R&D…  We had, what we now know as the Redback Weedwiper, readily available in 2015. 

Exploiting a gap in the market for something that was able to be;

  • Used successfully on hills and on the flat, thanks to a pressurized system and wheels on the end of pivoting wings to follow the contours.
  • Feed chemical to where it was required/ the driest part of the wick system
  • Efficient = able to cover the ground at 10km/hr and kill weeds at 80% + kill rate
  • Easy to use and reliable.
  • Used to target both soft and hard stem/ woody weeds.
  • Used for many years – it is a corrosive environment.  Paint or powder coat doesn’t last long with exposure to concentrated chemical – therefore hot dip galvanized is a must.

These are some of the factors why the Redback Weedwiper system is the market leader today. Backed up by generations of farm machinery expertise and a farming background. 

Should you go for a Bucket mounted Weedwiper?

No – Mounting your Weedwiper on a bucket is unfortunately not setting yourself up for success.  

A good Weedwiper system will protect the wicks with a frame (to bear the brunt of the impact) and therefore too much weight and leverage for the lip of a bucket – also  the bucket minimizes the visibility of the weed wiping.

With a front end loader mounting, you must protect the wicks and there is no give or float in a loader, therefore easy to hit it into the ground and break the wiper.  So if going this way, do yourself a favor and get a robust Weedwiper design.

We recommend taking off your bucket or forks and mounting your Weedwiper on your front end loader mounts so you still have the convenience of a loader mounted unit. 

Should you go for a Loader mounted Weedwiper?

Front end loader mounted Weedwipers are becoming increasingly common with farmers and land owners requesting a more efficient method of getting on top of bush regrowth.

Front end loader mounted bracket system is also well received by those who already own the trailing Redback Weedwiper especially when they want to target weeds in rocky outcrops, virgin country or ex-forestry land where there may be timber or stumps in the ground.

As seen below – the Redback trailing Weedwiper range can be adapted with Redback Agriculture retro fit 3 point linkage or front end loader mount systems. 

It is important we get you set up correctly, so enquire to speak with a Weedwiper specialist on this Weedwiper page.