We have had several questions this week on what to use to winterize your sprayer. Over the years a lot of different things have been used. Here are some pros and cons of the different options.
Fertilizer
Over prolonged exposure, it corrodes steel parts like plungers in ExactApply valves. It also does settle out and creates a sludge in the system. Then if this is not completely cleaned out it can react to other sprayer chemicals, plug screens, nozzles, and valves.
Windshield washer fluid
Most of these products are alcohol-based. Alcohol dries out seals and rubber parts. This leads to premature leaks. Most of them also don’t protect down temperatures required in our area.
RV Antifreeze
The cheaper versions of these products use methanol, ethanol, or isopropanol type fluids as a base product. These dry out seals and rubber parts. If an RV product is to be used it should be Propylene Glycol based. It also has to meet your temperature requirements. It is usually a premixed product so it can’t be adjusted like a concentrate.
John Deere Winterizer Fluid
This is the only product on the market that is specifically formulated to protect the entire wet system of a sprayer. It has special lubricants to protect seals and rubber parts. It is concentrated so it can be adjusted to meet your temperature needs. It might cost a little bit more but how far will a couple of hundred dollars go towards repairing a sprayer that has frozen, has corroded parts, or has the seals dried out in it? Here is the link to all you need to know about John Deere Winterizer Fluid. N305634