Alton Dean felt there was no difference between the Egedal sprayer and the MTDC prototype. He was concerned by the weight of the MTDC sprayer (about 1,300 pounds for a five-row system), compared to just 1,072 pounds for the Egedal system. He thought weight could play an important role in mobility.

Tommy Frazier felt there was no difference between the effectiveness of the MTDC and Egedal machines. His only concern was the bulkiness of the hoods on the MTDC machine; it is easier to treat eight rows with the Egedal machine than with the MTDC prototype, because the sprayer operator can see between the hoods.

Both machines can apply herbicide at the same rate. Evaluators liked the larger spray tank on the MTDC proto-type. The operator's control of the machines was the same.

The mud buildup can be corrected easily. On all hoods (including the outside sprayers) the distance between the wheel and the hood should be increased to prevent buildup.

Joshua McLaughlin said he would recommend the MTDC prototype sprayer to others. He said it was easy to use, tips were easy to change, and the machine was more durable than the Egedal machine. Frazier said he would recommend the MTDC prototype for the same reasons.

For additional information on the field trials, contact Joshua McLaughlin, Larry Estes, or Tommy Frazier at the Virginia Department of Forestry, Augusta Forestry Center (phone: 540–363–5732) or Dwight Stallard at the Garland Gray Forestry Center (phone: 804–834–2855). It may be possible to make arrangements with these individuals to watch the machine in use (varies with time of year) or to borrow it for your own evaluations.