4
MICRONAIR AU8000 SPRAYER
6. Open the fuel valve.
7. Set the choke lever on the carburettor to the C (closed) position. In hot climates, it
may only be necessary to set the choke to mid-position. If the engine is already
warm, leave the lever in the A (open) position.
8. Set the throttle lever (on the left-hand side of the frame) to mid-position and turn on
ignition switch located in the throttle lever.
9. Ensure that the sprayhead is in a safe place away from foliage or obstructions.
10. Start the engine by pulling on the starter cord. DO NOT pull the cord hard against its
end-stop. Should the engine fail to start, do not allow the carburettor to become
flooded with fuel. If the carburettor does become flooded, proceed as follows:
i) Open the choke by moving the lever to the A position.
ii) Close the throttle.
iii) Pull on the starter cord 10 – 20 times.
iv) Wait several minutes and repeat steps 7 – 10.
11. Set the choke lever to the A position.
12. Set the throttle lever so that the engine idles smoothly.
13. Lift the knapsack mistblower onto the operator's back. Note that the operator must
hold the sprayhead and NOT let it drag on the ground. This operation is easiest with
two people. However, the operator can put the knapsack on alone if it is first lifted
onto a waist-high surface.
14. When in the spraying area, set the throttle lever to its maximum position. DO NOT
run the engine for a prolonged time at half-throttle or idling.
15. Turn the flow of chemical on and off with the valve on the handle. The lever of this
valve may either be pressed down against its spring for intermittent operation or may
be raised to a locked position for continuous spraying.
16. Only open the chemical valve when the mistblower is running at its normal operating
speed. Opening the valve when there is no airflow can result in a build-up of
chemical inside the sprayhead and the risk of contamination or plant damage when
the airflow is increased.
17. The sprayer must always be directed DOWNWIND of the operator and each pass
through the sprayed area must be UPWIND of previous passes. This ensures that
the operator is always walking through an unsprayed area and cannot be
contaminated by any spray blown back by the wind.
18. The sprayer should be held at a distance of at least 1m (3 ft) from the target
whenever possible. This ensures an even distribution of spray droplets and
minimises the risk of damage to vulnerable crops by high velocity air from the
sprayhead.
19. The rotating gauze of the atomiser should not be allowed to come into contact with
foliage or the operator.
20. When using a ULV drift spraying technique to give a wide swath in open terrain (e.g.
locust or armyworm control), the sprayhead should be held at an angle of about 30
degrees above the horizontal. This allows the wind to carry the spray from the
maximum height to achieve the widest swath.