Okay, let’s talk about this little project I did, setting up a simple fertilizer flow monitor. Nothing fancy, just something practical that helps me keep an eye on things.
Getting the Idea
So, I was out there applying liquid fertilizer, and you know how it is. You’re driving along, and you just hope everything’s flowing right through all the lines. Sometimes a nozzle gets plugged, or maybe the tank runs empty quicker than you thought. I didn’t want some complicated electronic sensor system, just a quick visual check. I figured, what if I could just see the stuff moving? That got me thinking about those simple flow indicators you sometimes see.
Putting it Together
My idea was pretty basic: put a little red ball inside a clear tube in the fertilizer line. If the fertilizer is flowing, it should push the ball along, or at least make it bob around. If the flow stops, the ball stops. Simple enough, right?
So, I gathered up some bits and pieces:
- A short piece of clear plastic tubing, sturdy enough for the fertilizer and pressure.
- A small, bright red plastic ball. Had to find one that was light enough to move easily but wouldn’t get totally jammed. Think like a large bead or a small toy ball.
- Hose barbs or fittings that matched my fertilizer line size and could screw into the clear tube ends.
- Some hose clamps and maybe a bit of thread sealant just in case.
First, I cut the clear tube to a decent length, maybe six inches or so. Long enough to see the ball move, but not too long to be floppy. Then, I popped the red ball inside the clear tube. After that, I carefully attached the hose barb fittings to each end of the clear tube. Made sure they were tight, used a little sealant on the threads going into the tube ends if they were threaded, and clamped them down good if they were barb fittings pushed inside.
Hooking it Up and Testing
Next step was putting it in the main fertilizer line. I picked a spot after the pump but before the lines split off, somewhere I could easily glance at from the tractor seat. I cut the main fertilizer hose, making sure the pump was off, of course! Then I used hose clamps to attach the fertilizer hose ends onto the barbs of my new little flow monitor tube. Double-checked all the clamps were tight. Didn’t want fertilizer spraying everywhere.
Alright, time to see if this thing actually worked. I fired up the pump system. Started slow. Looked over at the clear tube… and yeah! The fertilizer started flowing, and sure enough, that little red ball lifted up and jiggled around inside the tube. It wasn’t like zooming back and forth, but it was clearly moving with the flow. When I shut the system off, the ball dropped back down. Perfect!
How It’s Working Out
Been using this setup for a while now. It’s surprisingly handy. When I’m making a pass, I can just glance over. If that red ball is bouncing, I know the fertilizer is moving. If it’s sitting still at the bottom, I know I’ve got a problem – maybe the tank’s empty, maybe the pump quit, or maybe there’s a major blockage somewhere upstream. Caught a couple of issues early this way.
It’s not foolproof, mind you. It doesn’t tell me if every single nozzle is working perfectly, just that there’s main flow. And sometimes if the flow is really, really low, the ball might not move much. But for a quick, cheap, visual check, it does the job I wanted it to do. No batteries, no wires, just a simple mechanical thing. Happy with how this little project turned out. Easy to build, easy to install, and gives me a bit more peace of mind when I’m out in the field.
