So, I’ve been trying to get a handle on how much fertilizer I’m actually putting down on my field. You know, it’s one of those things where you think you’re doing it right, but then you start wondering if you’re maybe overdoing it or, even worse, not doing enough.
That’s where this whole red ball fertilizer flow monitor thing comes in. I heard about it from a buddy of mine who swore by it. He said it was a game-changer for him, so I figured, why not give it a shot?
First off, I started looking into these red ball monitors. Turns out, they’re these simple little gadgets. No fancy electronics or anything, just some clear tubes with, you guessed it, red balls inside. The basic idea is that these balls float at a certain level depending on how much liquid is flowing through.
I ordered a 4-column modular one, seemed like a popular option. It came with a bunch of different colored balls. Red, green, black, even some steel ones. I guess you use different ones depending on the thickness of the liquid or something. I stuck with the red ones for now, just to keep things simple. Oh, and the kit also contains one cap plug and push-to-connect fittings.
Setting it up was a breeze. I just connected it to my sprayer, no problem. The real test was when I started spraying. I filled up the tank with fertilizer and fired up the sprayer.
Watching those red balls was kinda mesmerizing, not gonna lie. They bobbed up and down in the tubes as the fertilizer flowed through. Now I could easily see if the flow rate is consistent across all nozzles.
But here’s the best part: I immediately noticed one of the nozzles was clogged. One of the red balls wasn’t moving like the others. If I hadn’t had this monitor, I would’ve gone on spraying, thinking everything was fine, and ended up with uneven coverage in my field.
So, I stopped everything, cleared the nozzle, and bam, the red ball started moving just like the others. Problem solved, just like that.
- I’d say, this red ball monitor is a keeper.
- It’s simple, it’s effective, and it’s saved me from a potentially big headache.
- I’ve only used it a couple of times now, but I can already tell it’s going to make a big difference in how I manage my fertilizer applications.
No more guesswork. Now it’s all about watching those little red balls dance.
