Driving impression: Chafer Mirage II SP sprayer Mirage – the second coming Chafer’s Mirage, replacement for the Mistral and the entry base of the sprayer maker’s SP range below the mighty Rogator, underwent an update back in 2002, with a host of changes to chassis and equipment. Martin Rickatson embarks on a long overdue detailing of the upgrades since profi’s 09/99 drive
Some things take a lot of time. And we are not talking about the development of Chafer’s successor to Mirage, the aptly named Mirage II, which appeared soon enough – only three years on from the initial machine’s launch in 1999. It’s just that there’s no other excuse for our three-year delay in bringing profi international readers a Mirage II driving impression.
Apology over – because here it is. It’s no mere makeover, as is now so common in these ‘fit a Tier II motor and call it brand new’ times. As well as the prerequisite cleaner engine – now a Caterpillar unit rather than a Cummins – there’s a new cab and a self-levelling hydraulic-type suspension on the Ag-Chem-built skid unit, and Chafer’s revised spray kit includes a ‘square’ steel tank in a couple of sizes.
Starting with that sprayer kit, 3,000- and 3,500-litre versions of Mirage II are now available – the 2,500-litre version has been dropped due to low demand – with integral clean water tanks of 10% nominal volume and sloping floors to cut the risk of liquid remaining after spraying out. The switch over to a square-section tank profile, explains Chafer, enables its designers to sit the tank down lower in the skid’s chassis for improved stability on steep farm hills, and we also reckon it helps with vision to the self-propelled machine’s rear.
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