DRIVING IMPRESSION: Norfolk-based sprayer manufacturer Sands Agricultural Machinery (SAM) introduced its new flagship Infinity range at last year’s Cereals event. One year on we take a closer look at the largest Infinity 6000 model, equipped with a 36m boom, to see how the company has refined its top-end product to help see off the European imports.

The Infinity 5000 and 6000 now sit at the top of Sands range of self propelled sprayers, having replaced the Horizon 5500 and 6000, whilst the smaller shorter-chassis Horizon 3000, 3500 and 4000 models continue as before. Its development can be loosely traced back to the company’s first 5,500-litre model, the SLc 5.5, which was introduced in 2006 and the largest UK-built sprayer at the time. The Vision 5.5 arrived in 2009, and the Horizon 5500 in 2015, with the 6000 version with a slightly taller tank introduced later.

Interest in the larger Sands models has gradually gained momentum during this time, and further increased following the launch of the Infinity, so much so that one year on over 30 have been sold, of which roughly 75% would be the 6,000-litre version.

Compared to the equivalent Horizon, the Infinity has a new chassis, larger wheels, greater ground clearance, better suspension, a new transmission, new stainless-steel tank and less pipework, and that’s just for starters. All of these improvements come together to produce a sprayer which, whilst not dissimilar in overall appearance, incorporates some important new features.

Starting with the basics, the wheelbase and general proportions are similar but the Infinity’s chassis is very different. It retains the ladder-type layout, but it’s narrower, which allows the sprayer’s larger 38” wheels to turn considerably tighter to achieve a turning circle of just 7.60m.

Engine and drivetrain
The 242hp Deutz TCD 6.1 engine is retained, but a new engine management system allows operation at further-reduced engine rpm whenever possible. The cooling pack is still located above the engine but has a bigger variable speed fan which is now temperature
controlled rather than running constantly. Given that it consumes 15hp, this is a benefit for fuel consumption. It was also one of the noisiest features of the Horizon, and it rarely cuts in now. It can be manually reversed to blow out the radiator if needed.

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