Did you bump your calibration number?
Sotera chemical meter calibration way off.
Sotera 850 meter was working fine one day, the next day I wondered why was taking so long to pump. Realized something was wrong so I felt a jug and discovered it was putting out four times more product than it was reading. No low battery indicator coming on. Pulled the head out don't see anything plugged.
Has anyone else had this happen?
Has anyone else had this happen?
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Still set on 12 where it always has been. And I tried both extremes of calibration numbers and neither one can get it even closeDid you bump your calibration number?
weird..ours just died didnt pump at all ..
The pump still works fine that expensive pos meter died years ago.
I have had several Sotera metres in the past. Best way I found to calibrate them and have them HOLD that calibration is to put them in a box, put the box up in the mezzanine and leave them there where they can't do any harm.
The best place for a Sotera flow meter is under the track of a D8 Cat.
The rest of the advice here wasn't very helpful, I don't have a mezzanine. I threw out the box long time ago. But I do have a d8 cat, and it just came back to the yard.The best place for a Sotera flow meter is under the track of a D8 Cat.
It seems to be pumping very consistently at four times what it reads. So I will do the math and keep using it, and check it by filling a jug every fill up to make sure it hasn't changed.
Sounds like a vise would be better, you‘d have better discretion at dialling the handle to the level of frustration you desire to take out.The best place for a Sotera flow meter is under the track of a D8 Cat.
Bought a Dura-Meter 4 seasons ago. For the first season it measured both r-up and liberty very accurately. Then the batteries went dead over winter. Replaced batteries and it suddenly was over measuring by about 14%. Too far out to correct with the calibration numbers. Used it like that for 2 years, quite consistent, 14% high. Measured out 2 totes r-up this spring and it again was about 14% out. Switched to a generic glyphosate called storm and now its measuring pretty well exact again for 3 totes so far. No clue why the discrepancy. I like the simplicity of just sucking the totes out directly into the venturi. Too bad someone cant make a reliable meter.
Usually just throw out the Soteras and replace when they start acting up. Generally get about 3-5 years out of each but have to constantly monitor them because they start screwing up without notice. They were available for as low as $160 for the 850 a few years back on Amazon. I see now they are closer to $350. I splurged this time though and just ordered a OGFM40-RD gear meter from Nozzle Ninja. No worrying about calibrating and supposed to be deadly accurate. Little more than the Sotera though. Getting it mounted on a 3" venturi manifold which will just camlock into any into any 3" water line and will draw metered chem from a shuttle as you fill. No more messing with chem pumps or meters hopefully.
You will be happy. Just make sure there are no air leaks on the chem suction side. That is the only way it can be out. I use clear suction hose so i can watch for air.Usually just throw out the Soteras and replace when they start acting up. Generally get about 3-5 years out of each but have to constantly monitor them because they start screwing up without notice. They were available for as low as $160 for the 850 a few years back on Amazon. I see now they are closer to $350. I splurged this time though and just ordered a OGFM40-RD gear meter from Nozzle Ninja. No worrying about calibrating and supposed to be deadly accurate. Little more than the Sotera though. Getting it mounted on a 3" venturi manifold which will just camlock into any into any 3" water line and will draw metered chem from a shuttle as you fill. No more messing with chem pumps or meters hopefully.
Ditto. I use air seeder hose. If there are ANY air bubbles the reading will be off (high). If there are none, the reading is dead on EVETY TIME. Flowmec oval gear meter.You will be happy. Just make sure there are no air leaks on the chem suction side. That is the only way it can be out. I use clear suction hose so i can watch for air.
Another solution is a tape measure and a sharpie. Divide the liters in the tote by the inches high the level is to get how many liters per inch, measure and put a mark where you need to draw down to for1 the laters required for the fill and draw down to there. WAY more accurate than unreliable meter. The only time this has challenges is when you get to the bottom where you can't see the chem through the base.The rest of the advice here wasn't very helpful, I don't have a mezzanine. I threw out the box long time ago. But I do have a d8 cat, and it just came back to the yard.
It seems to be pumping very consistently at four times what it reads. So I will do the math and keep using it, and check it by filling a jug every fill up to make sure it hasn't changed.
Simpler to just use a chemhandler and read the numbers on that, than don’t have to second guess your meters or measurements. If your worried about speed you could plumb a couple cone tanks and hook on to suction side. I have a 3” Chembine and
pretty quick.
pretty quick.
I dunno, Chem handlers are EXPENSIVE and are one more thing to rinse. Not sure how that would work with my seed grower. He puts 2 litres per acre of "relief", then boron, manganese, molly, growth regulator, and usually two herbicides (broadleaf and grass). I pull the 400 tires of "relief" 9n with the Venturi while I am putting the rest of the witches brew in through the chem-eductor. Would take all day and I would likely run out of room if I had to do all that one product at a time through a handler. Of course, this is just ONE customer and is not the norm (at least not for me) but I used a handler once and liked my simple system better. Of course, I am USED to my system and not used to using a handler and the VAST majority of guys use a handler. I have always marched to the beat of a different trumpet player anyways. The guys that use handlers really like them so that is what matters. Bottom line, if you are going to use a meter, use a GOOD one (which from what my research and experience suggests means an oval gear meter). Interestingly, the flowmeters on the sprayers (JD at least) are turbine type and deadly accurate. Turbine meters...not so much in my limited experience.Simpler to just use a chemhandler and read the numbers on that, than don’t have to second guess your meters or measurements. If your worried about speed you could plumb a couple cone tanks and hook on to suction side. I have a 3” Chembine and
pretty quick.
But you rinse your sprayer's chem eductor down with every load, right? It's the same process for the chem handler. We added a spinning nozzle to the inside of our chem handler II[1], just like the chemhandler III has built in. I rinse the jugs a few times, then while it's sucking the chemical down I close the lid and turn on the spinning rinse. Just do that a few times after it's sucked empty, and that's all it takes, really, unless the chemical is stubborn and sticks to the walls a bit, then I use a hand wand to wash that down. But I do this basically for every load and it takes maybe 30 seconds and the chem handler is always clean enough for the next chemical. I've never had any residue problems. And like I said I'd be doing the same thing to the sprayer's chemical eductor anyway.Chem handlers are EXPENSIVE and are one more thing to rinse.
So it doesn't really add any time to loading to rinse it down, really. I'd be hard pressed to go back to using the sprayer's own inductor.
[1] The Chem Handler I just has the jug rinse by default, which is strong enough to splash on the underside of the lid, which does help rinse the interior. But with the added spinning rinse sprayer, it's fast and easy.
I'm a chemhandler 3 user as well. Find the chemhandler is pretty much mistake proof for measuring chemical. Rinsing the chemhandler is real quick and simple.
Used them for years but a couple of things I didn't like about using the chemhandler were they were a bit clumsy to move if you were loading from multiple water sources. Always thought about mounting one on the side of the sprayer instead of the eductor. Also worried about getting a good cleanout of the plastic tank with just a water rinse. Any residue in the chemhandler is going to probably be concentrated chem as apposed to diluted in the sprayer tank. Mine was an earlier model though, sounds like they improved the rinsing. Also as convenient as piercing the bottom of the containers is, it seems you were always dripping from your jugs, albeit rinsed, all over your work surface and stepping in it. Then into up into your new sprayer with the nice furry carpeting (Case). Lucky it is removable because that was the first thing to go. So for jugs for a long time now I have just used the stainless eductor and pumped from totes into the eductor. Below is my new bypass venturi manifold with meter. Lighter and a lot easier to handle than a pump. It fit nicely into an old pump frame for protection and easy portability.
![Automotive tire Motor vehicle Gas Automotive exterior Auto part]()
I suppose if someone would have offered a bigger graduated stainless tank for these eductors I would have been their first customer.
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