Norwesco 500 Gallon Plastic Applicator Saddle Tank in White

On the tractor

A saddle tank is only as good as the bracket it hangs on. Norwesco supplies the tank; the mounting frame comes from the tractor or sprayer maker, from a fabricator, or from your own shop, and it has to carry the full weight of the liquid, which is more than three tons for a pair of these tanks full of fertilizer. Mount the pair so they fill and empty together, because one full tank on one side of a tractor changes how it steers and how it sits on a slope. The outlet faces down and back toward the pump, with the first length of hose supported so the fitting carries liquid and not the weight of a valve. Our guide to Norwesco applicator and leg tanks for fertilizer and the DOT non-roadable trailer rules covers how applicator tanks are classified when the machine goes on the road.

What goes in it

Liquid fertilizer and crop protection mixes are what applicator tanks are built for, with water for rinsing and for spot jobs behind them. Before anything else goes in, check the liquid in our chemical compatibility guide; the entries for urea solution, calcium chloride, phosphoric acid, magnesium chloride and sodium hypochlorite are the ones applicator buyers ask about most. Liquids heavier than 1.5 times water need a heavy duty tank, not this one. Rinse the tank at the end of each day the way the chemical label says; a saddle tank with an 8 inch lid is cleaned from the top with a wand, not by hand. For the volume, use the tank sizing calculator and tank sizing guide.

Openings and fittings

1. Outlet. A 1-1/4 inch polypropylene female NPT bulkhead fitting, factory installed low in the body. A 1-1/4 inch ball valve or a hose barb to the pump threads straight into it. The size suits a sprayer pump feed; if you want to gravity drain the tank fast, plan a larger outlet with us before the order.
2. Lid. An 8 inch threaded vented lid on top: wide enough to fill from a hose or a nurse tank line and to get a rinse wand in. The vent lets air in as the pump draws down, so keep it clear and keep the gasket clean.
3. Drawing. Norwesco's drawing for this tank, linked under Technical Drawing on this page, shows the saddle profile, the outlet position and the lid position, which is what a fabricator needs to build the bracket.

Sizes nearby

Same tank in yellow, for a fleet that colour codes its liquids or wants the tank seen from the road: the 500 gallon applicator saddle tank in yellow.

Shipping and receiving

The tank ships LTL from the nearest of Norwesco's plants, which include Burnet and Fairfield, Texas; Griffin, Georgia; Hanford, California; Lancaster, Ohio; Owego, New York; Shawnee, Oklahoma; Sheldon, Iowa; St. Bonifacius, Minnesota; Tooele, Utah; and Washougal, Washington, 75 by 48 by 51 inches on a pallet at 121 lb. Two people lift it off a liftgate. The listed price is before freight; the freight cost estimator gives the lane cost to your ZIP, and a pair on one order travel together. At the tailgate, check the part number against 40274 on the bill of lading, look at the saddle face and the outlet fitting for transit damage, and fill the tank with water the first time before it carries anything else.

Questions before you order? Add it to your cart at the top of this page, get LTL freight to your ZIP, or call 866-418-1777. The listed price is before freight.