Vaderstad coulters blocking

Renaultman

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Darlington
Having trouble with the drill blocking, the discs are stalling. How much should the coulter be off the ground with the disc on the ground?
Mine was doing the same, I ended up changing the discs, although me and my agricultural supplier didn't think they were that badly worn. It seems to have solved the problem. Was very pleasantly surprised by the cost. Just over £800 for a 4m
 

jhorr30

Member
Location
Edinburgh
If it is a rapid drill the actual coulters could be worn especially the sides of the open backed part that lets the seed out.
If it is worn there the discs can sometimes shove mud up inside blocking them.
If they are too close to the bottom of the disc the same can happen.
 

John

Member
Location
Cambridge
Sorry did mean the coulters are plugging, the coulter discs are stalling then bulldozing. I’ve lifted the coulters this afternoon hopefully that will sort it.
 

Renaultman

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Darlington
Wings easy with folded up , middle ,chock wheels lift drill up with chain or strop with loadall , this is after you have made some long heavy duty stands to support drill when you go under , but drill still attached to loader ,
That's exactly what we did, treat ourselves to 2 new 12t axle stands and cracked on. When I put my new pit in my workshop I am going to make it T shaped so I can back stuff over it, take the covers off and work in safety.
 

nxy

Member
Mixed Farmer
Mine doesn't have front discs but on our light land blocking is a still a problem. They go better in firm ground so if possible its better to roll in front. They also always work best on newer discs and they don't have to be very worn before they start finding a reason not to go round.

When we change coulters they go on the highest of the three holes and they stay there, its bad enough having to get under the thing once without messing about as the discs wear. You can also lower the tension on the disc by loosening the coulter bolts a bit though then you might get small stones getting between the coulter and the disc. If this works or not depends on your soil really.

Are you sure you haven't got a bearing going as well, if one is turning hard they soon block.
 

nxy

Member
Mixed Farmer
Something I will add is you have no idea how bad blockages can be until you have used a rapid on min till after a crop of sunflowers. Mine originally had the cultivation discs on but now has the drilling discs spread over four rows but this week loose soil mixed with sunflower stalks like broom handles was blocking it every time across the field at least once.
 

Renaultman

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Darlington
Mine doesn't have front discs but on our light land blocking is a still a problem. They go better in firm ground so if possible its better to roll in front. They also always work best on newer discs and they don't have to be very worn before they start finding a reason not to go round.

When we change coulters they go on the highest of the three holes and they stay there, its bad enough having to get under the thing once without messing about as the discs wear. You can also lower the tension on the disc by loosening the coulter bolts a bit though then you might get small stones getting between the coulter and the disc. If this works or not depends on your soil really.

Are you sure you haven't got a bearing going as well, if one is turning hard they soon block.
Really useful post, thanks. My Coulters are on the middle hole, but as my front discs are the same as my Coulter ones I think I will be quite happy to swap from back to front, as they start to wear. I have lost a lot of time this year, with blockages extra passed and rolling in n front of the drill, where feel sure if I had just changed the discs everything would have been fine :(
But as they say 'every day's a school day'
 

Boysground

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Wiltshire
Been frustrating this morning. Moved the coulters but still blocking, clay cap with lots of flint not helping. The flints get stuck between the disc and the leg and jam the disc. Junior has rolled the field and I have moved to the far side where there’s less clay. Hopefully by the time I get back to the clay it’s dried a little

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Boysground

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Wiltshire
Going better now

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Dbs32

Member
I haven't had my rapid too long and it's all a leaning curve, i made the mistake of adjusting them all when it was clean and dry but made it so the discs were to free turning. They chocked up on soft stuff like you said and were hard work!

Then readjusting again so you can only spin them 1/4 turn with finger and thumb. I'm in the mind better a little too tight so discs only occasionally turning in soft stuff, but always scraping disc nice and clean.

Got on really well since even dragging it through the most beach like land i ever drilled, and plenty of wet holes.
 

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Full details of the expanded and improved Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) offer available to farmers from July have been published by the...
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