DD Newbie- Is Simtech a good machine to start off with?

Wil M

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Fife
I am completely new to Direct Drilling, but from what I have seen and read of others experiences I certainly think it could have a place on my mixed farm in Fife.
P/harrow combination drilling following plough is very much the normal in this area.
I managed to get a demo from Charles Simon from Simtech of their new Grassfarmer drill last summer, to reseed a hilly 20yr old grass ley- result has been reasonably successful. I had hoped to get him back again in the autumn with a 3m T-Sem to drill some OSR or WW but never managed to get him dragged back this far north again.
Would be interested to hear experiences of others using the T-Sem drill- good, bad and ugly?

I did manage to get a demo of a 3m Sky trailed drill from a local dealer. Drilled WW into OSR stubble on part of a field. Whilst the amount of trash with chopped OSR is pretty heavy, I was a little disappointed with the degree of hair-pinning which certainly prevented some seed from germinating. Slugs were only very slightly worse than the area which had been ploughed and power harrow drilled. Establishments looks quite respectable.
 

rob1

Member
Location
wiltshire
Its what i first used and do now, most drills work if the system is right and you need to try dd and make a mistake or two to find what works best for you . At least you can dd, use in min til or ploughed with a simtech
 

Ruston3w

Member
Location
south suffolk
How many acres to drill? We drill a modest 400 acres of corn and a bit more cc with 3.43m, we replaced a horsch co4 and 3m combination- the combination would go anywhere but cost a fortune to run and hammered the land, the horsch was cheaper when dry but took too much pulling and too heavy on damp headlands. I thought we would need to keep the combination for drilling beet land when wet but we have not looked back since t-sem landed.....sometimes have to go a bit steady when it is hard to give coulters a chance.....back to how many acres I guess(and maybe how many big stones?)
Less than half the fuel , double the work rate and all round sent the combi into the history books for us. Keep well worn points ready to put back on in july to drill cover crops if it is really hard.....IMO
 

Wil M

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Fife
Thanks for all the responses. Yes, I believe there is still a T-Sem 300 for sale in the classifieds- an ad for pneumatic version too- but it may be gone. The chap selling the box drill version has made enquiries about an ad for an Amazone P/H drill combination though, so not quite sure what to make of that?!
My concerns about the T-Sem: lack of tramlining- OK, can use GPS to find way round with sprays and fertiliser, but how many more green grains am I going to have in the grain heap come harvest time? possibly more of a problem with slower ripening for me being further north.
Sponge seed feed mechanism- obviously got to be kept well away from any vermin, and do sponges disintegrate over time?
Stones- I do have them on my farm- will the T-Sem work round about them or bring everything it can find to the surface?
Does drilling fertiliser with seed when direct drilling provide any definite advantage in getting crops off to a quick start, and away from slugs and other pests? Is the T-Sem any better than other Direct Drills in providing some mineralised N from soil through production of tilth as the tine rattles its way along the slot?
 

Ruston3w

Member
Location
south suffolk
If you are DD and drill at an angle to last year(or even shallow cult) then use previous tramlines a good bit of the seed will be eatern/fail and not so much green IMO. I bought air drill, more than a little for tramlining and three years in we hardly use the tramlining. If you do buy one and the coulter bolts (M12) WILL NOT KEEP TIGHT, chuck them in the bin and tap some 7/16" UNF in, I was ready to give up with ours having to creep under it daily with spanners, never a loose bolt since.
 

Simon C

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Essex Coast
[QUOTE="Ruston3w, post: 3350904, member: 50284" If you do buy one and the coulter bolts (M12) WILL NOT KEEP TIGHT, chuck them in the bin and tap some 7/16" UNF in, I was ready to give up with ours having to creep under it daily with spanners, never a loose bolt since.[/QUOTE]

Can you please explain this a bit more. Do you tap the hole in the tine or the casting? And then do you have to drill the other hole out a bit bigger?
 

Ruston3w

Member
Location
south suffolk
Sorry, I meant tap as in hammer gently, one hole in the tine is nearer true than the other, some tines I had to run a carbide burr through just to rub the sides where the hole is nipped. either way a 7/16" bolt has been a pretty good fix for us, whatever the other two Simons have to say! I used bolts which were a bit too long, then trimmed them just on the back of the nut, that way the plain shank went through the cast coulter and into the tine, not just the threads. The UNF nut being 0.1Dia thicker stopped the thread stripping issues we had to.
 

Deere 6430

Member
Definitely not a problem with any green grains in the tramlines and stones work around the tines and the tines work around the stones. We have quite big stones in certain areas but they do not hinder the drilling in any way.

Sponges are very reliable and last very well, we have only had two need replacing.

Yes the tines do a very good job of producing a tilt around the seed and a bit of N mineralisation.

IWe can't rate the drill highly enough. Does everything we have asked of it and will drill into anything you want with very good results.
 

Simon C

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Essex Coast
Sorry, I meant tap as in hammer gently, one hole in the tine is nearer true than the other, some tines I had to run a carbide burr through just to rub the sides where the hole is nipped. either way a 7/16" bolt has been a pretty good fix for us, whatever the other two Simons have to say! I used bolts which were a bit too long, then trimmed them just on the back of the nut, that way the plain shank went through the cast coulter and into the tine, not just the threads. The UNF nut being 0.1Dia thicker stopped the thread stripping issues we had to.

I understand now, you didn't tap the hole, you tapped the bolt. 7/16" being slightly thicker than 12 mm to give a tighter fit.

Then you grind round the back of the bolt head so it fits into the counter sunk hole in the casting and the shank of the bolt enters the tine as well, to hold it all tight.
 

holmes65

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
S Yorkshire
Does anyone have any experience with Guilbart Tdrill contour? Looks like the simtech but with individual press wheels for depth control.I am looking to go down DD route when conditions allow, but probably use current min till cultivations for the majority of the area. Currently using a vaderstadt, but looking to disturb sale seedbeds less so as not to encourage another flush of ryegrass.
 

rob1

Member
Location
wiltshire
Does anyone have any experience with Guilbart Tdrill contour? Looks like the simtech but with individual press wheels for depth control.I am looking to go down DD route when conditions allow, but probably use current min till cultivations for the majority of the area. Currently using a vaderstadt, but looking to disturb sale seedbeds less so as not to encourage another flush of ryegrass.
saw a few on the agriffaires sales site but wondered if there was enough weight to get even penetration in a dd situation
 
Thanks for all the responses. Yes, I believe there is still a T-Sem 300 for sale in the classifieds- an ad for pneumatic version too- but it may be gone. The chap selling the box drill version has made enquiries about an ad for an Amazone P/H drill combination though, so not quite sure what to make of that?!
My concerns about the T-Sem: lack of tramlining- OK, can use GPS to find way round with sprays and fertiliser, but how many more green grains am I going to have in the grain heap come harvest time? possibly more of a problem with slower ripening for me being further north.
Sponge seed feed mechanism- obviously got to be kept well away from any vermin, and do sponges disintegrate over time?
Stones- I do have them on my farm- will the T-Sem work round about them or bring everything it can find to the surface?
Does drilling fertiliser with seed when direct drilling provide any definite advantage in getting crops off to a quick start, and away from slugs and other pests? Is the T-Sem any better than other Direct Drills in providing some mineralised N from soil through production of tilth as the tine rattles its way along the slot?
We have a grain and fert Claydon. So not the same as mixed fert and seed. It's definitely worth having the fert increase in vigour in spring and autumn particularly in dodgy weather. We are on low phosphorus soil prone to lockup though.
 

quattro

Member
Location
scotland
We have a grain and fert Claydon. So not the same as mixed fert and seed. It's definitely worth having the fert increase in vigour in spring and autumn particularly in dodgy weather. We are on low phosphorus soil prone to lockup though.
What part of Scotland are you if you don't mind me asking
 
Wil, re the sly demo. My comment would be it's very hard to get good establishment after WOSR, especially in wetter climates, such as we both have...so your bad establishment isn't all down to the drill.
I use a Duncan drill to establish all cereals, beans, OSR, & cover crops. It's similar to Sim tech but better. ( I think ). The front disc is a "turbo tiller" which is scalloped so leaves tilth & doesn't smear. Sim tech have several boot options but I like the Duncan T boot. Cast with hardened tip. Very hard wearing. Seed metering is amazon styled, very accurate. Twin boxes, which means drilling fert with seed ( which i do) also ideal for separate cover crop seeds which are cheaper bought than blends.
Like the sim tech, no scribe markers & no tramlines....but you don't need them. You'd be drilling at alternative angles anyway but still travelling your first year trams. Anyway, it's amazing how much drier your tramlines will be dryer with seed in them....& no I don't have greener grains at harvest, so far.
So, go for it, I'm 3 years in now. And starting year 1, I found I had to disc Harrow stubbles infront of drill to level fields after the plough. Ploughed fields aren't level enough. But now DD into chopped straw & covers made some mistakes along the way but never going back !!!!!
 

martian

DD Moderator
BASE UK Member
Location
N Herts
Wil, re the sly demo. My comment would be it's very hard to get good establishment after WOSR, especially in wetter climates, such as we both have...so your bad establishment isn't all down to the drill.
I use a Duncan drill to establish all cereals, beans, OSR, & cover crops. It's similar to Sim tech but better. ( I think ). The front disc is a "turbo tiller" which is scalloped so leaves tilth & doesn't smear. Sim tech have several boot options but I like the Duncan T boot. Cast with hardened tip. Very hard wearing. Seed metering is amazon styled, very accurate. Twin boxes, which means drilling fert with seed ( which i do) also ideal for separate cover crop seeds which are cheaper bought than blends.
Like the sim tech, no scribe markers & no tramlines....but you don't need them. You'd be drilling at alternative angles anyway but still travelling your first year trams. Anyway, it's amazing how much drier your tramlines will be dryer with seed in them....& no I don't have greener grains at harvest, so far.
So, go for it, I'm 3 years in now. And starting year 1, I found I had to disc Harrow stubbles infront of drill to level fields after the plough. Ploughed fields aren't level enough. But now DD into chopped straw & covers made some mistakes along the way but never going back !!!!!
Who is selling Duncans in the UK? I'd be keen to get one demoing at Groundswell. They look like a good 'entry level' machine
 

Wil M

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Fife
Wil, re the sly demo. My comment would be it's very hard to get good establishment after WOSR, especially in wetter climates, such as we both have...so your bad establishment isn't all down to the drill.
I use a Duncan drill to establish all cereals, beans, OSR, & cover crops. It's similar to Sim tech but better. ( I think ). The front disc is a "turbo tiller" which is scalloped so leaves tilth & doesn't smear. Sim tech have several boot options but I like the Duncan T boot. Cast with hardened tip. Very hard wearing. Seed metering is amazon styled, very accurate. Twin boxes, which means drilling fert with seed ( which i do) also ideal for separate cover crop seeds which are cheaper bought than blends.
Like the sim tech, no scribe markers & no tramlines....but you don't need them. You'd be drilling at alternative angles anyway but still travelling your first year trams. Anyway, it's amazing how much drier your tramlines will be dryer with seed in them....& no I don't have greener grains at harvest, so far.
So, go for it, I'm 3 years in now. And starting year 1, I found I had to disc Harrow stubbles infront of drill to level fields after the plough. Ploughed fields aren't level enough. But now DD into chopped straw & covers made some mistakes along the way but never going back !!!!!

I didn't say that the establishment after the demo of the Sky (not Sly- both French built machines but quite different) was bad- just commented that the amount of hair-pinning has left lengths of up to 12 inches in a row with no wheat growing (less than 5% of total area affected) - maybe this to be expected with any drill going into OSR stubble, as I said DD is all new to me. Where seed has had good contact with soil, plants have established well.

Glad to hear that Duncan Drill working well for you- I had a brief look at some info on this after I came across a used Mk3 Renovator for sale, but didn't pursue it any further because of small size of seed box, and just shy of 3m working width for that machine.
What sort of horizontal width of slot does the Duncan boot make to place the seed in? it looks to be narrower than the Aitchison.
Does the drill work best in trailed configuration, or could it be tractor mounted successfully?

Would be also interested to hear if there is still a supplier for the Duncan Drill in UK?
 
Who is selling Duncans in the UK? I'd be keen to get one demoing at Groundswell. They look like a good 'entry level' machine
Duncan Ag don't have an agent in the U.K. at present, to my knowledge.
I own the first one in Ireland, which they sent over for me. I'm sure they'd do the same on enquiry.
 
I didn't say that the establishment after the demo of the Sky (not Sly- both French built machines but quite different) was bad- just commented that the amount of hair-pinning has left lengths of up to 12 inches in a row with no wheat growing (less than 5% of total area affected) - maybe this to be expected with any drill going into OSR stubble, as I said DD is all new to me. Where seed has had good contact with soil, plants have established well.

Glad to hear that Duncan Drill working well for you- I had a brief look at some info on this after I came across a used Mk3 Renovator for sale, but didn't pursue it any further because of small size of seed box, and just shy of 3m working width for that machine.
What sort of horizontal width of slot does the Duncan boot make to place the seed in? it looks to be narrower than the Aitchison.
Does the drill work best in trailed configuration, or could it be tractor mounted successfully?

Would be also interested to hear if there is still a supplier for the Duncan Drill in UK?
Ok, never heard of a Sky drill ( must google it ). Presumably it's an all disc Machine hence hairpinning. I've noticed with rape stubble, the amount of slugs & eggs in the stalks is sometimes staggering. If there's hairpinning @ drilling I'd guess it's like giving these guys a restaurant & a menu. ,,,!
There may be other factors too, hard to know without a walk.
Yes, the classic mk 3 has 350 litre boxes & mk 4 has 500 litre. 2.98 sowing width ( correct) @ 6" Spacing = 3 meter.. The T boot cuts a 50mm slot approx. It is quite wide & possiably wider than some of the sim tech options. I think a drawbar/ trailed machine ground contours better than mounted ( unless the mounted 1 is heavier, which it's not.).
No dealer in the U.K. Why not contact them direct. Duncan Ag.co.nz
 
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