- Location
- northampton
Yep used to drill straight in to ploughing if headlands were rough used to go round a few times with the metering wheel up to level it and used to put turnips straight in to baled stubble
Simba free flow drills
- Thread starter whindy
- Start date
- Location
- northampton
I just used to keep a couple ( 2lh and 2rh) of spare times with the boots and points on so if I broke a tine could swap it over and carry on if the time broke it normally held on to the pipe so could salvage the old boot and point
ollie989898
Member
- Location
- Lincolnshire
Left and right coulter tines. Tip, spray all the right hand ones (inc your spares) with an aerosol so when one breaks you know which one it is, not so clear as you would think as they are randomly mixed on the frame.
ollie989898
Member
Now that is a very good idea.
- Location
- Chezvegas (chesterfield)
I think on out often hilly ground 200 hp is about ideal for a 4m but if you are on lighter flatter land 160 hp would be enough. As said a bit of speed helps the cultivation effect and with the design of it the coulters don't bounce at all.
I am interested in the thread running about the direct drilling conversions of the freeflow drill which can make it a very flexible piece of kit for many people. Who knows they might be about for another 20 + years in different reincarnations.
As for spares a couple of left and right tines built up with tips and boots on is a good tip as recommended by others, the only other thing is to pass a heavy rope through the tine springs can help retain breakages if they snap in the appropriate way. I have totally lost snapped tines with the boot attached when it's been very dusty and you don't notice straight away.
If it's dry enough drilling the headlands first is great, bit like the old Massey 30 .
I am interested in the thread running about the direct drilling conversions of the freeflow drill which can make it a very flexible piece of kit for many people. Who knows they might be about for another 20 + years in different reincarnations.
As for spares a couple of left and right tines built up with tips and boots on is a good tip as recommended by others, the only other thing is to pass a heavy rope through the tine springs can help retain breakages if they snap in the appropriate way. I have totally lost snapped tines with the boot attached when it's been very dusty and you don't notice straight away.
If it's dry enough drilling the headlands first is great, bit like the old Massey 30 .
- Location
- BEDALE NORTH YORKSHIRE
Have seen the dd thread and it interests me . Is it worth putting mini flow boots on to make them easier to pull ? Or does that make no difference. Have 160 HP to pull it and few hills
- Location
- Chezvegas (chesterfield)
Don't think personally that miniflow boots and tips would make that much difference really, and it aint cheap to buy 32 plus tips . I have pulled our 4m stock with 160 hp but is was on the edge for speed and putting any more than .5t in the hopper.
In the wet going they advised wire rope scrapers but if it's that wet it's time to knock off.
In the wet going they advised wire rope scrapers but if it's that wet it's time to knock off.
Cow1
Member
How did you keep the metering wheel up? I have seen a model with a cleverly designed wooden block with a hole drilled in it for storage when not in use. [emoji6]
Depends what you do. Have put wheat into subsoiled clay in November with the front tubes in three inches and brought 250hp crawler to its knees.
Will drill into anything in most conditions depending how much of a mess you tolerate the headlands.
Unlike vaddy, it's the front cultivation element that does the work.
ollie989898
Member
I was deliberately not talking about wet conditions for a reason....
It's like a good portion of the older Simba kit, if you begin to bring wet conditions into the equation it gets really difficult, fast.
Where Simba freeflows excel is in dry conditions where you need to cover a lot of dirt and do some cultivations in the process. Pulling it fast enhances the cultivation effect and gives you the workrate way in excess of what a powerharrow can do.
Machines like the Solo and Toptilth were similar. You could chuck horsepower at them and they would lap it up.
Also, the tyres on the tractor were a factor, you need to spread the weight or you can end up putting wheelings in the drill won't touch. Hence Static and his tracks.
Free flow keeps drilling when vaddy is parked up even if you ought not be drilling. Ace in the dry.
Need one with the narrow miniflow boots. Avoid otico front roller if not in great condition. Wire scraper if on clay.
Tbh, a horsch sprinter with front packer will be better and not mega money for most conditions. Mainly as tidy freeflows are harder to find.....and I have the best one in my shed.
Need one with the narrow miniflow boots. Avoid otico front roller if not in great condition. Wire scraper if on clay.
Tbh, a horsch sprinter with front packer will be better and not mega money for most conditions. Mainly as tidy freeflows are harder to find.....and I have the best one in my shed.
ollie989898
Member
Am I right in thinking there were a variety of different front tools for the freeflow, I think ours had rigid tines but a levelling bar and even front roller were available at the time?
- Location
- northampton
Yes I used the precision engineered simba service tool (your lump of wood) and the levelling the headland is a really good reason for forgetting to take the special service tool out of the metering wheel
- Location
- Lincolnshire
We just set the rate to zero!.
- Location
- East Essexshire
On the subject of front rollers, I seem to be about the only person who prefers the original steel roller. In sticky clay both the tyre options pick up just enough to create drag, but with the steel one you can set the scrapers up to keep it clean.
I'd go to one of the original Top Tilth based ones with two steel rollers if I found a good one!
I'd go to one of the original Top Tilth based ones with two steel rollers if I found a good one!
rob h
Member
- Location
- east yorkshire
We bought a 4m miniflow instead of a freeflow .as we have sticky clay so if it starts to sink you can lift it up on the linkage to give a bit of grip and keep mooving .also dosent trample the headlands as much
- Location
- BEDALE NORTH YORKSHIRE
It is nice to see the free flow has so many fans[emoji4][emoji106]