Going to a 750a

Rich k

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Yorkshire
Hi I’m just after some help I’ve had a John Deere 750a with guttlers on demo and I’m 95% there it would be a good drill for us. especially as without it we would not have drilled 36acres this spring as it was too wet to move in the backend so just left stubble all winter and I must say I was impressed with how the drill coped and covered the seed with a odd wet patch on top. I’m just after people’s thoughts on this drill and direct drilling as I would be going from a sumo then powerharrow then horsch co4 drill setup so it would be a big change. Thanks
 
Last edited:

Rich k

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Yorkshire
Thanks where does Simon Chiles run his courses and how much are they I looked online and could not find any information. Thank you for your help
 
Last edited:

Simon Chiles

DD Moderator
Thanks where does Simon Chiles run his courses and how much are they I looked online and could not find any information. Thank you for your help

I generally run the courses in the winter months and when there is a demand. Initially there was a huge demand and I made the mistake of having too many people on a course at a time. It’s much better if the group is reasonably small. I normally find a farm willing to make the compulsory chocolate brownies although I have had several people get on a plane and fly over for courses I held here. I divide the day into two parts, the morning concentrates on the drill and the things you need to do to get the optimum performance out of it. The second part is a discussion about direct drilling as a system.
The course costs £100/person (+vat) and you get a printout of the course notes to save you having to make your own. It also entitles you to a lifetime of 24/7 telephone support!
PM me your phone number and I’ll give you a call.
 

Rich k

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Yorkshire
Well I’ve joined the party and ordered a new 4m 750a should arrive first or second week in September. Talked to John Deere at cereals and they said it may come with new pro series openers but would have to check against build slot.
 

Warnesworth

Member
BASE UK Member
Location
Chipping Norton
Hi I’m just after some help I’ve had a John Deere 750a with guttlers on demo and I’m 95% there it would be a good drill for us. especially as without it we would not have drilled 36acres this spring as it was too wet to move in the backend so just left stubble all winter and I must say I was impressed with how the drill coped and covered the seed with a odd wet patch on top. I’m just after people’s thoughts on this drill and direct drilling as I would be going from a sumo then powerharrow then horsch co4 drill setup so it would be a big change. Thanks

Why not just convert the CO4 with some J J Metcalfe points? A LOT cheaper, a better drill to start with etc etc etc.
 

Rich k

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Yorkshire
Why not just convert the CO4 with some J J Metcalfe points? A LOT cheaper, a better drill to start with etc etc etc.

For what I’m trying to achieve that would still have too much disturbance I want to move as little soil as possible to help with black grass. Otherwise yes it would have been a lot cheaper to go that way.
 

Rich k

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Yorkshire
Yes too much I don’t like tine drills and that will leave a very wide band of 238mm with no seed I like the 750 for the narrower seed bands it gives you a better crop canopy to help smother rubbish a wide row gives room for rubbish to grow imo
 

Warnesworth

Member
BASE UK Member
Location
Chipping Norton
Yes too much I don’t like tine drills and that will leave a very wide band of 238mm with no seed I like the 750 for the narrower seed bands it gives you a better crop canopy to help smother rubbish a wide row gives room for rubbish to grow imo

If you’re not moving the soil ‘rubbish’ is less likely to grow. Row width makes no difference at that width. Tine drills create a bit of tilth, mineralise a little more nutrient and have a wider window of soil conditions to drill into.
 

Rich k

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Yorkshire
If you’re not moving the soil ‘rubbish’ is less likely to grow. Row width makes no difference at that width. Tine drills create a bit of tilth, mineralise a little more nutrient and have a wider window of soil conditions to drill into.

Well what can I say we all have different ideas and I’ve seen what works for us and row width does Make a difference to crop competition and canopy but it would be no good if we all did the same thing so each to there own I say
 

Northdowns Martin

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Snodland kent
Hi Rich, I had the same thoughts as you and did exactly as you plan to or have done. Went from Horsch CO4 to JD 750, I'm now very glad I kept the Horsch. 750 didn't like the masses of chopper straw so drilling anything after cereals is a risk, Have put Gen openers on Horsch for OSR and cover crop planting. Read up on what @Clive is doing with his two drills (750 and CO6)
 

Northdowns Martin

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Snodland kent
Why not just convert the CO4 with some J J Metcalfe points? A LOT cheaper, a better drill to start with etc etc etc.
Will be trying drilling cereals on 25cm rows this autumn, have you up seed rates? Also have you altered drilling date? And just to be greedy a third question, have you found varieties or groups better for wider row drilling? ie. Groups 3s over group 1s?
 

Clive

Staff Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Lichfield
For what I’m trying to achieve that would still have too much disturbance I want to move as little soil as possible to help with black grass. Otherwise yes it would have been a lot cheaper to go that way.


as above we have run bot for a while - the converted Co is actually surprisingly low disturbance, it lacks the 750's precise depth control and ability to drill into 6ft tall covers without blocking but other than that its hard to fault, its the far better OSR and bean drill so both have their place
 

Rich k

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Yorkshire
I agree I don’t think the 750a is faultless I’m still going to use my low disturbance Subsoiler to drill rape as I can put fert on at the same time to give it a boost. Only planning on having first wheats so 750a will manly be following bean and rape stubble in winter and putting beans into Covercrops in spring.
 
Last edited:

SFI - What % were you taking out of production?

  • 0 %

    Votes: 79 42.0%
  • Up to 25%

    Votes: 66 35.1%
  • 25-50%

    Votes: 30 16.0%
  • 50-75%

    Votes: 3 1.6%
  • 75-100%

    Votes: 3 1.6%
  • 100% I’ve had enough of farming!

    Votes: 7 3.7%

Red Tractor drops launch of green farming scheme amid anger from farmers

  • 1,292
  • 1
As reported in Independent


quote: “Red Tractor has confirmed it is dropping plans to launch its green farming assurance standard in April“

read the TFF thread here: https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/gfc-was-to-go-ahead-now-not-going-ahead.405234/
Top