Calibrating a Simtech (Grassfarmer)

[Yale]

Don’t use the drill a lot,less than 100 acres from new so everything in tip top condition.

Calibrated yesterday and meticulously followed the protocol.Even did a live run so to add in a bit of vibration.

However sowed short yesterday but last year ran out of seed by quite a margin.

Calibrated 6kg/ acre yesterday and it sowed less than 4kg/ acre.

Am I missing something?

Couldn‘t split the seed as field is so irregular,no gps either.

Any helpful tips?

 

[robs1]

It maybe a couple of things sponges getting "smoother" so more/less seed flow, have found I need to turn the wheel about the same speed as it does when actually drilling as it helps, I find mine can be erratic first time out in a season, usually drill an acre or so then recheck, grass seed is much harder to get right compared to.corn as it's so light.
Not much help sorry.

Ps sure you didnt lose count ofvthe number of revolutions, I have never done that myself of course

 

[onesiedale]

Sounds a long way out. Like @robs1 said, what condition are the sponges.

 

[Bill Turtle]

My Simtech doesn’t have a brake on the packer roll which drives the feed rollers. Because the packer has a lot of inertia, if you pick up on the headland at any speed the feed rollers take a long time to stop, thus causing overseeding. I imagine the ones with an accord seed mechanism are different.

 

[le bon paysan]

Did you cover the sponges when calibrating it. If just abit of seed in the drill mine never gives a true read.

 

[Yale]

It maybe a couple of things sponges getting "smoother" so more/less seed flow, have found I need to turn the wheel about the same speed as it does when actually drilling as it helps, I find mine can be erratic first time out in a season, usually drill an acre or so then recheck, grass seed is much harder to get right compared to.corn as it's so light.
Not much help sorry.

Ps sure you didnt lose count ofvthe number of revolutions, I have never done that myself of course

Thinking on I put sulphur granules in the mix and I’m thinking it changed the grabbing capability of the sponges.

 

[Yale]

Sounds a long way out. Like @robs1 said, what condition are the sponges.

Sponges are good,drill has done very little from new.

 

[Yale]

Did you cover the sponges when calibrating it. If just abit of seed in the drill mine never gives a true read.

Yes,I put half the seed in so well covered however I suspect it has something to do with the sulphur.

 

[Yale]

Thanks for all the replies by the way.