The market for these drills seems limited. A few leading manufacturers have dealerships for their brands. They still don’t seem to have demonstrators. The smaller producers don’t advertise if they want to try show their wares off. I know the groundswell show has them but anything works in summer. Just look at cereals. I would like to try them at a time on my land when I would be using them. They are an expensive item and it may affect yields if not suited to the farmed land. I’ve used a contractor with a Claydon and the results were no better or worse on rape than conventional systems. For me to invest in this system I would like to do comparisons with all makes of these drills. Come on manufactures bring them on to our farms instead of press adverts and favoured farmers telling us how great they are
Direct drill demonstrations.
- Thread starter Jackall
- Start date
- Location
- south norfolk
You will be lucky.ive been wanting to see them working fir two years and only seen the weaving sabre tine working thanks to @Bob lincs offering. after weaving ignored me but they were no worse than anyone else.
nick...
nick...
Pilatus
Member
Why have the drill makers / dealers got the attitude you mention , as it seems a very non business way of thinking?
That said , I think it was mentioned in an old thread, that a certain drill maker would demonstrate for a fee, which would presumably refunded if the farmer actually bought a drill but the idea did not go down very well with some TFF members.
If one offered to pay towards the transport of the drill to the demo farm, would they be more interested, if not they must have something to hide.
I entirely agree with what you say @Jackall
That said , I think it was mentioned in an old thread, that a certain drill maker would demonstrate for a fee, which would presumably refunded if the farmer actually bought a drill but the idea did not go down very well with some TFF members.
If one offered to pay towards the transport of the drill to the demo farm, would they be more interested, if not they must have something to hide.
I entirely agree with what you say @Jackall
If I was seriously interested in a demo I wouldn’t have an issue with paying infact that’s the way I think it should be. But and it’s a big but I would like to see dealers using the money they save which would be substantial I’ve heard £1000 per demo mentioned, but in as discount on all machines. It does anoy me a little when some people just have demo after demo to get work done cheap it’s people that actually buy the machines that pay for this as it’s built into the price.
I’ve narrowed it down to four.. tine only 1. disc tine 2 and disc only. They all could come in within a week and drill 5/10 acres side by side and go. Bring their own tractor and drill. It can’t be that hard. The reps could forward plan when the intial enquiry made. Good planning means they could do several in the region in a given area. If they wanted they could post on here when in the area This would target the people interested without spending money on printed advertising in the printed media and would be flexible if adverse weather caused a change of plans.
So when do you want to have drills on farm
Yes Virkar dynamic DC
- Location
- Moreton-in-Marsh, Glos
I remember going to a Hutchinsons (HLH) establishment event near Banbury 2 years ago in the Spring, where they’d compared several Direct drills. All the drills were there on a static display because we were looking at what they had drilled the previous October.
There were 2 major things that worried me.
The first being that all the land had been moved with a modified, tine plus press before it was drilled. Which didn’t suggest Direct drilling to me!
The 2nd being that DD’ing late October isn’t what I’d call the ideal date.
One of the drills was the Farm’s Vaddy Rapid, used without the discs in front and its results were as good visually as anything else.
Looking at the static display, the one that caught my eye the most was the Weaving GD. I could instantly see the logic of its angled discs, being absolute minimum disturbance, better penetration and less chance of the slot opening up if it remained dry post drilling.
Having lost 60% of my Rape by Spring last year, I decided to give both the Weaving and the Claydon a trial and asked each for a demo.
Weaving turned up to drill 30 acres for free and would do more but wanted to charge for it.
Claydon pulled out of the demo they offered, which looked a bit suspicious!
There were 2 major things that worried me.
The first being that all the land had been moved with a modified, tine plus press before it was drilled. Which didn’t suggest Direct drilling to me!
The 2nd being that DD’ing late October isn’t what I’d call the ideal date.
One of the drills was the Farm’s Vaddy Rapid, used without the discs in front and its results were as good visually as anything else.
Looking at the static display, the one that caught my eye the most was the Weaving GD. I could instantly see the logic of its angled discs, being absolute minimum disturbance, better penetration and less chance of the slot opening up if it remained dry post drilling.
Having lost 60% of my Rape by Spring last year, I decided to give both the Weaving and the Claydon a trial and asked each for a demo.
Weaving turned up to drill 30 acres for free and would do more but wanted to charge for it.
Claydon pulled out of the demo they offered, which looked a bit suspicious!
average farmer
Member
- Location
- North Notts
When we were interested in a Clayton they dropped us one off before we started drilling. Then charged us £10 for a minimum of 500 acres drilled then knocked that off the drill if we bought it, which we did.
a very good way of doing it and a great company to deal with.
a very good way of doing it and a great company to deal with.
Claydon are bringing ,a drill
just doing one bag , in a field ,then will have another one do a bag ,and then rest normal way to compare ,if you want a look will letbyou know when it comesA single demonstration involves haulage each way and no matter where you are, now a days your looking at an average of £800 for that. If they don’t send a tractor with it then you might have delays fitting it to the farm tractors, things like free flow returns or electric outlets. If you send a tractor then the drill suppliers has had the cost of buying it so it has a set hourly cost which would be high due to reduced annual hours.
They need insurances for it all. They need to send their demo guy because the haulage driver will be from a haulage company. Any demo could easily cost £1500.
Even if they organise a week of them in an area, add to the above hotel costs and then the demo guy has problems getting his truck back from the farm he’s left that morning to road the drill to the next farm.
It’s not easy and to be honest in today’s world of digital media I’m not sure an on farm demo is required. You can generally find what you need online with searches such as ‘disc drill, clay soil, cover crop’ and you’ll see a disc drill seeding into cover crops on clay soil and all the slotting you need to give you an answer. If you must go to an organised demo where there are all the drills on trial.
- Location
- south norfolk
I can understand the above but with the cost of things I think demo’s are important.I’m sure the cost of these is built into the massive price of these drills which are basically cultivators with a tank on top And all well over priced in my opinion.there was a weaving working about 6 miles away from me last autumn and I’d spoke to weaving on multiple occasions about seeing one work.I discovered it was very local through Facebook and called weaving to be told it woukd be within 20 miles the following day and Simon would call me first thing in the morning.never heard from him again.at least Dale drill sent me an email apologising about forgetting about me.@Will 1594 I’d like to come have a look if you are working on stubble if I get the chance,thank you
nick...
nick...
- Location
- south norfolk
That’s probably the issue but no one knows our financial situation.maybe that’s why I never got a green and yellow tractor on demo over two years ago When I asked.I’m still interested in the dd route and have looked for a suitable accord tank and bits and pieces over the winter but can’t find nothing suitable and again dealers ive contacted about suitable combinations that I’d separate have not bothered to come back to me either.I’ve got everything planned out and I’m sure I could build something for between £6/10k
nick...
Weaving came here with a 6m GD drill in Autumn. It was at the start of a 3 week demo tour . They had hauled the drill and tractor to Scotland and then were driving it down the east of the country doing Demos .
I had enquired at a show a couple of years previously. Told them that I had no immediate plans to change my system. They came and drilled 3Ha of wheat for a bit of diesel. Very pleasant folks and hopefully will do some business with them sometime.
I had enquired at a show a couple of years previously. Told them that I had no immediate plans to change my system. They came and drilled 3Ha of wheat for a bit of diesel. Very pleasant folks and hopefully will do some business with them sometime.
- Location
- Essex
Might be easier to find someone local to come and do some for you as a normal contract job. It's around £50 a hectare.
I'm only a small farmer but Weavings came and drilled a 40 acre block in an afternoon for no charge, I now have a GD in the shed, service has been good.
I had 4 strip till drills on demo before buying a Claydon. Getting them here at the same time wasn't possible but they weren't far apart & I chose to drill osr after winter barley so avoiding the busiest demo period.
Later on when I was looking at disc drills, JD, Horsch and Weaving were very good at getting to me. 6m machines. I don't quite understand why the smaller guys get left out - they sell several times the number of 3-4m drills for every 6-8m one.
I'd have a word with the manufacturers to see which local farmers have a drill and talk to them directly. I've done a few bits of drilling locally on a contracting basis.
Later on when I was looking at disc drills, JD, Horsch and Weaving were very good at getting to me. 6m machines. I don't quite understand why the smaller guys get left out - they sell several times the number of 3-4m drills for every 6-8m one.
I'd have a word with the manufacturers to see which local farmers have a drill and talk to them directly. I've done a few bits of drilling locally on a contracting basis.
- Location
- south norfolk
Since typing my comments above Mann’s have kindly contacted me offering the chance to see a horsch working in the very near future.nice to see some companies on the ball.
nick...
nick...
The London Palladium event “BPR Seminar”
This is our next step following the London rally 
BPR is not just a farming issue, it affects ALL business, it removes incentive to invest for growth
Join us @LondonPalladium on the 16th for beginning of UK business fight back
lwtheatres.co.uk
BPR is not just a farming issue, it affects ALL business, it removes incentive to invest for growth
Join us @LondonPalladium on the 16th for beginning of UK business fight back
BPR Summit | LW Theatres
lwtheatres.co.uk