Do you use disc or tine type drill for extremely stony/flinty ground ?

[Pilatus]

On the Cotswolds the Vaderstad disc drill and the Horsch tine type drill are both very popular. From what I can see the Horsch tine type drill copes better with the extreme stone, giving a more even crop,as the tines push the stones to one side, unlike the Vaderstad disc drill which can tend to ride over the stones "especially when the drillman travels like hell in the night".
So was wondering what other TFF members think on the subject.
When I say extreme stone ,I mean where there is more stone than soil on the surface !!!!

 

[wold-topper]

A lot in our area still using power harrow combi drills and we are on the Yorkshire wolds, flints. Mostly moved over on to disk coulters these days and I tend to find them better with modern discs turning much freer and capable of more pressure, its a different class to the old "Massey 30" drills that stops turning and soon ended up with a flat side!

 

[Pilatus]

A lot in our area still using power harrow combi drills and we are on the Yorkshire wolds, flints. Mostly moved over on to disk coulters these days and I tend to find them better with modern discs turning much freer and capable of more pressure, its a different class to the old "Massey 30" drills that stops turning and soon ended up with a flat side!

I expect you are also going reasonably slow ( rather than 12kph plus!!!)so that helps considerably whether disc or tine.
Wide and slow on stone is the way to go.

 

[Drillman]

Still on Suffolk coulters here on the Yorkshire wolds. Not perfect but done some very stony ground over the years.

Discs ride over stuff too easy with us unless they have vaderscrap levels of pressure normal type coulters shove stones aside. A bit like the bow of a ship going thru water.

The ultimate for us would be a powerharrow with a tine drill on it.

 

[bravheart]

Horsch CO here, tines work ok in stones but can break half worn points when going at speed. Points half price now but were around £50 each! Stones can get between wheels bending rims and puncturing tyres, presume vaderstad will be similar.

 

[Pilatus]

Still on Suffolk coulters here on the Yorkshire wolds. Not perfect but done some very stony ground over the years.

Discs ride over stuff too easy with us unless they have vaderscrap levels of pressure normal type coulters shove stones aside. A bit like the bow of a ship going thru water.

The ultimate for us would be a powerharrow with a tine drill on it.

The most even crops we used to have on very stony Cotswold soil,were behind Amazone RPD combidrill with Suffolk coulters , following close behind the plough.

 

[Brisel]

I've been having this conversation with @Warnesworth He's a big fan of tine drills rather than discs but I want one that can drill directly into big cover crops. I'm on flinty ground & can see why a tine would be useful for pushing stones & chopped straw out of the way.

 

[Thomas Simpson]

On the Cotswolds the Vaderstad disc drill and the Horsch tine type drill are both very popular. From what I can see the Horsch tine type drill copes better with the extreme stone, giving a more even crop,as the tines push the stones to one side, unlike the Vaderstad disc drill which can tend to ride over the stones "especially when the drillman travels like hell in the night".
So was wondering what other TFF members think on the subject.
When I say extreme stone ,I mean where there is more stone than soil on the surface !!!!

For build quality the vaderstad is designed for stone, we ran one in very Stoney conditions and it took it all in it’s stride. Had a simba freeflow and it was a good drill but snapped a lot of tines.

 

[Warnesworth]

I've been having this conversation with @Warnesworth He's a big fan of tine drills rather than discs but I want one that can drill directly into big cover crops. I'm on flinty ground & can see why a tine would be useful for pushing stones & chopped straw out of the way.

Thanks @Brisel I should add that I believe that the tine drill is a good entry drill into zero-till and should remain the default drill. But you will also need a disc drill when drilling into large cover crops, but this comes later. Tine drill's can be converted for very little money reducing the expenditure and risk. So often I see disc drills being used too late in the season (or early in the spring) and then people remark about poor establishment and lack of vigour. I notice that Triton especially use this little detail when comparing their drilled crops to a 750a's, so comparing apples with pears. But the reality is that if it they compared their drill to a tine drilled crop this would be comparing apples with apples.

 

[ollie989898]

Tined seeder from KV. Dirt cheap, light and low running costs and pull 6m with less that 150hp.

 

[David.]

But they are a fairly heavy disturbance drill...

 

[Vitu]

Currently evaluating this machine in the uk.
Have been direct drilling into very stoney fields no problem.
The disc works independently from the seeding coulter. So it can lift over large
Stones but the seeding coulter stays on the ground and moves the stones out of the
Way. The disc is not only to cut the trash but also creates a micro tilt for the seed
to sit on.

 

[Pilatus]

View attachment 791824 Currently evaluating this machine in the uk.
Have been direct drilling into very stoney fields no problem.
The disc works independently from the seeding coulter. So it can lift over large
Stones but the seeding coulter stays on the ground and moves the stones out of the
Way. The disc is not only to cut the trash but also creates a micro tilt for the seed
to sit on.

Have you tried the drill in damp/wet soil conditions, as this spring has been pretty dry, ideal for most drills to perform at there best, irrespective of make.

 

[Vitu]

Yes we have. We had one field that was to wet to cultivate. So we direct
Drilled spring barley into it. It’s on a farm where a good proportion is under water all winter and early spring
It has established as well as if we had tried to use our normal
Establishment method.

 

[jjm]

View attachment 791824 Currently evaluating this machine in the uk.
Have been direct drilling into very stoney fields no problem.
The disc works independently from the seeding coulter. So it can lift over large
Stones but the seeding coulter stays on the ground and moves the stones out of the
Way. The disc is not only to cut the trash but also creates a micro tilt for the seed
to sit on.

What happens when the drilling tine gets hold of the stone the disc has ridden over?. I don’t mean a little stone , I am talking about one of the ones that trips the plough leg / the ones you have to have had some weetabix in the morning to lift it onto the rollers !.

 

[Vitu]

If it encounters stones that size the tine would lift out and ride over it.

 

[jjm]

Will it be demoed anywhere this autumn?

 

[Vitu]

It will be at groundswell in June. And will be available for on farm demonstrations this autumn.

 

[Rihards]

But they are a fairly heavy disturbance drill...

Et the END of year You pay Your bills with yield not disturbance rate

 

[Vitu]

Yield alone does not pay your bills.
It’s the yield you achieve less the costs to achieve that yield that pays the
bills.
Sometimes less is more.