Drill to cope with varied conditions

[Colin]

After an abortive attempt 12 years ago to try and run a farm with roots and combinables using only a Claydon drill fell a bit flat for several reasons. Chiefly among them we were farming a block of heavier land that just left slots and the tined drill, couldn't cope with the uneven conditions after root crops. I switched to vaderstads and then onto a power harrow drill. However,
1, we now don't farm the heavy land
2, running a big power harrow and a chiefly plough based system is overkill for our light land
3, it costs a fortune and needs lots of hp
4, I need to improve the soil

No tilling is out of the window, we farm 800ha with 100 of spuds and 50 of carrots which are the crops that drive returns. I try to use as many cover crops as possible, either rye before spring grain or radish before roots.
The rotation is roughly, spuds, wheat, grain rye/oats, carrots, spring cereal, wheat/rye or thereabouts.
I'm thinking I need to go back to a tined drill but need one that will follow contours and help to level things out a bit. Has the potential to work after ploughing if need be. I would also like to place fertiliser if possible.
Any suggestions?

 

[Spud]

Weaving GD with a Grange time bar in front, and a decent 4m combi on discs would be my call, with a liquid fert tank on the front to use with either drill. Sumo (etal) and a plough.

 

[Colin]

Run a 6m lemken just now with seed on the front linkage, it's a 2013 model and has probably depreciated fully, so the alternative idea was a Grange toolbar in front of our lemken karat then drill, or as we do just now plough and press with a pair of 5f ploughs which are well written down as well.

 

[Colin]

How much is one of those toolbars anyway? I'm also thinking of changing potato establishment, at the moment we plough, grub, ridge and separate, also have the facility to till and ridge in one pass before destoning.

 

[Spud]

Run a 6m lemken just now with seed on the front linkage, it's a 2013 model and has probably depreciated fully, so the alternative idea was a Grange toolbar in front of our lemken karat then drill, or as we do just now plough and press with a pair of 5f ploughs which are well written down as well.

We swapped one of our old 5f ploughs for a 14yo 7f wagon plough. Pull it with 200hp on 20.8r42 wheels.
What a difference in output!

 

[Spud]

How much is one of those toolbars anyway? I'm also thinking of changing potato establishment, at the moment we plough, grub, ridge and separate, also have the facility to till and ridge in one pass before destoning.

About 8k for 3m iirc

Do you need to seperate everything?
Biggest change here is pulling a Simba TL through the cc before ploughing taty land. Bedtilling reduced by about 40% as a result, with more weatherproof ridges, better spuds and easier harvesting.

 

[Clive]

Front hopper and tool bar that will direct drill (new 4 row weaving maybe ?)

power Harrow and toolbar for when you plough / after roots using same front hopper

 

[Colin]

We swapped one of our old 5f ploughs for a 14yo 7f wagon plough. Pull it with 200hp on 20.8r42 wheels.
What a difference in output!

Prefer to plough and press if we are going down that route

 

[Colin]

Front hopper and tool bar that will direct drill (new 4 row weaving maybe ?)

power Harrow and toolbar for when you plough / after roots using same front hopper

Good thinking, the front hopper is autonomous from the rear anyway. Maybe tow an old fg with seed boots ?

 

[Clive]

Good thinking, the front hopper is autonomous from the rear anyway. Maybe tow an old fg with seed boots ?

either do an FG with boots or maybe a CO like ours?

if you want something new off the shelf take a look at the new weaving

 

[Case290]

Y change again sounds like you have it sorted.

 

[Goldilocks]

After an abortive attempt 12 years ago to try and run a farm with roots and combinables using only a Claydon drill fell a bit flat for several reasons. Chiefly among them we were farming a block of heavier land that just left slots and the tined drill, couldn't cope with the uneven conditions after root crops. I switched to vaderstads and then onto a power harrow drill. However,
1, we now don't farm the heavy land
2, running a big power harrow and a chiefly plough based system is overkill for our light land
3, it costs a fortune and needs lots of hp
4, I need to improve the soil

No tilling is out of the window, we farm 800ha with 100 of spuds and 50 of carrots which are the crops that drive returns. I try to use as many cover crops as possible, either rye before spring grain or radish before roots.
The rotation is roughly, spuds, wheat, grain rye/oats, carrots, spring cereal, wheat/rye or thereabouts.
I'm thinking I need to go back to a tined drill but need one that will follow contours and help to level things out a bit. Has the potential to work after ploughing if need be. I would also like to place fertiliser if possible.
Any suggestions?

Have a look at my ad in the classified section ,drills for sale. Hopper could be split as two metering units and fans way on top of the job just doing 3m each.

 

[Goldilocks]

KRM/Farmforce cultivator drill