Dutch openers

Green oak

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Essex
anyone fitted them to there sprinter.
 

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solo

Member
Location
worcestershire
No but I have used gen openers on a co3 for direct drilling osr.
They have worked very well in sandy loam soils that were too wet to cultivate at the time with heavy rain following drilling. Never used them for cereals though. My soils seem to set too solid when dry for direct drilling. Better to wait for rain than spend on juice and metal.
 
Had Dutch openers for 2 autumns now. Use 5 inch paired for cereals and cover crops, drilled around 1800 acres with a set on wearing ground. Massive reduction in hp requirement and creates less banding than duets. Watch depth control on different soils as can sometimes put in deeper than you think. Have direct drilled all my covers straight into stubble with good results. 1 inch point good for d drilled beans though outlets are small enough for bridging of seed.
Overall impressed with them. Pan anglia seem to offer more than sumo on choice and better prices.
 

Green oak

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Essex
Had Dutch openers for 2 autumns now. Use 5 inch paired for cereals and cover crops, drilled around 1800 acres with a set on wearing ground. Massive reduction in hp requirement and creates less banding than duets. Watch depth control on different soils as can sometimes put in deeper than you think. Have direct drilled all my covers straight into stubble with good results. 1 inch point good for d drilled beans though outlets are small enough for bridging of seed.
Overall impressed with them. Pan anglia seem to offer more than sumo on choice and better prices.
I was thinking the 2.5" paired for wheat for less disturbance on worked ground.
 

RBM

Member
Arable Farmer
Good point. I've got the rep from pan Anglia coming on Thursday. To have a look at the openers.
We put the Dutch openers on our sprinter this year, direct drilled all the spring barley with good results and have direct drilled a lot of osr, wheat and covers with it this Autumn. Run the 2.5 & 5" points, I prefer the 2.5" as it disturbs much less, the gap between plant stands comes down to 18cm in the end so not quite as wide as it could be. Transformed the drill & allowing us to convert to no-till at a relatively low cost with what we've got.
 
We put the Dutch openers on our sprinter this year, direct drilled all the spring barley with good results and have direct drilled a lot of osr, wheat and covers with it this Autumn. Run the 2.5 & 5" points, I prefer the 2.5" as it disturbs much less, the gap between plant stands comes down to 18cm in the end so not quite as wide as it could be. Transformed the drill & allowing us to convert to no-till at a relatively low cost with what we've got.
Looking at adding covering discs behind each coulter which is on some sprinter drills abroad. I reckon this would stop too much soil throw and create less reliance on the following harrows and less disturbance. Any thoughts?
 
Point being the sprinter is versatile enough to adapt to direct drill without spending shed loads of cash on a new drill. Our 6m sprinter has done 8 seasons of 2000 acres plus per season and should last another 8 with or without new openers because there is not a lot to go wrong.
 

RBM

Member
Arable Farmer
Looking at adding covering discs behind each coulter which is on some sprinter drills abroad. I reckon this would stop too much soil throw and create less reliance on the following harrows and less disturbance. Any thoughts?
Might not be a bad idea, find the soil flows back better over the points so covering harrows have a lot less work to do, especially with the 2.5" points.
 

mo!

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
York
Point being the sprinter is versatile enough to adapt to direct drill without spending shed loads of cash on a new drill. Our 6m sprinter has done 8 seasons of 2000 acres plus per season and should last another 8 with or without new openers because there is not a lot to go wrong.
My point was that it works well on the DTS so should work for you.
 

Jellyfarm

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Northants
We have now had 3 autumns with dutch openers. 5" for cereals and 1" for osr and beans.
I agree with all that has been said. - wear is very good, improvement on old duetts because no smearing, easier to pull. Only problem is 1" blocks with beans , but can solve this by travelling slower.
Interested by what has been said about 2.5" - may give some a try.
On the covering discs - used to have these on co4 and they were a high maintenance issue. I prefer the harrows, but I see where you are coming from.

J
 

Wheatland

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Shropshire
My 5" coulters are just about worn out. They are fitted to a 6m sprinter and I think they will have covered around 2500ha. How are others finding them?
 

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