Folding 4 meter combi recommendations

[fieldfarmer]

We can put our front hoppers on or off in under ten minutes.

Ha, ha, beat you, well almost, somebody came to look at mine, kunh front hopper and folding power Harrow, wouldn't believe it was easy to put on, 2 of us from bare tractor to ready to fill hopper and go in 6 mins, but like I said two of us.

 

[Bob lincs]

View attachment 917633
We have just delivered this, grower was considering moving away from P/H combi to a more minimal or direct approach, but with spuds in the rotation and the ever more catchy autumn's it was thought best to stick with combi. If required PH can be removed from frame and discs put in its place for a more minimal tillage situation.

Shouldn’t this be in the Quick fixes bodies and creations thread

 

[Bob lincs]

Ha, ha, beat you, well almost, somebody came to look at mine, kunh front hopper and folding power Harrow, wouldn't believe it was easy to put on, 2 of us from bare tractor to ready to fill hopper and go in 6 mins, but like I said two of us.

We built our front hoppers so made everything quick fit, also tractors have front spools so there’s no running pipes to the back .

 

[fieldfarmer]

We built our front hoppers so made everything quick fit, also tractors have front spools so there’s no running pipes to the back .

Yep, same here, only chuck the air pipe up on a bracket that is permanently on both tractors.

 

[Clive]

They're ok if rigged up for a season. Just. It takes a bit longer for seed to get from front hopper to coulter than it does when the hopper is at the back. Similarly, it takes longer for the pipes to empty at the bout end. I know tech can take care of this if necessary, but it adds unnecessary complication we don't need.
Visibility impaired
More cost
Can't use a front press
Our combi goes on 2 different tractors some years, having pipes down both is very inconvenient.

We tolerate a front hopper for fert at taty planting time, but it's on for the season, then off again.

For us, a 3m combi & direct drill works well. We'd need a significant increase in area before 4m started to be worth the hassle.

modern ISO hopper not so bad

we can go from corn carting to drill in about 30 mins on your own with our Horsch Partner and CO toolbar

visibility is better IMO with clear view of the coulters, filling os easier and safer with operator at ground level

delay of seed to coulter is taken care of with auto sections/ gps / delays set up

weight distribution is way better

its personal choice i guess but i much prefer front hoppers

 

[Chae1]

They're ok if rigged up for a season. Just. It takes a bit longer for seed to get from front hopper to coulter than it does when the hopper is at the back. Similarly, it takes longer for the pipes to empty at the bout end. I know tech can take care of this if necessary, but it adds unnecessary complication we don't need.
Visibility impaired
More cost
Can't use a front press
Our combi goes on 2 different tractors some years, having pipes down both is very inconvenient.

We tolerate a front hopper for fert at taty planting time, but it's on for the season, then off again.

For us, a 3m combi & direct drill works well. We'd need a significant increase in area before 4m started to be worth the hassle.

Our front hoppers always had press wheels underneath them.

I don't really find ours a pain. But luckily don't often have to take it off once started.

 

[Spud]

modern ISO hopper not so bad

we can go from corn carting to drill in about 30 mins on your own with our Horsch Partner and CO toolbar

visibility is better IMO with clear view of the coulters, filling os easier and safer with operator at ground level

delay of seed to coulter is taken care of with auto sections/ gps / delays set up

weight distribution is way better

its personal choice i guess but i much prefer front hoppers

At 12m (or even 6) I'm sure a modern front hopper is much better than extra weight on wheels behind the drill.

How do you get seed to the drill? Fixed rigid to the tractor then a flexi at each end?

A mounted toolbar not a problem as such, but with a heavy combination hung on the back, the empty hopper needs to be heavy enough to hold the nose down on the road, which can mean too much weight on the tractor wheels with the drill in work, unless it's lowered onto wheels, which reduces visibility still further.
I'd much prefer a front press, which has the effect of removing the weight in work.

 

[Farma Parma]

Horsch make a solid 4m with a hopper on the back

Yeah i know i just cant move 4m around here its lethal & wouldnt get it thru shed doors neither.

 

[Chae1]

I don't have anymore. But big advantage of front box is can run different coulter bar configurations. Like Clive and boblincs, farmer roy do.

Your essentially buying a fan, hopper, coulter bar and metering units. Can then choose how you want to put it into soil at other end.

 

[RAF]

Seed flex was 2.85 m wide . So if they wanted tramlines it never worked to a true 24 m . It soon wore all the bushes and moving parts out .and drilling on a lot rocky ground it bent it all up, also they made the drill a lot heavier . My 4 now is a true 4 m on the old still coulters . But I agree the seed flex are very good .

 

[Farma Parma]

Seed flex was 2.85 m wide . So if they wanted tramlines it never worked to a true 24 m . It soon wore all the bushes and moving parts out .and drilling on a lot rocky ground it bent it all up, also they made the drill a lot heavier . My 4 now is a true 4 m on the old still coulters . But I agree the seed flex are very good .

Scratching heed is this proper engrish ? yes i agree seedflex is 2.85 on 24 coulters but turn around & drill back up the field & match row spacing up its then 2.95 near enuff
you cant get anything much closer than that surely ?
Its only the drill metalwork & packer roller than brings it to just over 3m like 2 or 3cm at most.
Ive replaced all sowing discs & seedflex hanging pins/bushes on mine at 4250acres & its pretty much like new again.
Its also had several areas beefed up so will hopefully sow a lot more acres yet.
Discs wear out quicker behind tractor wheels & outside edges than the rest but i changed the lot & it cert hides the seed underneath much better now

 

[Charlie M]

What coulter spacing is your lemken?

150mm
A front hopper is a lot easier to move about on the road then a 4m folding front press, especially in the dark.

 

[AlanT]

I agree there that seedflex is v good yes its got a lot of moving & wearing parts but its designed to drill in such a variation of soil types
wet or dry.
Id like to think Horsch would make that KR into 4m one day & no front hoppers please
gateways are bad enuff with a front press on but atleast you can see over it.

I was told that if Lemken were to design their concept now it wouldn’t be allowed as there is to much weight on the rear. There would have to be some sort of wheels to transport it around on the road. Similar to the Kuhn 6m combi.

 

[Farma Parma]

Been running a Lemken 4 meter folding with a dalbo front press for 3 seasons now. Only comes out when the Vaderstad can’t go. Got under pressure last season so bought a 3 meter Horsch KR.

I was told that if Lemken were to design their concept now it wouldn’t be allowed as there is to much weight on the rear. There would have to be some sort of wheels to transport it around on the road. Similar to the Kuhn 6m combi.

Or Horsch KR idea on there 6m ph combi outfit? iam sure the farm locally who runs one says the only thing they would like seeing improving is making that rear support axle (Steerable)
They cert cover the ground with it & made a good job. 4th season now i think its into 370hp upfront mind on 900 rear tyres !

 

[KB6930]

150mm
A front hopper is a lot easier to move about on the road then a 4m folding front press, especially in the dark.

I'm reasonably surprised at that 125mm just won't go in crappy conditions round here but the 150 are usually fine

 

[KB6930]

Seed flex was 2.85 m wide . So if they wanted tramlines it never worked to a true 24 m . It soon wore all the bushes and moving parts out .and drilling on a lot rocky ground it bent it all up, also they made the drill a lot heavier . My 4 now is a true 4 m on the old still coulters . But I agree the seed flex are very good .

Either my tape measure has been wrong or we've had special ones then . All 3 of our 3m seedflex first one was an NC second an LC third was a pre season new model 3040 and they were all 2.9m coulter to coulter and our current 4m is 3.9 m

 

[RAF]

Mine was just worn out. And use to leave to bigger gaps. I felt a 4 m one would be to much weight for what they want me to drill into. So I just went for a simple drill . ( keep it simple stupid I am told )

 

[Will 1594]

Or Horsch KR idea on there 6m ph combi outfit? iam sure the farm locally who runs one says the only thing they would like seeing improving is making that rear support axle (Steerable)
They cert cover the ground with it & made a good job. 4th season now i think its into 370hp upfront mind on 900 rear tyres !

Crosshall has a 6 m kr , looks a good rig ,think they have a duallled 310 r on ,it

 

[Farma Parma]

Either my tape measure has been wrong or we've had special ones then . All 3 of our 3m seedflex first one was an NC second an LC third was a pre season new model 3040 and they were all 2.9m coulter to coulter and our current 4m is 3.9 m

5cm is nowt am just trying to mind when i did all them poxy measurements for Guidance faffing about off my heed here

 

[KB6930]

Crosshall has a 6 m kr , looks a good rig ,think they have a duallled 310 r on ,it

It goes well makes a very tidy job