Front fert hoppers

[Spud]

For the last 10 or so years, we've used an Andrew Guest Accord hopper to place DAP on our potato planter, reasonably successfully.

It's not without flaws though, there is a limit to how fast we can plant, and how much fert we can meter out without the thing jamming/wheel skipping/backpressure becoming a problem.

We have to completely rebuild the metering unit every year - not a cheap job - and would like to upgrade it really, if not this season, then next, when we plan to upgrade the planter.

An obvious option is liquid, and we have a front tank unit that I bought from a friend, in anticipation of such a change, but is it the right way to go? Logistics being the major drawback - we currently have a couple of decent water bowsers that we could use for fert, but have neither a storage tower, or a suitable site for one. In field, obviously one of the bowsers could supply the fert, the other one being retained to feed the potato washer, but that's more hassle than popping 3 bags of DAP on each seed trailer.

Which leads me towards considering replacing the Accord hopper with a better alternative - the obvious being a Horstine Airstream - seem well built, but expensive. What are they like to live with? Operate? Keep clean? Wear rates? Any problems when they get a few years down the line?

If I remember correctly Alpego make one, as do Horsch, and doubtless others.

Any suggestions/experiences?

Cheers

 

[KennyO]

What about the grimme gravity type hopper putting it into beds at front? My cousin uses them fairly successfully here.

 

[Wombat]

https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/lemken-solitair-8-front-fertiliser-hopper.335739/

not sure if this sort of thing would be any use?

 

[Spud]

What about the grimme gravity type hopper putting it into beds at front? My cousin uses them fairly successfully here.

We have an old Agroband in the shed that we bought new in 1998 iirc, a very similar beast to the Grimme you mention. Good on flat land with a consistent bed the length of the field - nothing like accurate enough on a side swipe or where there are varying soil types/bed depths

 

[Spud]

https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/lemken-solitair-8-front-fertiliser-hopper.335739/

not sure if this sort of thing would be any use?

That's got be worth some research, thank you

 

[Western promise]

Buy the best a Monosem ,been making front tanks for a very long time now. Message me & I will give you the name of a guy who runs one for potatoes, he's from Yorkshire.

 

[HAM135]

Run a techneat placement pro,basic land wheel metering and depth wheels,simple and does the job well.

 

[Mark Hatton]

Agroband advertised on Classifieds last week that was very tidy;

Horstine

Horstine Agroband Excellent condition, currently fitted with small metering kit. 600kg hopper

www.classifieds.farm

 

[Spud]

Run a techneat placement pro,basic land wheel metering and depth wheels,simple and does the job well.

Very similar to an agroband?

 

[Alistair Nelson]

Horsch, alpego, amazone, new design accord all would work well obviously you would need to spec Fert resistant metering device. They would all be electric drive of some description which gets over landwheel issues. Pressurised hoppers like the Horsch will allow you to put on higher rates with out being limited for speed. But they are pricey compared to an Andy guest refurb. I’ve run front tanks now here for 15 years and sold them in a previous life. To justify one of these you may to look at it as part of a drilling rig or number of different drilling rigs as well. We have one tank and 2 back halves and 3rd in build.

 

[Spud]

Horsch, alpego, amazone, new design accord all would work well obviously you would need to spec Fert resistant metering device. They would all be electric drive of some description which gets over landwheel issues. Pressurised hoppers like the Horsch will allow you to put on higher rates with out being limited for speed. But they are pricey compared to an Andy guest refurb. I’ve run front tanks now here for 15 years and sold them in a previous life. To justify one of these you may to look at it as part of a drilling rig or number of different drilling rigs as well. We have one tank and 2 back halves and 3rd in build.

Hi Alistair

Are you aware of anyone other than Lemken that individually meter fert into each pipe, then blow it back in several smaller pipes, rather than one large pipe & a distribution head at the back?
I'm favouring that principle at the moment, based on past experience and a lack of space at the back.

Cheers

 

[Alistair Nelson]

Lemken, Howard Nordsten and monosem I think Paul Roe will keep you right on those. Are you looking for 4 outlets? The Lemken’s aren’t a thing of beauty compared to a lot of there machines and just make sure where the Fert conversion work is done as a lot is done up in Scotland at a dealer up there rather than the factory

Remember you’ll also need individual cyclones to mount for each pipe for those types of system.

 

[Sandy]

Lemken, Howard Nordsten and monosem I think Paul Roe will keep you right on those. Are you looking for 4 outlets? The Lemken’s aren’t a thing of beauty compared to a lot of there machines and just make sure where the Fert conversion work is done as a lot is done up in Scotland at a dealer up there rather than the factory

Remember you’ll also need individual cyclones to mount for each pipe for those types of system.

I think the only front hopper lemken make is the new plastic tank that came out last year ,the steel tanks were all made in Scotland by Sellars or in Fife sprayed in blue paint with lemken stickers and lemken metering units

 

[Alistair Nelson]

Yes That’s what I was trying to politely say just can remember the name of the man in fife who does all the work including the grain and Fert conversions

 

[Sandy]

Yes That’s what I was trying to politely say just can remember the name of the man in fife who does all the work including the grain and Fert conversions

Kenny Duncan in Fife

 

[Alistair Nelson]

Kenny Duncan in Fife

That’s your man

 

[HAM135]

Very similar to an agroband?

Yes same idea but much bigger hopper,depth wheels and greedy boards,will hold 2 600kg bags.We have tried blowing back in the past but always found that if you stop and start half way down a row you ended up with a few feet with no fert.Gravity is simple,you stop it stops,fert as soon as you start moving again.

 

[Spud]

Yes same idea but much bigger hopper,depth wheels and greedy boards,will hold 2 600kg bags.We have tried blowing back in the past but always found that if you stop and start half way down a row you ended up with a few feet with no fert.Gravity is simple,you stop it stops,fert as soon as you start moving again.

I know what you mean, but with undulating land with tines on the front, we can soon be crabbing in the rows enough for the uppermost tine to be dropping fert in the wheeling.
Gravity units still miss a few feet when you set off, but I agree, the missed bit is less than a blow back system. For me, the odd missed bit is the lesser evil, compared to every row of fert being a bit out of line in some fields

 

[Brisel]

What about an old air drill seed hopper? Buy an old drill for peanuts at a farm sale (oops, online now) and cut the coulter frame off. Fit electric metering. Sorted.

 

[Pebd99]

Still an idea to use your existing hopper.