Horsch seed motor - anyone changed it before?

[Steevo]

Starting to get unreliable low seed rates on our Horsch Sprinter. Horsch have suggested it's like a dodgy seeding motor.

Has anyone on here replaced one previously?

I did a search back and found a post where @Longneck did so in 2018.

 

[Phil P]

I’d be tempted to check the metering unit isn’t binding anywhere before splashing out on a motor. Did a bit of work on a pronto years ago that had dodgy metering unit and was pulling to many amps. If I remember right it was just a case of cleaning out the unit properly and making sure everything was free. The power supply connection had been getting hot as well due to the increased load and needed replacing.

 

[Steevo]

I’d be tempted to check the metering unit isn’t binding anywhere before splashing out on a motor. Did a bit of work on a pronto years ago that had dodgy metering unit and was pulling to many amps. If I remember right it was just a case of cleaning out the unit properly and making sure everything was free. The power supply connection had been getting hot as well due to the increased load and needed replacing.

Thanks.

It all runs ok and seems to do what it should….but in order to get a seed rate of 250kg/ha i needed to tell the box I wanted to sow 375kg/ha. Not ideal but it would still do the job needed.

In an ideal world I’d borrow a motor and swap it out as a test but that might be easier said than done.

 

[thorpe]

our co4 threw a wobly last night , we think we know what it is but wanted to run it past a horsch enginer before we spent a fortune but heis not returning the call. really want to be ready to go after this rain pass's.

 

[Fish]

When we bought an old co4, it went through a period of inconsistency, re seed rate, which was eventually cured with a new motor.

 

[JMM]

If it has the agtron modules at the front, under the tank, make sure that nothing has rattled loose, mine did and i had the same problem.

 

[Steevo]

our co4 threw a wobly last night , we think we know what it is but wanted to run it past a horsch enginer before we spent a fortune but heis not returning the call. really want to be ready to go after this rain pass's.

When I spoke to Horsch earlier it sounded like the service engineers weren’t available today so others were covering for them.

I’d keep trying…

 

[Steevo]

If it has the agtron modules at the front, under the tank, make sure that nothing has rattled loose, mine did and i had the same problem.

I’ll check the connections on the silver job computer module under the tank first thing tomorrow. The seed sensors are Agtron so possibly the job computer is too.

Everything else seems to be running perfectly other than having to trick it to get the correct seed rate.

Was rather unnerving with the screen readout showing 400kg/ha when sowing earlier!

 

[Aceface]

Sorrow to ask the obvious, but do you have the correct roller fitted for the required output at the expected forward speed range?, also, is it showing the usual rotations of the shaft that you would expect for 250kg/ha at whatever speed you are doing?, does the shaft appear to be constant in it's rpm at an even forward speed? Yesterday, drilling at 190kg/ha, with the black fluted roller, the screen showed it was rotating around the 40 or 41 rpm at a constant-ish 10 kph. (I don't usually pay much attention to the shaft speed monitor on the screen as I need my glasses to read it, but I did have my glasses with me yesterday).

 

[Steevo]

Sorrow to ask the obvious, but do you have the correct roller fitted for the required output at the expected forward speed range?, also, is it showing the usual rotations of the shaft that you would expect for 250kg/ha at whatever speed you are doing?, does the shaft appear to be constant in it's rpm at an even forward speed? Yesterday, drilling at 190kg/ha, with the black fluted roller, the screen showed it was rotating around the 40 or 41 rpm at a constant-ish 10 kph. (I don't usually pay much attention to the shaft speed monitor on the screen as I need my glasses to read it, but I did have my glasses with me yesterday).

Thank you.

Always good to ask the obvious!!

I’m sure the roller is correct as I had the same issues when drilling beans over the weekend with the honey coloured roller.

For comparison to what you have noted I think I was doing approx 80-90rpm with it set on 400kg/ha, but putting out nearer 260kg/ha. Same black fluted roller, at about 12kph. That’s on a 4m machine.

 

[Aceface]

Like I previously mentioned, I don't pay much attention to the shaft speed monitor. However, I have a cheap 12v screen, wired to two cameras (just over £20 the lot on ebay iirc, but I can't find them that cheap now), one camera in the tank which I use for 1% of the day, most of the time I have the one pointing at the revolving "R" clip on roller shaft on the screen. It is greatly comforting to seeing it rotating evenly in real time, even if only out of the corner of my eye. If you suspect that your shaft is rotating unevenly by running inconsistantly, I would certainly recommend cctv.

 

[PSQ]

our co4 threw a wobly last night , we think we know what it is but wanted to run it past a horsch enginer before we spent a fortune but heis not returning the call. really want to be ready to go after this rain pass's.

CO's were prone to motor bearing issues IIRC, but I don't know if the bearings were replaceable, or if the whole motor needed to be changed.
And as for Horsch techs, the few I've dealt with over the years have gone out of their way to get us going, I've got nothing but praise for them.

 

[yorkie]

Would check all the bearings to make sure they are not binding if they are free off with wd40 and try it only replaced one motor , fertiliser dust killed it

 

[solo]

180kg/ha at 13kph is about (60 to 65 revolutions . Memory going.hazy) and draws about 2.9 to 3.2 amps on sprinter 4m here this week. Black fluted roller used on wheat.

 

[Steevo]

180kg/ha at 13kph is about (60 to 65 revolutions . Memory going.hazy) and draws about 2.9 to 3.2 amps on sprinter 4m here this week. Black fluted roller used on wheat.

Thanks. That tallies in fairly well with what I've got going on.

180kg/ha at 63rpm is 2.86kg/rpm

My 260kg/ha (seeding) at 85rpm is 3.06kg/rpm.

Not a million miles away from one another given the potential 1kph speed difference etc.



It just makes little sense that I need to tell the computer 400kg/ha to make it do 260kg/ha. I'm going to assume that it has a shaft speed sensor somewhere in the motor counting the revs.

 

[solo]

Is the speed sensor the one which goes into the back of the seeding meter on the left of the picture?

 

[del_boy]

Thanks. That tallies in fairly well with what I've got going on.

180kg/ha at 63rpm is 2.86kg/rpm

My 260kg/ha (seeding) at 85rpm is 3.06kg/rpm.

Not a million miles away from one another given the potential 1kph speed difference etc.



It just makes little sense that I need to tell the computer 400kg/ha to make it do 260kg/ha. I'm going to assume that it has a shaft speed sensor somewhere in the motor counting the revs.

Is there any chance the control box thinks its a 'narrower' drill ie 3m not a 4m therefore your needing to trick it to put more on and spin the motor faster

 

[Soon_60]

Make sure that the seed bin door is air tight. If it is leaking air the seed rate goes down.

 

[alomy75]

Make sure that the seed bin door is air tight. If it is leaking air the seed rate goes down.

Not sealed on 4m machines.

 

[Steevo]

Is the speed sensor the one which goes into the back of the seeding meter on the left of the picture?View attachment 1141917

That sensor on the left is the "metering device low" sensor which sets the alarm off when you totally run it out of seed.