Massey Ferguson 30 Drill or similar required for new farmer starting out

DrWazzock

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Lincolnshire
Anybody find the reekie harrow to be a total PITA? We don't use the MF30 much but the harrow can block and bulldoze if it gets a couple of twigs in it on damp sand. Usually we pull parmiter zig zags behind instead that slide across so we take the drill wheeling out and the tractor and drill wheelings out on the headlands. The reekie harrow doesnt really do that job as it lifts out for turning.
TBH the Moore Unidrill is a whole lot easier. Unblockable, rolls it in and you just jack her up from the cab onto the wheels and drive off down the road. No pallaver with all the folding up and lifting harrows onto the back step, or having the jacks sink into the ground so you can't hitch up. Won't fit on the reekie trailer with fat tyres on either. What a balls up design.
 

bobk

Member
Location
stafford
I've got a 4m disc drill for sale , in good working order and a trailer included , serious applicants only , be about 2 grand for the lot
 

DrWazzock

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Lincolnshire
I have come to the conclusion if its too wet for the Moore its too wet for the MF30 as well. We did drill some heavy stuff with the 30 last November. Went in alright but ran together and sealed over and rotted. Get on in good time is best way.
 

bobk

Member
Location
stafford
I have come to the conclusion if its too wet for the Moore its too wet for the MF30 as well. We did drill some heavy stuff with the 30 last November. Went in alright but ran together and sealed over and rotted. Get on in good time is best way.
Mauling wheat in went out with the Ark here
 

DrWazzock

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Lincolnshire
You have too many tines in the Reekie harrow.
You only need one between each coulter on the rear set, and when finished drilling headland detach the lifting rods and let the harrow drag to remove wheelings when turning.
I'll have a look at that. We ran an MF30 for years with no Reekie harrow (Dad gas axed it off in a rage) . It just had zigzags and it worked fine, except you couldn't reverse is and they were a pain to fit on and off. . Bought an MF30 for the wet autumns a couple of years ago and I am trying to keep it original by trying to make the Reekie harrow work for us so thanks for that. I am modifying the preem markers to stick them a bit further out the back so that they too don't block the harrow when dropped. Will get there eventually.
 

bobk

Member
Location
stafford
I'll have a look at that. We ran an MF30 for years with no Reekie harrow (Dad gas axed it off in a rage) . It just had zigzags and it worked fine, except you couldn't reverse is and they were a pain to fit on and off. . Bought an MF30 for the wet autumns a couple of years ago and I am trying to keep it original by trying to make the Reekie harrow work for us so thanks for that. I am modifying the preem markers to stick them a bit further out the back so that they too don't block the harrow when dropped. Will get there eventually.
My harrow is fine .
 

two-cylinder

Member
Location
Cambridge
I'll have a look at that. We ran an MF30 for years with no Reekie harrow (Dad gas axed it off in a rage) . It just had zigzags and it worked fine, except you couldn't reverse is and they were a pain to fit on and off. . Bought an MF30 for the wet autumns a couple of years ago and I am trying to keep it original by trying to make the Reekie harrow work for us so thanks for that. I am modifying the preem markers to stick them a bit further out the back so that they too don't block the harrow when dropped. Will get there eventually.
I presume you know there are two small hinged metal plates, which can be turned upright to lock the harrow from dropping when lowering the Coulters?
 
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DrWazzock

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Lincolnshire
Mauling wheat in went out with the Ark here
Yes I've learned it's generally a waste of time especially if heavy rain follows which it usually does.
4th October is my target cut off date now. Anything after is a bonus, like the 8 acres behind sugar beet on a light field on Tuesday.
The agronomist moans about BG getting in, but we find BG loves heavy bald patches created by drilling too late. BG doesn't like a good competitive stand from earlier drilling.
 

DrWazzock

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Lincolnshire
I presume you know there are two small hinged metal plates, which can be turned upright to lock the harrow from dropping when lowering the drill?
Yes, I've seen those but what use are they? I need to stop the harrow from lifting when I swirl round on the headland. Looks like a spanners job or a design mod needed.
 

DrWazzock

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Lincolnshire
My harrow is fine .
Ours is fine on heavier land. The trash gets rumbled through by the action of the clods springing the tines about. But you get to some sand and the tines don't spring about. They act like a rake and you only need a tree root or something to block them. Then its lift out, loop the loop, clear the trash out the way and set in again. Only usually happens on outside round but its aggravating. The Moore would run over a dead sheep without even noticing.
 

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As reported in Independent


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read the TFF thread here: https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/gfc-was-to-go-ahead-now-not-going-ahead.405234/
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