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

[adam_farming]

You haven't said what land you planning to drill , what time of the year or indeed what cultivations you plan to do, all of which can affect the power required to do it. or if you need to snatching bits in between other jobs or you have all day to potter about.

but with a set of duels i think you'll be fine with your HP

Medium-heavy land (clay/loam), wheat, drilling early autumn after combinables, no root crops. Non-inversion but not minimal cultivations either. Tines, discs and rolls to make a seedbed. I'll have 11ha maximum of autumn crops to drill each year, mainly wheat but might try some other break crops.

I have a full time (8-5 5 days a week) job for a company in agriculture so any time outside of those hours is farming time.

 

[Will 1594]

100 min

Really an old mate used to drill 2000 acre with a 30 got new one every year , 188 massey ,then 590 turbo ,
gang planked paper bags into it , and often had seed harras draggin be ont ,
they now have a 8000 deere and 6 m vaddy ,but they had a lot of spring stuff back in the day ,

 

[bobk]

Really an old mate used to drill 2000 acre with a 30 got new one every year , 188 massey ,then 590 turbo ,
gang planked paper bags into it , and often had seed harras draggin be ont ,
they now have a 8000 deere and 6 m vaddy ,but they had a lot of spring stuff back in the day ,

I haven't got one smaller than 100 .

 

[Flat 10]

Really an old mate used to drill 2000 acre with a 30 got new one every year , 188 massey ,then 590 turbo ,
gang planked paper bags into it , and often had seed harras draggin be ont ,
they now have a 8000 deere and 6 m vaddy ,but they had a lot of spring stuff back in the day ,

4m or 3?

 

[glasshouse]

4m or 3?

6

 

[Will 1594]

4m or 3?

4

 

[two-cylinder]

We used to pull our 23 row 3 metre with a 47hp MF 350!

 

[DrWazzock]

Just be aware the Reekie Harrow can bung up if there is much damp trash about, especially if it has pre emergence markers in the Harrow. It might not be such a problem on heavier land as the clods help rumble the trash through but on sand here the slightest bit of straw will cause the Harrow to gather soil and bulldoze. If you replace the Harrow tines then replace them with vaddy tines that have a cranked trailing end rather than straight up and down Reekie tines. That way the Harrow will clear trash more easily. Wish I’d done that.
I’d go for the coarser metering units as well rather than the 14 (?) flute rollers which don’t increase output in proportion with speed. Watch the metering units for rust pushing the plastic off and jamming the tongues open giving high flow. They are quite long in the tooth but will do a reasonable job if you look after them. It’s better if it comes with the 20 tooth drive sprockets as well and with the wider tyres. If it’s seen fertiliser then I’d walk away.
Good luck.

 

[DrWazzock]

Always pull 4m with 105 hp Lamborghini here. You know it’s behind you climbing a soft hill and it can just get through a wet spot. (Where you probably shouldn’t be going but it helps if you can get through it).

 

[adam_farming]

Just be aware the Reekie Harrow can bung up if there is much damp trash about, especially if it has pre emergence markers in the Harrow. It might not be such a problem on heavier land as the clods help rumble the trash through but on sand here the slightest bit of straw will cause the Harrow to gather soil and bulldoze. If you replace the Harrow tines then replace them with vaddy tines that have a cranked trailing end rather than straight up and down Reekie tines. That way the Harrow will clear trash more easily. Wish I’d done that.
I’d go for the coarser metering units as well rather than the 14 (?) flute rollers which don’t increase output in proportion with speed. Watch the metering units for rust pushing the plastic off and jamming the tongues open giving high flow. They are quite long in the tooth but will do a reasonable job if you look after them. It’s better if it comes with the 20 tooth drive sprockets as well and with the wider tyres. If it’s seen fertiliser then I’d walk away.
Good luck.

Thanks for the info, I'll bear all that in mind. The evidence seems to suggest I'd be better off with a 3m on my 67hp, annoying as there are plenty of good 4m drills about! But I'm sure something will turn up

 

[mahammad]

Hello,
I want to buy Massey Ferguson MF30 or MF500 seed drills width 4 meter and double hooper (fert and grain) type disc or tined drill.
Is there any drills for sale here
Thanks.

 

[Hesstondriver]

Thanks for the info, I'll bear all that in mind. The evidence seems to suggest I'd be better off with a 3m on my 67hp, annoying as there are plenty of good 4m drills about! But I'm sure something will turn up

chap in the village used to put a 3m 30 tine drill on his ford 4000 , and they are 40 ish HP

 

[cosmiccrofter]

chap in the village used to put a 3m 30 tine drill on his ford 4000 , and they are 40 ish HP

I thought they were around 55hp?

 

[Hesstondriver]

I thought they were around 55hp?

doh i meant to put 50 ish !

 

[adam_farming]

I think it's in the balance really. The land is flat, although on the heavy side. One of my aims is to really not make a mess or cause soil damage so I don't want to be scrapping around. The worst time would probably be in a catchy season when I've just put a 500kg bag in, but if conditions are really one the edge I could just do a bit at a time. Sounds inefficient but I will have the time.

Only one way to find out I guess.....!

 

[MrNoo]

chap in the village used to put a 3m 30 tine drill on his ford 4000 , and they are 40 ish HP

We used to pull a 4m with the old Massey 165, we then had a Ford 7600 on the front and she used to fairly fly along. Stubble burn, blanch cultivator shallow, leave a while then again through with the blanch cultivator then drill, chain harrow then roll. Remember it well when young, always used to stand on the back steps watching it all happen!!

 

[adam_farming]

We used to pull a 4m with the old Massey 165, we then had a Ford 7600 on the front and she used to fairly fly along. Stubble burn, blanch cultivator shallow, leave a while then again through with the blanch cultivator then drill, chain harrow then roll. Remember it well when young, always used to stand on the back steps watching it all happen!!

Not far off what I plan to do (apart from the burning obviously!), we've a cultivator very similar and I'm also thinking of having a small set of discs to use if needed just to create some more tilth.

 

[MrNoo]

Not far off what I plan to do (apart from the burning obviously!), we've a cultivator very similar and I'm also thinking of having a small set of discs to use if needed just to create some more tilth.

I think if you had a set of tines like you find on the back of a Vaddy or Accord drill on the back of the cultivator you will get a much better finish ready for drilling, certainly on the 2nd pass. The first pass we used to do at an angle to normal work, 2nd pass same way as tramlines as drilling across cultivated land if fairly uncomfortable.
I used our Blanch cultivator this Spring and honestly forgot how good they are at drying out the soil and creating a good tilth, which got me thinking to buy a larger one if I can find one or make one, 5 or 6m folding with 3 rows of legs as opposed to the current 2 rows. Cheap to run and do a great job.

 

[adam_farming]

I think if you had a set of tines like you find on the back of a Vaddy or Accord drill on the back of the cultivator you will get a much better finish ready for drilling, certainly on the 2nd pass. The first pass we used to do at an angle to normal work, 2nd pass same way as tramlines as drilling across cultivated land if fairly uncomfortable.
I used our Blanch cultivator this Spring and honestly forgot how good they are at drying out the soil and creating a good tilth, which got me thinking to buy a larger one if I can find one or make one, 5 or 6m folding with 3 rows of legs as opposed to the current 2 rows. Cheap to run and do a great job.

I'm planning on dragging it out of the nettles this weekend so I'll have a look into modifying it, thanks for the tips

 

[Flat 10]

chap in the village used to put a 3m 30 tine drill on his ford 4000 , and they are 40 ish HP

62 if it’s a force. 55 pre force.