MF 510 or Vicon drill
- Thread starter berisford
- Start date
- Location
- Buxton Derbyshire
Used to have a 4m Vicon air drill and it was fine with grass seed. Had the accord metering system. Think there was a flap you turned to reduce the Air Force when sowing small seeds.
- Location
- East Sussex
I had the 510, did wheat, barley and grass seeds with it, changed system and my neighbour borrowed it for a few years, liked it so much he brought a slightly newer Vicon version, and he’s done all his grass new leys with it, so they are both fine for grass, he’s done OSR with his too.
- Location
- Dorset/Wilts
Have a Vicon 520. Drilled wheat, barley, grass, osr and beans. All have grown.
Easy to change the gearing (one pin) to run it for smaller seeds. Should have a baffle to slow the air flow but we dont bother.
What is the crossover between the mf version and Vicon. Was it a simple rebadging. We have had problems getting parts.
Easy to change the gearing (one pin) to run it for smaller seeds. Should have a baffle to slow the air flow but we dont bother.
What is the crossover between the mf version and Vicon. Was it a simple rebadging. We have had problems getting parts.
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- Location
- Wormingford, Essex
I have recently acquired a vicon 520 which I think is a later model of the 510. The guy selling said he thought he had a set of small seed rollers for it, but I cant see anything in the instruction book about it, just says lowest gear on the metering system and a baffle over the fan intake to reduce air flow.
- Location
- Dorset/Wilts
Yep, all you need to do is change the gearing. We dont bother with a baffle......because we dont have one ?
- Location
- Wormingford, Essex
Nor do I, I did think I could just wind the pto down a bit......Yep, all you need to do is change the gearing. We dont bother with a baffle......because we dont have one ?
- Location
- Dorset/Wilts
Only ever run about 800-850 on cereals anyway. Too loud having the tractor roaring away just for the fan
These drill have the MF 30 metering units where each row is metered by a cog type wheel, on the wider drills each cog does two rows with a splitter in the air steam.
On the 510 drills, the vicon and mf are identical I think, there was a set of small seed rollers which needed to be changed for rape, and two speeds hare and tortosice for normal crops which is changed with a big linch pin.
The 520 drills have a snail speed to save changing the cogs and is a big improvement on the 510 in my opinion.
We have had mf 510 and still have a couple of 520,s.
On we use for grass with worn counters and the weaker red springs on for pressure so it does no go too deep.
We have sown rape grass wheat barley oats peas and beans.
Disadvantages of these drills are a lot of seed left in the drill when it stops sowing correctly, calibration not always accurate as dressing builds up in metering units, hard to sow rape at less than 5kg and it will not drill beans deep enough.
Advantages usually very cheap, so cheap when if something breaks or wears out, just buy another. They are very simple and have given very few problems over the years.
Sow 600 acres a year with ours.
On the 510 drills, the vicon and mf are identical I think, there was a set of small seed rollers which needed to be changed for rape, and two speeds hare and tortosice for normal crops which is changed with a big linch pin.
The 520 drills have a snail speed to save changing the cogs and is a big improvement on the 510 in my opinion.
We have had mf 510 and still have a couple of 520,s.
On we use for grass with worn counters and the weaker red springs on for pressure so it does no go too deep.
We have sown rape grass wheat barley oats peas and beans.
Disadvantages of these drills are a lot of seed left in the drill when it stops sowing correctly, calibration not always accurate as dressing builds up in metering units, hard to sow rape at less than 5kg and it will not drill beans deep enough.
Advantages usually very cheap, so cheap when if something breaks or wears out, just buy another. They are very simple and have given very few problems over the years.
Sow 600 acres a year with ours.
Thanks for that,using a 4m combi box drill these days,got to be careful on steep hill ground the pipes get almost to flat for the seed to run out going down hill also,it does not bury the seed as good as what I would like,its a Fiona.
Looking at a Vicon 4m with disc coulters,would it be better for seed covering drill a lot of old pastures with still clumps of old turf in the seedbed.
Looking at a Vicon 4m with disc coulters,would it be better for seed covering drill a lot of old pastures with still clumps of old turf in the seedbed.
- Location
- Wormingford, Essex
Good to hear someone with some experience of these machines. Guy I bought mine from said they were good drills, he also did 600 acres a year with it. Apparently it wasn't as fashionable as a vaderstad when he son took over. Is it possible to get any parts now?
- Location
- Dorset/Wilts
What pre drilling cultivations do u do on ur 600acres?
Managed to drill osr at 2kg pre acre, but needs it off the heap or there wont be enough seed in the hopper to keep it going.
Drilled spring beans fine this spring and look a picture. But of course dont need to go in that deep
Very simple reliable drills, the frames could crack on the 6m models, not as easy to empty the hopper as an accord and certainly not as easy and accurate to calibrate as an accord.
Yes can drill grass no problem but as the hopper gets empty you have to be careful that the outsides don't run empty.
k
Yes can drill grass no problem but as the hopper gets empty you have to be careful that the outsides don't run empty.
k
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grainboy
Member
- Location
- Bedfordshire
Have this available, if of any interest
- Location
- Wormingford, Essex
Very tidy looking drill. ?Very simple reliable drills, the frames could crack on the 6m models, not as easy to empty the hopper as an accord and certainly not as easy and accurate to calibrate as an accord.
Yes can drill grass no problem but as the hopper gets empty you have to be careful that the outsides don't run empty.
k
Plough, springtine, wiberg, paddle rolls, vaderstad very old school and unfashionable, but cheap to buy and maintain.
We rarely use more than one springtime point a year at just over £1 each. Never replaced the coulter points on the drill just bought another although pan anglia still supply them. Fan bearings go but just two simple flat bearings anything else can be welded.
We have run them since the early nineties. Have owned six all 6 metre the dearest cost £2100 and cheapest £300. Sold one £800 scraped one after stripping it for parts and lost one in a fire. Three working drills remain.
Could have spent many thousands following drill fashion but not sure the crops would have been better
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- Location
- Wormingford, Essex
Or worth any more
- Location
- East Sussex
After over winter ploughing, then power harrow in the spring, I probably had my best peas using the MF510, in the days before blackgrass tried to take over the place!!! Had a 6m and was a bit of a faff to fold up when on the home farm to get back to the buildings for seed, taking the seed down to it was just as time consuming.
I have just purchased a MF510 I'm wondering what the two rams are on the back back of the hopper