- Location
- Essex
Hi, does anyone know how many times you turn the calibration handle anticlockwise for a MF 30, 23 row 3m drill at 6 and 7/8 row spacing ? Please.
MF30 drill calibration
- Thread starter Farmerpalmer2
- Start date
Lazy Sod
Member
- Location
- Warminster Wiltshire
This applies to any drill:
One tenth of an acre is 484 square yards. Divide 484 by the working width of the drill in yards.
In the field, measure this length and put in 2 markers. Take the drill to the first marker and put the handle in place. One person drives to the second marker, whilst the other counts the number of handle rotations.
That's the number of turns for a tenth of an acre. Scale it down or do it all in metric if you wish.
One tenth of an acre is 484 square yards. Divide 484 by the working width of the drill in yards.
In the field, measure this length and put in 2 markers. Take the drill to the first marker and put the handle in place. One person drives to the second marker, whilst the other counts the number of handle rotations.
That's the number of turns for a tenth of an acre. Scale it down or do it all in metric if you wish.
Last edited:
As above, or alternatively-
1. Work out the width of the drill (if you don't know already)- if measuring, then remember to add on an extra coulter spacing distance to the distance between the first and last coulter. You can work out the width by measuring the distance between two coulters and then multiplying by the total number of coulters +1, or by measuring the distance between the 1st and last coulter and then adding on the distance between 2 consecutive coulters. You need to add on an extra coulter distance because although in practice each coulter tip may only be a couple of cm wide, it effectively drills a band maybe 12.5cm wide; therefore you need to add half a coulter distance at end of the drill, so in total one extra coulter distance.
2. Work out the distance travelled by one rotation of the drive wheel. You can either measure the circumference manually, or measure the radius and multiply by 2 x pie. This however, doesn't take into account any uneven ground or sinkage of the tyre tread into the ground, so it is better to measure the distanced travelled by one wheel rotation on the horizontal ground in practice.
3. Once you know the drilled width and distance by one wheel rotation, you can work out the area in m2 drilled. For example if your drilled area is 3m wide and one wheel rotation is 2m, then you are drilling 6m2.
4. Work out the proportion that the drilled area is of one hectare, and then you know what to multiply by to convert to 1 hectare. For example 6m2 is 0.0006 ha (6/10,000), so to convert to 1 ha you would need to multiply the amount of seed collected by 1 wheel rotation when calibrating by 1666.67 (10,000 / 6). Remember to convert the weight of seed collected to kg, if you want seed rate in kg/ha
5. In practice calibrating from one wheel rotation is very inaccurate, you are much better doing at least 20 wheel rotation (the more rotations the better the accuracy). The number of rotations you can do is however, perhaps limited by your intended seedrate and the size of the calibration container/tray. Using the previous example if you turned the wheel 25 times then you would be drilling an area of 150m2, which is 0.015 ha and you would need to multiply the seed collected by 66.67.
The above example is based upon metric measurements. If doing rate per acre, then 1 acre = 4047 m2. So 6m2 is 0.0015 acres, so you would need to multiply the weight of seed collected by 674.5 for one wheel rotation, and 27 if doing 25 wheel rotations.
Finally, if your drill has 6 7/8 inch coulter spacing and 23 coulters, is it not 4m wide?
1. Work out the width of the drill (if you don't know already)- if measuring, then remember to add on an extra coulter spacing distance to the distance between the first and last coulter. You can work out the width by measuring the distance between two coulters and then multiplying by the total number of coulters +1, or by measuring the distance between the 1st and last coulter and then adding on the distance between 2 consecutive coulters. You need to add on an extra coulter distance because although in practice each coulter tip may only be a couple of cm wide, it effectively drills a band maybe 12.5cm wide; therefore you need to add half a coulter distance at end of the drill, so in total one extra coulter distance.
2. Work out the distance travelled by one rotation of the drive wheel. You can either measure the circumference manually, or measure the radius and multiply by 2 x pie. This however, doesn't take into account any uneven ground or sinkage of the tyre tread into the ground, so it is better to measure the distanced travelled by one wheel rotation on the horizontal ground in practice.
3. Once you know the drilled width and distance by one wheel rotation, you can work out the area in m2 drilled. For example if your drilled area is 3m wide and one wheel rotation is 2m, then you are drilling 6m2.
4. Work out the proportion that the drilled area is of one hectare, and then you know what to multiply by to convert to 1 hectare. For example 6m2 is 0.0006 ha (6/10,000), so to convert to 1 ha you would need to multiply the amount of seed collected by 1 wheel rotation when calibrating by 1666.67 (10,000 / 6). Remember to convert the weight of seed collected to kg, if you want seed rate in kg/ha
5. In practice calibrating from one wheel rotation is very inaccurate, you are much better doing at least 20 wheel rotation (the more rotations the better the accuracy). The number of rotations you can do is however, perhaps limited by your intended seedrate and the size of the calibration container/tray. Using the previous example if you turned the wheel 25 times then you would be drilling an area of 150m2, which is 0.015 ha and you would need to multiply the seed collected by 66.67.
The above example is based upon metric measurements. If doing rate per acre, then 1 acre = 4047 m2. So 6m2 is 0.0015 acres, so you would need to multiply the weight of seed collected by 674.5 for one wheel rotation, and 27 if doing 25 wheel rotations.
Finally, if your drill has 6 7/8 inch coulter spacing and 23 coulters, is it not 4m wide?
- Location
- Essex
Actually thats a good point if I multiply 7" by 23 it gives me 161 inches divided by 39 = 4.1m which equates.
Thanks
Thanks
- Location
- Essex
Thanks, the only issue is that with an MF30 drill you have to put the calibration handle through the actual wheel rim to locate it in the drive cog, so cannot drive the drill then.
But I can overcome that by marking the drive cog and counting number of rotations.
Thanks
Exfarmer
Member
- Location
- Bury St Edmunds
what wheels is it on ?
the calibration handle usually goes into the fertiliser shaft, so need to check whether you are on high or low rate fertiliser sproket first.
used to use wheel circumference method as @Oat above details, i used to jack up drill and turn land wheel (you have to engage cog as if coulters were lowered) by hand as you cant go far wrong using this method. still have the plastic "box" used to catch seed from MF30.
used to use wheel circumference method as @Oat above details, i used to jack up drill and turn land wheel (you have to engage cog as if coulters were lowered) by hand as you cant go far wrong using this method. still have the plastic "box" used to catch seed from MF30.
- Location
- East yorks
We have had a 30 for 15yrs now and I don’t think I have ever calibrated it, too much hassle taking all the tubes down
8- full bore for wheat and whatever the barley number is in the chart
Exfarmer
Member
- Location
- Bury St Edmunds
Yes just be aware there is some very high bushel weights out there this year a friend reported it is the best he has ever harvested, so you may find your seed rate may go up, although grains sown would stay the same of course.We have had a 30 for 15yrs now and I don’t think I have ever calibrated it, too much hassle taking all the tubes down
- Location
- Yorkshire coast
This is stuck under our old drill lid, never tried it so don't know if it works!
- Location
- Lincolnshire
I’d drive a distance in the field with the trough collecting seed from metering units and all others blanked off. Drive a distance to make the trough collect equivalent to 0.01 ha to make it easy.
Too many opportunities for a screw up using the handle IMO with different options for sprocket sizes, tyre sizes, ground conditions etc. Also, rate does vary a bit with speed so drive at the speed you intend to drill in the field you intend to drill. Use a couple of electric fence posts or something as markers to set in and out. Recheck after an acre as seed settles and meters shine up with dressings etc, or to save time just set where you think it’s right and do calibration after an acre when everything has bedded in.
Should using the 14 tooth sprocket I think?
Too many opportunities for a screw up using the handle IMO with different options for sprocket sizes, tyre sizes, ground conditions etc. Also, rate does vary a bit with speed so drive at the speed you intend to drill in the field you intend to drill. Use a couple of electric fence posts or something as markers to set in and out. Recheck after an acre as seed settles and meters shine up with dressings etc, or to save time just set where you think it’s right and do calibration after an acre when everything has bedded in.
Should using the 14 tooth sprocket I think?
- Location
- East yorks
Yup we have some Saki at 60 tgw we bought in. Will just open her another notch. In my experience it makes little difference in the end
- Location
- Essex
Thanks it does work Ive just done it
This is stuck under our old drill lid, never tried it so don't know if it works!
You probably wouldn't be too far out with wheat settings.
2wheels
Member
- Location
- aberdeenshire
i think on a mf30 the handle goes in through the wheel so that method wont work.
Lazy Sod
Member
- Location
- Warminster Wiltshire
My last MF drill was a 29,which had no winding handle. I used to jack up one end and turn the land wheel.
glasshouse
Member
- Location
- lothians
Never had a handle
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