Moore unidrill coulters & modification

Ludan

Member
Hi,
I have an old Moore unidrill 4 metre box drill.
Although getting on in years it's ideal for our farm & workload.
Only issue is the coulters don't seem to last long & are expensive to replace.
I am considering getting it in workshop next winter and modifying somehow.
Wondered if anyone has been down this route already and converted theirs?
Another option is weld on Ferobide strips to the coulters to prolong life, but due to the coulter design will increase drag and disturbance of soil maybe?
Any ideas would be great thanks.
 

clbarclay

Member
Location
Worcestershire
What distance are you setting between the disc edge and the coulter tip?

The book mentions 13mm, but I think that should only be used for cultivated seed beds. Even time I adjust the coulters I tend to increase it over the last time, the last time recall was about 30mm, but the bottom has started to wear off the coulter after being set around 20 to 25mm. Looking back at some old comments on here I probably ought try to increases it even more.
https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/moore-vs-750a-pros-and-cons.4553/#post-65065

I think the tungsten coulters are better £/ha, but I feel they could be made to last just as long with a fraction of the tungsten in just the right area.
 

Ludan

Member
Thanks guys. Yes tungsten is a must on them and makes a big difference.
Either option re coulters are expensive and you end up gathering a pile of expensive scrap metal with the 90% of the leg that doesn't wear!
I have kept my distance to edge close to in the book and where they were when I bought it, set around 15-20mm. Most of my planting has been into cultivated soil, but i want to do more direct drilling into stubble and into burnt off grass, to save time, diesel and soil damage etc.. I see your thinking Clbarclay that the disc in deeper with the coulter set higher will cut a wide enough slot and the seed will drop into it, rather than driving the wedge of the coulter through the soil to open the slot.. I might try a pass of direct drilling on some cover strips with mine set high 30-40mm with more depth on discs and see if seed goes in or if left on top..
Do you guys buy the tungsten coulters direct off Moore/ sumo or another source?
 

hally

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
cumbria
Thanks guys. Yes tungsten is a must on them and makes a big difference.
Either option re coulters are expensive and you end up gathering a pile of expensive scrap metal with the 90% of the leg that doesn't wear!
I have kept my distance to edge close to in the book and where they were when I bought it, set around 15-20mm. Most of my planting has been into cultivated soil, but i want to do more direct drilling into stubble and into burnt off grass, to save time, diesel and soil damage etc.. I see your thinking Clbarclay that the disc in deeper with the coulter set higher will cut a wide enough slot and the seed will drop into it, rather than driving the wedge of the coulter through the soil to open the slot.. I might try a pass of direct drilling on some cover strips with mine set high 30-40mm with more depth on discs and see if seed goes in or if left on top..
Do you guys buy the tungsten coulters direct off Moore/ sumo or another source?
Direct from Moore here
 

Michael S

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Matching Green
Our 8m was new in 2007 or 2008 and typically covering 1300 to 1500 acres per annum on conventional clay seed beds it is still on its original tungsten coulters.

Michael
 

Ludan

Member
That's good going Michael S and hally. Can't grumble at that. What measurement are you running the coulters at from the bottom of the discs for direct drilling?
 

Michael S

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Matching Green

Same here although I would like to increase it to 20mm for DD but our drill is fitted with prototype coulters that only have 3 heights that they can be bolted on at rather than an infinitely adjustable clamp arrangement. When the time comes for replacement we will have to buy a set of clamps.

Michael
 

mdagri

Member
BASE UK Member
Location
Goole, UK
I run an old 4m ridged Moore drill which I converted to accord hopper and metering unit. With regard to the coulter tips has anyone had a go at fabricating a slimmer design? Or something similar to simtechs or cross slots inverted T design. I realise it would be more like an L shaped tip running along side the disc.
With the slim tungsten weld on tiles which are available now I’m sure it is feasible.

Any thoughts?

Mark
 

cozzie

Member
Location
Munster, Ireland
I run an old 4m ridged Moore drill which I converted to accord hopper and metering unit. With regard to the coulter tips has anyone had a go at fabricating a slimmer design? Or something similar to simtechs or cross slots inverted T design. I realise it would be more like an L shaped tip running along side the disc.
With the slim tungsten weld on tiles which are available now I’m sure it is feasible.

Any thoughts?

Mark

interesting idea if it could work.
 
I run an old 4m ridged Moore drill which I converted to accord hopper and metering unit. With regard to the coulter tips has anyone had a go at fabricating a slimmer design? Or something similar to simtechs or cross slots inverted T design. I realise it would be more like an L shaped tip running along side the disc.
With the slim tungsten weld on tiles which are available now I’m sure it is feasible.

Any thoughts?

Mark
I would not use Ferobide for this application if there are any stones present
 

Ludan

Member
I run an old 4m ridged Moore drill which I converted to accord hopper and metering unit. With regard to the coulter tips has anyone had a go at fabricating a slimmer design? Or something similar to simtechs or cross slots inverted T design. I realise it would be more like an L shaped tip running along side the disc.
With the slim tungsten weld on tiles which are available now I’m sure it is feasible.

Any thoughts?

Mark
Hi Mark,
I had considered modifying the coulter design to a 12mm tine type that would be spaced back from the disc running in the disc cut. I may make something out of hard faced mild steel that I can try on a couple of the legs. See how it works and if it blocks etc.
I am thinking of fitting an accord hopper to mine. Did you get a Hydraulic fan drive for yours? Or have you fitted a pto? My box hopper doesn’t have tramlining, so either need to adapt it somehow or change to accord.. How are your direct drilled crops performing on your clay ground? Thanks
 

mdagri

Member
BASE UK Member
Location
Goole, UK
Hi Ludan,
I was speaking to JJMetcalfe regarding a different coulter design for the Moore a few weeks ago. I suggested something similar to your idea and he thought blockages might be an issue. Especially in heavy trash or cover crops.
His suggestion was to creat something much slimmer to the originals and mount it snuggly against the disc. Give them a call. They are very helpful. He does have all the equipment to make such a coulter but I doubt if it would be cheap! Keep me posted.
Regarding my Moore I have a hydraulic drive to the fan which works very well.
The crops are looking well thanks. But I only us the Moore if the conditions are perfect, i.e. no harvest compaction and soil conditions fairly dry - as they were this year.
Otherwise I use a Claydon 3m hybrid which also works great.
Thanks
 

Ludan

Member
Hi Mark,
Yes I rang them last year to see if they had done similar. They were very helpful. I had seen they do a coulter conversion for simba and horsch etc so wondered if something would fit. I think it would need something creating from scratch and trial it on a couple of rows to see how it goes. The disc and mountings on mine could be brought forward and sat side by side in a row. This would create some room behind for some staggered legs & coulters which would hopefully let trash through.. Trash would potentially be the only problem that I see. Or maybe rocks. As the disc would ride up and over then the coulter would strike and maybe keep shearing bolts.. I don’t have any rock, but some people may have.. Did you convert your fan to hydraulic drive? Most air drills I keep finding are belt driven off the back of a power Harrow. I have wondered if I could get a hydraulic motor and flow control valve that could run it at 540rpm maybe off Flowfit or the likes.. I saw some turnips that had been put in on a neighbours with a Claydon. Looked really good! Thanks
 

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