Moving from a combi to a tine drill

[DefenderDave]

Might be completely mad given the current weather, but I am thinking of trying the above next year. We currently combi everything, on a mixture of soil from sand to clay. The clay soil has poor soil structure after years of power harrowing, where as the sand wears the metal down badly, would only be getting 300acres out of a set of tines, and the Suffolk coulters wear out quickly too.

The other big reason is being able to get over the ground quicker.

So was wondering if anyone has made a similar move?

Any makes better than others?

 

[Alistair Nelson]

In my mind only a handful to really look at Weaving Sabretine, Guttler super max with front tank, and Horsch

 

[Rnold]

What ever you decide, don't sell the combi. They are expensive if you have to go out and buy one to get out of a muddle sometime in the future.

Speaking as someone who thought he could manage without a combi after buying a faster drill.

 

[ppottersfarm]

Might be completely mad given the current weather, but I am thinking of trying the above next year. We currently combi everything, on a mixture of soil from sand to clay. The clay soil has poor soil structure after years of power harrowing, where as the sand wears the metal down badly, would only be getting 300acres out of a set of tines, and the Suffolk coulters wear out quickly too.

The other big reason is being able to get over the ground quicker.

So was wondering if anyone has made a similar move?

Any makes better than others?

I’m having my combi refurbished as its running presently where my tine drill cant. To br quite honest I am seriously considering going back to the plough and combi as life seemed easier in those days. I’m paying staff anyway so really only saving fuel and metal which pales into insignificance if we cant get crops in the ground. Its also better weed control in my view.

 

[DieselRob]

I went from a combi to a weaving sabre tine. No regrets. Picked up a bit of extra work as well where the combi drills get parked up

 

[Nearly]

@Drillman

 

[Jon]

Might be completely mad given the current weather, but I am thinking of trying the above next year. We currently combi everything, on a mixture of soil from sand to clay. The clay soil has poor soil structure after years of power harrowing, where as the sand wears the metal down badly, would only be getting 300acres out of a set of tines, and the Suffolk coulters wear out quickly too.

The other big reason is being able to get over the ground quicker.

So was wondering if anyone has made a similar move?

Any makes better than others?

I went from Lely power harrow drill combi, to a kuhn megant, and am really pleased. The kverneland tine drill is also popular.

 

[DefenderDave]

I’m having my combi refurbished as its running presently where my tine drill cant. To br quite honest I am seriously considering going back to the plough and combi as life seemed easier in those days. I’m paying staff anyway so really only saving fuel and metal which pales into insignificance if we cant get crops in the ground. Its also better weed control in my view.

Ours is 16 years old so we would keep it as a backup if we went down this route as it’s not worth much.

The nice thing about a plough/ combi is you can plough up fresh soil and drill straight into on the lighter land. Anything that’s been cultivated earlier in the year takes a lot longer to dry. But that said, you can cover a lot more acres in a day with a tine drill.

The thinking behind a tine drill is upping capacity and reducing running costs.

 

[rob h]

your combi drill cultivates and drills all in one pass. If you buy a tined drill won't you then need some form of cultivator to get it ready for the drill

 

[David.]

Been in same scenario.
Ridiculous situation of powerharrowing sand in order to drill, with a combi.

 

[Drillman]

We bought a tine drill this time, kept the combi as well, both have there place I believe.

This time we pulled power Harrow out from under the combi to go over wet ploughing to help dry it out, tine drilled later in the day/next day. Worked well.

Combi into wet ploughing wouldn’t have gone well at all.

Combi isn’t just enough on its own on our land to make a decent job yet run a separate cultivator over it pre combi and it’s too much.

However power Harrow then tine drill does a good job with less fuel used. Tine drill also copes with min till better than suffolks

 

[David.]

Exactly why I bought a TS and kept combi, both ideal in different situations.

 

[Gadget]

We made a springtyne cultivator to go under the drill, we then had a choice depending on conditions.

 

[goodevans]

Same decision here,gone from a 4m folding combination to a 6m tine drill and a 3m combination as a backup,only combi used so far as tine drill has yet to turn up,but imminent ,theory being the same as Drillman,give the ground the chance to dry a little before drilling,just not happening this year so we may have made a mistake

 

[czechmate]

If you use a power harrow because the ground is too wet for a tine seeder, then the damage to the soil will be awful

 

[Drillman]

If you use a power harrow because the ground is too wet for a tine seeder, then the damage to the soil will be awful

Depends if the person knows there own land better than a chap on a chat site on tinterweb

Edit - It’s chucking it down here and has been since yesterday morning if we had waited till the combi would run well we wouldn’t have got done so had to do it differently to help the land dry faster.

Best way now is prob plow followed with combi but not always got the staff to run 2 machines at once

 

[czechmate]

Depends if the person knows there own land better than a chap on a chat site on tinterweb

Made me laugh here a few years back, friend and neighbour was saying he wouldn’t be able to get anything to grow without using a power harrow. Well, I asked and how have you been sowing seeds the last few years? With a power harrow he replied. My case rested

 

[Drillman]

Made me laugh here a few years back, friend and neighbour was saying he wouldn’t be able to get anything to grow without using a power harrow. Well, I asked and how have you been sowing seeds the last few years? With a power harrow he replied. My case rested

We’ve used other methods of establishment this year and have other machines in the shed, I am looking to remove the power Harrow from the drilling equation , however on this occasion the power Harrow followed by tine drill was the best option to get done before more rain arrived.

2x4m power harrows and 1x6m drill covers more in a day than 1x4m combi can. Simple as that!

 

[DefenderDave]

So those of you who do use a tine drill, do your cultivate/ plough your land first and then just crack on with the drill when (if) the weather allows?

Downside being if it’s a year like this you can’t just go and plough some fresh up.

If you use a power harrow because the ground is too wet for a tine seeder, then the damage to the soil will be awful

If we went in a cultivated field with a combi now it would just smear and leave a nasty gloopy mess

 

[Zippy768]

We made the change from combi to tine.
Time was the over riding factor.
No staff anymore, and just didn't have the time to plough everything up earlier in Autumn.
Now I can find someone casual - dad this year - to sit on the cultivator a day ahead of drilling.
Tine drill will keep putting seed in the ground long after you should had jacked it it.
Very few rotating parts and cheap wearing metal.

Kept the combi cos I need the ph for maize and the Suffolk coulter drill is pretty worthless.
Drilled some grass seed with the combi this autumn...and spent 15 acres being reminded why I don't use it anymore!!