The Cross slot vs 750a trial

[Fred]

ok i understand now, have you contacted CS

 

[dontknowanything]

ok i understand now, have you contacted CS

I've tried to contact Primewest, still waiting to hear back.

 

[Fuzzy]

For me personally, if this particular trial was inconclusive then the CS is a no no. 3x the price needs a strong positive result

Surely you are not just looking at purchase price ? how do the running costs/wearing parts compare? resale value ? expected life of the machine etc.. also are they really 3 times the costs of a 750a?

 

[dontknowanything]

Surely you are not just looking at purchase price ? how do the running costs/wearing parts compare? resale value ? expected life of the machine etc.. also are they really 3 times the costs of a 750a?

Not the thread to discus that - there's been plenty (too much?) written by me and others on the subject on this forum.

 

[York]

now, just go on from: there will be a trial. How should the trial be set up to be unbiased and withstand the ruggest scientific testing?
York-Th.

 

[SilliamWhale]

Not sure how many times I have to say that I would like to do this trial on our farm?!

Is your land heavy enough to do it on?

 

[SilliamWhale]

Surely you are not just looking at purchase price ? how do the running costs/wearing parts compare? resale value ? expected life of the machine etc.. also are they really 3 times the costs of a 750a?

I think if you budgeted on £1 acre in wearing parts and maybe £5 acre including tractor to run a 750 for quite a few years you wouldn't be far off.

 

[Fred]

can't be he grows sugar beet

 

[dontknowanything]

Is your land heavy enough to do it on?

Ok, so let me get this right...

First you said I needed to try it on our farm to see if it works here

Now you're wondering if our land is heavy enough to do that?

 

[SilliamWhale]

Ok, so let me get this right...

First you said I needed to try it on our farm to see if it works here

Now you're wondering if our land is heavy enough to do that?

Was joking.

 

[dontknowanything]

Was joking.

Ok, you got me

 

[tyrolens]

The CS might show positive effects under difficult conditions. So when the CS has to increase yields by 3% to compensate its costs , this could mean, that in years with for example very dry soils, the increase has to be much higher. At the last trial, we saw, that sometimes even just spread seed can establish very well. So why use there a drill at all? Every third year suffering from extremely dry soils? So the increase has to be by 9% under this conditions, maybe less, because difficult years are often the economically good ones, where higher yielding pays better.
As result of this, I think, that you also have to calculate the risk of very bad established crops or even a complete failing.
Not being a fan of the CS, but think about that risks, especially at your location.

If you have troubles to get a CS for your trial, maybe the boys from Novag show interest. Although I'm not sure if they are allowed to, as they were filed for injunction relief some time ago.

 

[combineguy]

Hi

ill chip in with my CS glasses firmly on

Primewest primarily purpose is to be a contractor so why would they go way out of their local area to do a trial if they have plenty of work to do. Obviously if someone expressed alot of interest and have done previous indepth research then fair enough to tavel to give them a demo on their farm.

The first CS drill to be sold in North Dakota came after three years of research and a trip to NZ after an indepth discussion with Dr Baker and Bill Ritchie. I think the trip came within a few days of the conversation, but no drill
was purchased for a few years

No Till is still quite new in the UK when you compare them to America and Australia.

 

[combineguy]

If you have troubles to get a CS for your trial, maybe the boys from Novag show interest. Although I'm not sure if they are allowed to, as they were filed for injunction relief some time ago.

Some how I don't think you will hear much from them

 

[Clive]

Hi

ill chip in with my CS glasses firmly on

Primewest primarily purpose is to be a contractor so why would they go way out of their local area to do a trial if they have plenty of work to do. Obviously if someone expressed alot of interest and have done previous indepth research then fair enough to tavel to give them a demo on their farm.

The first CS drill to be sold in North Dakota came after three years of research and a trip to NZ after an indepth discussion with Dr Baker and Bill Ritchie. I think the trip came within a few days of the conversation, but no drill
was purchased for a few years

No Till is still quite new in the UK when you compare them to America and Australia.

I had the impression that PW were selling drills based on their own design using the CS opener ? surely if they want to sell these drills they need top do some promotion ?

 

[Clive]

I was told about a CS vs 750a trial done recently in Germany yesterday by an independant group not dissimilar to BASE UK - i think this is the trial that York alludes to in his posts

...............things didn't go well for the CS apparently, slugs ate the crop, CS blamed the management of the crop etc

 

[SilliamWhale]

The CS might show positive effects under difficult conditions. So when the CS has to increase yields by 3% to compensate its costs , this could mean, that in years with for example very dry soils, the increase has to be much higher. At the last trial, we saw, that sometimes even just spread seed can establish very well. So why use there a drill at all? Every third year suffering from extremely dry soils? So the increase has to be by 9% under this conditions, maybe less, because difficult years are often the economically good ones, where higher yielding pays better.
As result of this, I think, that you also have to calculate the risk of very bad established crops or even a complete failing.
Not being a fan of the CS, but think about that risks, especially at your location.

If you have troubles to get a CS for your trial, maybe the boys from Novag show interest. Although I'm not sure if they are allowed to, as they were filed for injunction relief some time ago.

In our climate rain is never that far away at establishment time. Sure its dry now but rain will come soon. And in the spring with lower levels of evapotranspiration its unlikely to be too dry at drilling.

So for most crops I don't see a time when conditions are too difficult to get a decent stand. And if its too dry for no till then it definitely must be too dry for tillage!

 

[Feldspar]

I was told about a CS vs 750a trial done recently in Germany yesterday by an independant group not dissimilar to BASE UK - i think this is the trial that York alludes to in his posts

...............things didn't go well for the CS apparently, slugs ate the crop, CS blamed the management of the crop etc

What crop?

 

[SilliamWhale]

I was told about a CS vs 750a trial done recently in Germany yesterday by an independant group not dissimilar to BASE UK - i think this is the trial that York alludes to in his posts

...............things didn't go well for the CS apparently, slugs ate the crop, CS blamed the management of the crop etc

I would too. You can't blame the drill for slugs.

That said I think the firming wheel on the 750 is quite effective in keeping slugs at bay a little - certainly in cereal seeding. If pushes the seed into the ground a bit more and I think it decreases slug access a little - that won't stop them nibbling shoots of course but it does help against hollowing from what I look at - you get a little bit of consolidation right in the zone.

 

[Clive]

What crop?

I believe it was wheat, I was told this second-hand however so i'm short on detail