Tine drills and clart

[Spud]

Afternoon all

We have a fair lump not sown at the minute, some of it quite heavy and still stubble, some of it worked and half sown.

Tine drills seem to be top choice for some people in wet conditions, so I'm after experiences really. I know of a tine drill at sensible money, and we have a 6m vibroflex. What will tine drills cope with realistically? I know they'd cope with the bit thats been worked a while, less sure on the stubbles.

I'm thinking vibroflex, leave a day, tine drill. Its claggy old kelter, plough and combi not an option, its not kind enough land for that.

Fair old drill armoury as it is tbh, but happy to add another if its the way forward.

Currently:
4m Vaderstad rapid
3m Pottinger combi on ADD discs
3m Mzuri ProTil (normally tool of choice but its just too wet)
4m Amazone combi on suffolks (doesn't do much except companion barley pre beet now, its about knackered)
Tine drill in mind is a 6m KRM Sola

 

[kevindb880]

We have a 3 row KRM Sola, if drilling into a damp seedbed with any straw you need a 4row otherwise you will be continually blocking up!
Our Sola is a 799 I believe and you can’t drill straight into stubble either.

 

[Spud]

We have a 3 row KRM Sola, if drilling into a damp seedbed with any straw you need a 4row otherwise you will be continually blocking up!
Our Sola is a 799 I believe and you can’t drill straight into stubble either.

Thanks Kev, I hadn't realised that there was 3 and 4 row versions. We'd never close the slot without some form of scratch first and a days drying I don't think. All fields were baled and have fairly short stubble so hopefully not a big issue.

Edit - just checked the pics, this is a 799, 3 rows of coulters, two rows of cultivating tines in front

 

[Magnus Oyke]

This isn't the time to be buying a tined drill. You want a good year, that's dry and everyong has drilled up.

The KV TS I use likes a level seebed to drill into

 

[organicguy]

Broadcast and vibroflex in?

 

[Barleymow]

Spread it and springtine it in

 

[Luke Cropwalker]

IF the weather is set fair after drilling then a tine drill is marginally better than broadcasting and dragging the seed in. Seen plenty of crops drilled with a tine drill in the wet that had to be re-drilled in spring.

 

[nxy]

As said before panic buying a tine drill is not perhaps the answer. Anything at the moment is a calculated gamble, in your shoes, if the vibroflex will go straight in without blocking I would broadcast and tickle it in. It will look horrible and quite a lot will not be in the ground but some will. If you get those drying 24hrs you could always try a second pass. If you don't its at least not still in the shed and its got a 50/50 chance. The headache is then what and when to spray if it stays dry enough to get something on.

 

[Spud]

IF the weather is set fair after drilling then a tine drill is marginally better than broadcasting and dragging the seed in. Seen plenty of crops drilled with a tine drill in the wet that had to be re-drilled in spring.

Thanks Luke, that's good to know. I think we'd pick too much seed up on the wheels to make anything like a job tining broadcast seed in tbh. Slug motorways are a concern

 

[Wombat]

IF the weather is set fair after drilling then a tine drill is marginally better than broadcasting and dragging the seed in. Seen plenty of crops drilled with a tine drill in the wet that had to be re-drilled in spring.

Quite a lot drilled with a tine drill before the 3 weeks of monsoon Around here that will need to be redrilled

 

[Spud]

As said before panic buying a tine drill is not perhaps the answer. Anything at the moment is a calculated gamble, in your shoes, if the vibroflex will go straight in without blocking I would broadcast and tickle it in. It will look horrible and quite a lot will not be in the ground but some will. If you get those drying 24hrs you could always try a second pass. If you don't its at least not still in the shed and its got a 50/50 chance. The headache is then what and when to spray if it stays dry enough to get something on.

At the moment staying out of the field is the best thing we can do

 

[Wombat]

I would wait until the weather was going to help you and settle down. We have a chunk drilled 10days before the monsoons that chitted fine and looked great that have had 190mm on them now and are fooked. Even this week with only 10mm it’s really not dried
I also never drill in Dec as it’s got a month to 6 weeks to sit there doing nowt, I would aim for Jan if I could unless Nov shows signs of improvement.

 

[DieselRob]

Weaving sabre tine here, I think I’d rather drill before disturbing the land and if you’re not happy with seed cover then go lightly over afterwards. I was drilling on Tuesday after a cover crop grazed by sheep, slot covering wasn’t perfect but it was pretty good for the conditions

Is a KRM strong enough to drill direct like a weaving would? I enquired about a KV TS evo (I think) and Kuhn Megant but neither would sell them as a direct drill

 

[Steevo]

We have been picking and choosing reasonably dry days and had a plough and combi drill running. It has surprised what conditions it has coped with.

Had to stop today after 15mm as the next field has some big slopes and currently has a small lake at the lowest point.

 

[spider mike]

Personally I've never had any success sowing after the clocks go back, the soils are generally too wet and cold, the short days don't help matters either. I've had better results waiting till after the New Year drilling late January early February into frosts. Seems the seeds germinate better and faster with the days getting longer

 

[Old apprentice]

Drilled with kevrland ts into stubble looked rough after but it is looking quite respectfully now was rather wet at the time . If it had not been don't think it would have covered well.

 

[Wombat]

Weaving sabre tine here, I think I’d rather drill before disturbing the land and if you’re not happy with seed cover then go lightly over afterwards. I was drilling on Tuesday after a cover crop grazed by sheep, slot covering wasn’t perfect but it was pretty good for the conditions

Is a KRM strong enough to drill direct like a weaving would? I enquired about a KV TS evo (I think) and Kuhn Megant but neither would sell them as a direct drill

Think it very much depends on conditions, and soils though. Love my sabre but we were slotting a month ago before 190mm and we’re going everything with the drill again after to cover slots. Anything really heavy would have no seed cover now.

 

[goodevans]

How come the Triton hasn't been mentioned , @warksfarmer seems to be getting on alright

 

[Alistair Nelson]

There are only 2 if you are looking at basically semi direct drilling at this time of year into shitty conditions but it doesn't guarantee it will grow!! a Weaving Sabretine, Firble's has one he'll hire you or the mighty triton but you will have to drill it in the dark with you lights turned off hoping nobody see's you!! As the only man who talks sense about these machines and actually can make one work is Lee. Steve Gowan has one so may hire it.

Personally I'd wait till feb march and crack on with some skyfall or similar

 

[copse]

I dare say you would be better off leaving it now rather than ending up with half a crop.