Tips for a 750A novice

[Louis Mc]

We should hopefully get drilling some covers this week with a 750a that we have hired. Will be working into baled barley fields and chopped oats straw. Any useful tips for someone who's never used one before for drilling in general, not just covers. Cheers

 

[SilliamWhale]

Go on the expata website for some info.

Key things

Weights
Down pressure
Seed depth
Seed forming
Slot closing

Use that as a check list and if you can't see seed on the surface or find it after drilling don't worry.

 

[martian]

if you can't see seed on the surface or find it after drilling don't worry.

unless it's still in the hopper

 

[SilliamWhale]

Another one

Have @Simon Chiles phone number in the phone

 

[SilliamWhale]

Another one

Have @Simon Chiles phone number in the phone

He likes to take his calls at 5 am before he starts work as well - so thats the best time to give him a ring

 

[Simon Chiles]

He likes to take his calls at 5 am before he starts work as well - so thats the best time to give him a ring

You obviously don't have to clear as many conventional bales as I do or you'd realise that I have only just finished at 5 am. Had a phone call at 4am from my neighbouring dairy farmer as I drove up the road. He wanted to know if I was just starting or just finishing work!

 

[Louis Mc]

That's

Go on the expata website for some info.

Key things

Weights
Down pressure
Seed depth
Seed forming
Slot closing

Use that as a check list and if you can't see seed on the surface or find it after drilling don't worry.

a good pint

Go on the expata website for some info.

Key things

Weights
Down pressure
Seed depth
Seed forming
Slot closing

Use that as a check list and if you can't see seed on the surface or find it after drilling don't worry.

interesting you say that, was having a play with the drill the other day with some wheat and it was very hard to find the seed after it

 

[SilliamWhale]

That's

a good pint

interesting you say that, was having a play with the drill the other day with some wheat and it was very hard to find the seed after it

Yes you will scare yourself a bit looking for it.

 

[Feldspar]

You obviously don't have to clear as many conventional bales as I do or you'd realise that I have only just finished at 5 am. Had a phone call at 4am from my neighbouring dairy farmer as I drove up the road. He wanted to know if I was just starting or just finishing work!

I quite like the irony that this post has been liked by someone called @part timer.

 

[Banana Bar]

Yes you will scare yourself a bit looking for it.

After drilling our first 20 ha of OSR with a 750a I could only find 2 seeds! Quite difficult to set depth based on so few seeds!

 

[Louis Mc]

After drilling our first 20 ha of OSR with a 750a I could only find 2 seeds! Quite difficult to set depth based on so few seeds!

It's very scary??? Ended up drilling covers deeper than we may have needed just to be sure. Emerging fairly well though if maybe from a little too deep

 

[Louis Mc]

After drilling our first 20 ha of OSR with a 750a I could only find 2 seeds! Quite difficult to set depth based on so few seeds!

Should the seed be straight down at the bottom of the slot??

 

[SilliamWhale]

Should the seed be straight down at the bottom of the slot??

Yes

 

[Louis Mc]

Any tips to avoid hair pining in chopped straw?? Having drilled some covers into chopped straw the results have been okay but I would like it better for drilling wheat. Do I just go a little deeper with increased pressure?

 

[Clive]

Any tips to avoid hair pining in chopped straw?? Having drilled some covers into chopped straw the results have been okay but I would like it better for drilling wheat. Do I just go a little deeper with increased pressure?

new discs, lift coulter to top slot maybe can help, never tried this but recall @Simon Chiles suggesting it

or best tip - don't grow second cereals !

 

[Louis Mc]

new discs, lift coulter to top slot maybe can help, never tried this but recall @Simon Chiles suggesting it

or best tip - don't grow second cereals !

Probably the best solution but it's not really an option at the minute, could do with getting wheat in after the oats.

 

[Feldspar]

Any tips to avoid hair pining in chopped straw?? Having drilled some covers into chopped straw the results have been okay but I would like it better for drilling wheat. Do I just go a little deeper with increased pressure?

Apart from the hair-pinning what are your thoughts on the drilling you've done so far?

 

[Louis Mc]

Apart from the hair-pinning what are your thoughts on the drilling you've done so far?

Really happy with it otherwise. I have far from mastered using it yet but in general covers are emerging well. I like how it works, seed is always impossible to find (which I suppose means it has be in contact with soil), most of ours is coming from plough system but where we drilled rape after two years strip till it seemed to work even better

 

[Feldspar]

Really happy with it otherwise. I have far from mastered using it yet but in general covers are emerging well. I like how it works, seed is always impossible to find (which I suppose means it has be in contact with soil), most of ours is coming from plough system but where we drilled rape after two years strip till it seemed to work even better

How is it getting on the ruts left by the combine / trailers (which I find a problem after the plough, but not when it has been strip tilled)?

 

[Louis Mc]

How is it getting on the ruts left by the combine / trailers (which I find a problem after the plough, but not when it has been strip tilled)?

Well it is a no till drill so its not making any attempt to level them. Ideally we should give problem areas a discing or something to level ruts but mostly we have just left them