Turning 4m combi drill to 3m?

[Beefsmith]

I haven’t done any measuring yet as the idea has only just come to mind but I’ve been looking to trade our perfectly good 4m combi drill in for a 3m version purely because we’ve got lots of 6m margins for stewardship to put in each year and the seed isn’t cheap so I don’t want to overlap any more. As said I haven’t measured but would taking say a pair of blades off either side of the power Harrow and then removing the Suffolk coulters from either side and blanking them off in the seed head work as it would only the be the powerharrow roller over lapping?

These margins are all by hedges so with the cross compliance 2m from the hedge thing we wouldn’t hurt anything hedge side with the 4m power Harrow structure when the rotors are removed and then the 2nd pass to create 6m in total would only see the power Harrow roller on a bit of the growing crop?

Does that make sense? Or am I being silly due to the beers I’ve had today

 

[Cowcorn]

I haven’t done any measuring yet as the idea has only just come to mind but I’ve been looking to trade our perfectly good 4m combi drill in for a 3m version purely because we’ve got lots of 6m margins for stewardship to put in each year and the seed isn’t cheap so I don’t want to overlap any more. As said I haven’t measured but would taking say a pair of blades off either side of the power Harrow and then removing the Suffolk coulters from either side and blanking them off in the seed head work as it would only the be the powerharrow roller over lapping?

These margins are all by hedges so with the cross compliance 2m from the hedge thing we wouldn’t hurt anything hedge side with the 4m power Harrow structure when the rotors are removed and then the 2nd pass to create 6m in total would only see the power Harrow roller on a bit of the growing crop?

Does that make sense? Or am I being silly due to the beers I’ve had today

Hard to say, have another half dozen beers and hopefully you will get enlightment !! Myself i wouldnt bother just sell the 4 metre and get a 3 metre.

 

[yellowbelly]

Do you still want a 4m drill for the rest of your drilling? If so, go for it - but remember to adjust your seed rate (or change the land wheel gearing) or you'll be putting 25% more seed on.

 

[Drillman]

Buy a cheap 3m combi for the margins.

Best of both worlds then

 

[Renaultman]

It obviously doesn't have a 1\2 bout option? Why not block 1\2 of the coulters for one pass?

 

[David.]

What have you got to lose by trying it, may have to lift the side plates too?
A 3m combi will likely be more sought after, and more expensive than your 4m machine.
Should still be possible to calibrate it to 75% of 4m seedrate.
Be nice if the 8(?) Blocked ports in the head were randomly spaced, rather than in one quadrant.

 

[Beefsmith]

The 4m combi is just a backup really. It might get used once every few years after potatoes, so I do t really want to have a 3m as well as.

 

[mo!]

Doesn't Andrew Guest cut down 4m power harrows to make 3m?

 

[Hesstondriver]

yes you can remove the tines and reduce the working width,
you dont get the benefit of the clod boards at each end if your in really heavy going

basically i wanted a 3m but they made more than a 4m - but on 90hp i was a bit limited so hillbilly here took the tines out and cracjk on ! needs must

 

[KB6930]

Yes it'll work fine I've done the same with my 3 to get grass strips along ditches . Taken tines out and blocked off pipes that is

 

[Matt]

block off half your pipes, do a 2m margin then go round the headlands, then unblock the rest of your pipes, recalibrate and drill at full width.