Undersowing with an old Connor Shea drill

JackoTS90

Member
Livestock Farmer
Was sick and tired of contractors rates for undersowing, and as our pasture is of horrible species ( cocksfoot and fescue) it needs regrassing. So I brought an old drill that was made in 1968. Can’t have done much work because everything is in good nick and it meters seed +- 2 kg which isn’t too bad considering it’s age.
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Some results, will get some better ones later and then establishment.
 

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JackoTS90

Member
Livestock Farmer
A couple more.
The slugs have taken off but there are more dead ones that alive so the slug bait must be doing something. Do you think I am drilling deep enough?
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Kiwi Pete

Member
Livestock Farmer
Yeah, that's deep enough IMO.
Most of the drilling I've done was with Duncans and Aitchisons, not really much point moving more soil than necessary.
I notice the Brits go heaps deeper than I used to, not sure why that may be, ie their grass is going about the depth I'd place barley. But then I was dragging a light chain harrow and rubber tyre packer as well.
 

Kiwi Pete

Member
Livestock Farmer
they need to somehow justify 200 + hp in front of only a 4 metre planter . . .
We did experiment a lot with depth, which is how I came to the conclusion that I'd be better broadcasting than buying a drill for my needs - deeper was consistently worse, all other factors being equal, with grass sowing.
Deep drills simply equated to making highways for slugs and springtails, which then have a zone to hide in away from slugbaits and birds.

But Jacko looks to be about right for depth, as far as I'm concerned.
 

JackoTS90

Member
Livestock Farmer
We did experiment a lot with depth, which is how I came to the conclusion that I'd be better broadcasting than buying a drill for my needs - deeper was consistently worse, all other factors being equal, with grass sowing.
Deep drills simply equated to making highways for slugs and springtails, which then have a zone to hide in away from slugbaits and birds.

But Jacko looks to be about right for depth, as far as I'm concerned.

Cheers, thanks for the advice. Because we are following the cows I was towing a Cambridge roller but it was picking up all the cow sh!t and turning into a ball of dirt. Chain harrows might work better and knock it round abit maybe? Because atm their is nothing to close the slot and I fear it will turn into a bit of a highway for slugs. A good rain packs it down though.
 

Kiwi Pete

Member
Livestock Farmer
Our chain harrows were very light ones, basic covering harrows; I could lift them onto the rack and I am just a wee fella.
You wouldn't want to get too aggressive as every crumb of soil you move is another weed!

Hence my comment about what I see on here, as it looks like they've dragged a cultivator around :whistle: but they do have big wide boots on the Simtechs (modded Aitchisons) compared to the Duncan's points.

Re the roller, could you maybe fashion a scraper to stop the cowsh!t building up?
Something like conveyor belt, or even some chain criss-crossed from corner to corner, just to scrape the rings....?
That was the great part about the tyre roller, as the tyres are flat they flexed enough to keep clear of buildup, and you could drag it down the road, it was a Taupo Roller
 

Farmer Roy

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
NSW, Newstralya
slugs aren't an issue here, but we really try to avoid an open slot like that in our environment as it will dry out, go hard and form a "Kinze crack" ( after Kinze planters, the first double disc / precision row crop planters we saw here )
generally we'd run some sort of presswheel / closing wheel to close that, but obviously you've gotta use what you have . . .
another option is to drag a heavy chain ( 1/2 " ) behind each disc unit, but your soil looks too wet / cheesy for that to be effective . . .

a set of drag harrows run upside down ?

a rubber tyre roller might help ?

dunno - as ive said, ive always run presswheels or some sort of closing wheel as an integral part of any disc unit ive run . . .
 

JackoTS90

Member
Livestock Farmer
Yeah a rubber roller would be handy, but don’t have the budget or the time to make one. That’s a good idea, got some old rubber that would work well to rub on the rings and would clear the sh!t nicely
 

Kiwi Pete

Member
Livestock Farmer
slugs aren't an issue here, but we really try to avoid an open slot like that in our environment as it will dry out, go hard and form a "Kinze crack" ( after Kinze planters, the first double disc / precision row crop planters we saw here )
generally we'd run some sort of presswheel / closing wheel to close that, but obviously you've gotta use what you have . . .
another option is to drag a heavy chain ( 1/2 " ) behind each disc unit, but your soil looks too wet / cheesy for that to be effective . . .

a set of drag harrows run upside down ?

a rubber tyre roller might help ?

dunno - as ive said, ive always run presswheels or some sort of closing wheel as an integral part of any disc unit ive run . . .

Just a few inches of 8-10mm chain behind each unit is effective, it won't drop into the furrow and it won't press it shut, but it will thump around a little and cover fine seed. Bit of bale twine is enough to attach them in the short term.

We've also used a gang of tyres to good effect, taking out roller marks before the seeding pass on full-cultivation work

Lots of "Junkyard Challenge" options to consider
 

JD-Kid

Member
Just a few inches of 8-10mm chain behind each unit is effective, it won't drop into the furrow and it won't press it shut, but it will thump around a little and cover fine seed. Bit of bale twine is enough to attach them in the short term.

We've also used a gang of tyres to good effect, taking out roller marks before the seeding pass on full-cultivation work

Lots of "Junkyard Challenge" options to consider
just use some old weld mesh will work as light harrows or. car tires cut in 1/2 work too
a few bits of. angle iron work too make in to a bar harrow.
 

Irishkiwi

Member
Livestock Farmer
Was sick and tired of contractors rates for undersowing, and as our pasture is of horrible species ( cocksfoot and fescue) it needs regrassing. So I brought an old drill that was made in 1968. Can’t have done much work because everything is in good nick and it meters seed +- 2 kg which isn’t too bad considering it’s age.
View attachment 837199View attachment 837199View attachment 837199
Some results, will get some better ones later and then establishment.
Hi there just wondering are you still using g this system and is your connor shea drill a disc or coulter type
Regards
 

JackoTS90

Member
Livestock Farmer
Hi there just wondering are you still using g this system and is your connor shea drill a disc or coulter type
Regards
It is disc type. Real basic. Sold the drill last autumn. Didn’t do a heck of a lot of work with it. Maybe 50ha. Couldn’t get parts but for just undersowing it did the job ok as it was.
have now brought a Duncan triple disc drill. Can get parts and does a much better job. Was over triple the price I sold the old drill for, so you expect a better result. Undersow about 100 hectares a season now, with more needing to be done. Best idea ever to do it myself.
 

Irishkiwi

Member
Livestock Farmer
I was looking at a connor shea coulter baker boot type ro do under sowing and direct drilling in to sprayed out ground as well.
Have you any experience of this type of direct drill.
There are no pre cutter discs just the boot on a spring tyne
 

JackoTS90

Member
Livestock Farmer
I was looking at a connor shea coulter baker boot type ro do under sowing and direct drilling in to sprayed out ground as well.
Have you any experience of this type of direct drill.
There are no pre cutter discs just the boot on a spring tyne

have used a Tyne drill. Do a great job when it is dry and conditions are right ( like anything) it will do the job fine. Plenty of Duncan renovators out there that are the same design.
 

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