Hi just wondering if anyone has converted a rapid 400p down to three meters and if so was it much of a task thanks
Vaderstad drill widths
- Thread starter Chappyhappy
- Start date
glasshouse
Member
- Location
- lothians
Why?
Why not
glasshouse
Member
- Location
- lothians
Does it fold?
- Location
- Cirencester
Just get the 3m box drill, bigger hopper (hold 2t) fits down the road fine. Love mine, drill 2t in the morn, spot of lunch then 2t in the afternoon then if need to get on another 2t early eve. Sure cover the ground, am just completely refurbing mine currently as cheaper than another 2nd hand one.
But have noted that 4m/6m seem fairly plentiful on the 2nd hand market currently, guess they are out of fashion?? But in my mind there is no better drill for seed placement, speed of drilling etc.
I would assume you'd have to shorten the wings and am guessing the middle section is fairly narrow unlike a Weaving/Simba Freeflow where both wings fold down and meet in the middle under the main frame.
But have noted that 4m/6m seem fairly plentiful on the 2nd hand market currently, guess they are out of fashion?? But in my mind there is no better drill for seed placement, speed of drilling etc.
I would assume you'd have to shorten the wings and am guessing the middle section is fairly narrow unlike a Weaving/Simba Freeflow where both wings fold down and meet in the middle under the main frame.
glasshouse
Member
- Location
- lothians
What do you call the box drill?
Did it a few years ago. Was quite easy, just unbolt the wings. You have to make up new marker arms. It was an older drill using accord parts so we swapped the metering head for one the correct number of outlets.
- Location
- Cirencester
glasshouse
Member
- Location
- lothians
Why would u reduce a 4m folder to 3m?
- Location
- Cirencester
I dont know!!! I am guessing a cheap 4m has appeared but maybe he hasnt the hp to pull 4m?? I looked at a 4m folder but I actually dont reckon my workrate would be substantially any better as I return home to fill the drill as am a one man band. Being able to chuck 2t of seed on board and get on is a bonus, no trailers, loaders etc which would take me a lot of time to move.
I do about 30ha a day but my best was over 100ac but early start and late finish
- Location
- Wiltshire
I ran a 3 vaddy air drill for years ( not a box) was a good drill started with 125hp on it and steadily increased the power. There may be an odd 1 still around. Have a 4m now with a few more hp.
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- Location
- Dorset/Wilts
4 metres seem pretty plentiful, imo 3m are abit thin on the ground.
They are plentiful and was only an idea. Don't have the acreage to Warrant high expenditure but the combi is a slow method. The reason why I can't just use a 4 meter is because we're on 21 meter tramlines. it was just an idea and wondered if people had done it. I know some people obviously think it's madness but then if everyone were the same it would be a boring place. Thanks for the feedback fellas
- Location
- Cirencester
Be quicker and cheaper to extend the booms on your sprayer 3m!!! lol
- Location
- Wiltshire
Or chop a meter off and have a 20m sprayer.
I’ve moved from 20 to 21 by adding extensions. When I went from 21 to 24 I did some spraying with no break backs on the end of the boom and some bodged extensions to get things right.
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I’ve moved from 20 to 21 by adding extensions. When I went from 21 to 24 I did some spraying with no break backs on the end of the boom and some bodged extensions to get things right.
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- Location
- Wiltshire
Probably wouldn’t cause many problems just putting a blank on the end nozzles to keep you going for a while 
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I'd also suggest extending your sprayer - our trailed hardi came on 21m booms, we had a 3m and a 4m drill at the time so it was used as 20m or 21m. dad had it extended to 24m a few years ago and the increased work rate was surprising, and a lot cheaper than a new sprayer. also, nearly everyone round us is on 24m but we were the only ones on 21m, so makes it easier to help others out or they can help us
- Location
- Yorkshire coast
I thought about doing similar but wondered if a 6 meter drill might be easier to convert as I'm sure I've seen them with two metering units. Then use all the leftovers as spares. I'd like a 3 meter Vaderstad but they are a bit rare and soon disappear from adverts, and I haven't got the power for a bigger drill.
- Location
- Cirencester
Plenty of box drills about at 3m, simple, no fan and larger tank, prices start around 12-14k upwards, new I think they are 40+. Most old ones will be tired but refurbing them isnt that bad, just done mine, all link bars, pivots, re bushed all the packer wheel frames and new cross bar. New tramliner unit, a few wheel bearings, new bushes/pin on the front wheel press packer, new following harrow tines, put some decent LED lights and a grain tank camera on, just waiting for a set of new rear tyres to arrive and reckon after all that I will have spent £4-5k on it all in. Should be good as new and much cheaper than buying another drill.
Very good drills esp on mintilled ground or ploughed/PH'd, I used to have 150hp on mine, used to pull ok but no speed records, upped that to 185 and she fairly flies along, tend to drill up to 20kph in good going, any faster and the 4wd kicks out. Also seed placement is spot on
- Location
- Wiltshire
Other than the controls there hasn’t really been much development on rapid drilling the last few years, I can’t see much point changing a drill, a refurb is so much better value for money
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