Seeders Having trouble finding a reasonably-priced seed drill

   / Having trouble finding a reasonably-priced seed drill #1  

spareparts1

Member
Joined
Sep 29, 2013
Messages
32
Location
Fort Worth, Texas
Tractor
Kubota L3400
Hi Folks,

I've been looking for a used seed drill. Even used, though, it seems they are priced right up there with new ones. I guess once you get one, you don't let it go.

A friend of mine told me to rent one, but I have about 30 acres to seed/maintain/graze horses and cattle on, so it doesn't make sense to me, to do that.

I DID find a few on the "Everything Attachments" web site, so I sent that to my boss. We'll see... Also, I noticed Cabela's is selling attachments. Makes sense, being that hunters want to seed up their leases and all.

Um... Suggestions? Repairs are Ok... I weld (basic stuff and have a friend who welds the advanced stuff for me), and I have a guy who mills parts for me on occasion.

Many thanks.

========================================== (sorry... keep forgetting to put in my tractor... still have that email, though)

Kubota L3400
Woods Brushbull bush hog 60'
Woods GTO 60 Rotary Tiller (chain busted out of the chain housing so I still have to order parts and repair that)
Custom 3-point hay spear
 
   / Having trouble finding a reasonably-priced seed drill #2  
I'm a little bit confused.

What kind of drill are you looking for? A no-till drill? A conventional drill?

The only seeders I see at EA are power seeders that (I think) are used mainly by landscapers: e.g., Harley Tractor 3 point scarifier mount 6' Power Seeder.

I am curious as to how often you will be seeding.

Permanent pastures are called that for a reason -- once established and properly maintained, frequent reseeding is not required. Are you planning to over-seed warm-season grasses with an annual winter crop (e.g., rye)?

Steve
 
   / Having trouble finding a reasonably-priced seed drill #3  
With a conventional drill, you'll need to disc the soil before planting. I don't suppose you want to do this on 30 acres.

No till drills are extremely expensive, even used. Most folks rent these when establishing a new food plot. These show up on eBay at times and generally go for $5-10K depending on size and condition.

I'd mow the weeds as low as possible, lightly disc the soil, broadcast/roll the seed with a 10-ft wide drop seeder/cultipacker rig to get the food plot established. Then I'd go shopping for an overseeder that's sized to handle your 30 acres to rejuvenate the food plot occasionally.

Good luck.
 
   / Having trouble finding a reasonably-priced seed drill
  • Thread Starter
#4  
Hi Steve,

I apologize for not giving the right details, and for not knowing all that. Many thanks for your response, though. (I have never 'posted' on a forum before, only read useful stuff.) Let me see to your questions. <thinking> I think this will end up responding the Flusher's post (below) as well.

While I am aiming for permanent pastures, it gets a little complicated. 15 acres west of Ft. Worth, I am trying to improve to sell. Dad had it and let it go the last 30 years or so. It's going to need clearing first. 10 acres east of Ft. Worth is clear, but a lot of rocks, but I am borrowing a box blade for that. That leaves the 5 acres I am on, which is seriously overly-grazed. This is what I'll be using the seed drill on first.

There has been a rash of cattle rustling in our area, so now the cows reside here too. Along with the baby horses I am working with for some breeders, this makes 23 animals. Putting bales out is working for now, but as I send the babies on to further training, I am NOT taking more on, so hopefully by next Spring I'll be down to half the head count. Then I can rotate the animals as I seed the pastures.

I guess the idea is, if I look NOW for a seeder, by the time I really need one I'll have one I can be happy with. That's how it worked with the other implements, anyway. I've been looking for a no-till drill that discs, drops the seed, rolls it, and then cultipacks it, all in one rig. I guess it's easy to get excited about getting the soil ready like Flusher (post below) says, and then doing it all in one shot. I do small jobs for people, and that has paid for a lot of the implements I already have. That is the plan with this one as well.

Many, many thanks for the clarification and pointers, Steve and Flusher! Sure needed this! And yes, I can use all the luck I can get! But I am blessed beyond belief already!
Sonya
 
   / Having trouble finding a reasonably-priced seed drill
  • Thread Starter
#5  
Hello Flusher,

I replied to Steve above, and hopefully this answers your post as well. Many thanks for your help!

Sonya
 
   / Having trouble finding a reasonably-priced seed drill #6  
The sure way to find a used one is to buy a new one.:)

I had been looking for a reasonably priced PTO tiller in good condition. Finally gave up and bought a plow. Within a few weeks an excellent tiller turned up for a great price.
 
 
 
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