Grain drills? tell me about them

[HCJtractor]

I plant about 10 acres of food plots. Slowing I am accumulating the ideal equipment to facillitate this. Restored a nice Ford plow and a Deere fertilizer distributor. Next is a good rotary tiller so I can get rid of my worthless Leinbach disc. Maybe a cultipacker later. I don't know anything about drills, as we have always broadcast seed (wheat, oats, rye, clover) and hope someday to plant soybeans and corn. What advantages do grain drills offer? Are they worth it? Same soil preparation as we have always done (plow, disc, level)? I would need a narrow one (about 6 or 7" working width). Which ones should I look for and how do you assess one for wear? Do they break down often? How much could I expect to pay? Anything you tell me about grain drills is more than I know! Thanks for teaching me!

 

[smstonypoint]

Same soil preparation as we have always done (plow, disc, level)? I would need a narrow one (about 6 or 7" working width). Which ones should I look for and how do you assess one for wear? Do they break down often? How much could I expect to pay? Anything you tell me about grain drills is more than I know! Thanks for teaching me!

No soil prep, other than possible chemical burn-down, with a no-till drill. They are pricey. Great Plains is a popular manufacturer.

Great Plains No-Till Grain Drills are rugged yet accurate no-till seeding machines. All models feature a lead coulter to cut through tough no-till seeding residue.

Steve

 

[tpic402]

I rent mine from Southern States(do not know if in your area) $7.50 per acre. to rent do not have to buy seed from them, rented brand new Haybuster brand this year only 125 acres on machine, you may also check with your soil conservation district, There are many drills manufactured for just your purpose food plots but as said before pricey. All that being said they work fantastic no wasted seed and very high germination rates,no erosion. my .02$ worth

 

[smstonypoint]

Another TBNer apparently got a good price on a used GP drill, but he didn't say how much he paid.



New toy! - TractorByNet.com

Steve

 

[kebo]

I sold a 6ft John Deere Van Brunt drill earlier this year for $250. It needed a fair amount of work (and money) to make it usable, and a WHOLE lot of work to make it look nice again. It was given to me and I had plans of using it at my hunt club but there just wasn't enough interest from some club members to help me get it going again. So, I let it go. I saw one just about the same as the one I had on craigslist the other day for $1999, but it was a very nice looking restored unit.

 

[HCJtractor]

Hello Keith, yeah, the drills I see advertised seem to be about 2 grand, but I would not know what I was looking at. Have you ever used one?

Are you hunting this year?

 

[HCJtractor]

I rent mine from Southern States(do not know if in your area) $7.50 per acre. to rent do not have to buy seed from them, rented brand new Haybuster brand this year only 125 acres on machine, you may also check with your soil conservation district, There are many drills manufactured for just your purpose food plots but as said before pricey. All that being said they work fantastic no wasted seed and very high germination rates,no erosion. my .02$ worth

Interesting. I just talked to Southern States today about purchasing lime and using their spreader. I will have to ask about the availability of a drill. What is Southern States? A franchise of some sort or a co-op? I am not familiar with them . I see there is one in Anderson, about 30 miles away.

 

[D7E]

If you have the plow and intend to work the land i don't see why you'd spend so much money on a no-till drill when a decent 15ft disc drill could be bought for 2-300, We used to seed 300 acres with a 12 foot disc drill before things got big ?

 

[smstonypoint]

Interesting. I just talked to Southern States today about purchasing lime and using their spreader. I will have to ask about the availability of a drill. What is Southern States? A franchise of some sort or a co-op? I am not familiar with them . I see there is one in Anderson, about 30 miles away.

Southern States is a cooperative. However, they sometimes have arrangements with feed/seed stores that sell their products.

Steve

 

[gavinol]

Interesting..The southern states seceded and formed the Confederate States of America.