ATTN FARMERS & AG GUYS: How do you grow grain?

[Robert_in_NY]

Perhaps. But you can't argue with the price! Don't look a gift horse in the mouth! I wish they'd hurry up and invent that Star Trek teleporter so I could teleport myself to Idaho and back with that drill. Oh well, guess it'll just have to keep gathering rust.

I didn't mean to sound like it was junk or anything like that. Just by the time someone replaces all the openers and other worn parts they will have quite a bit of time and money in this free drill.

 

[jjmarotz]

Actually this drill was used 2 or 3 yrs ago by my relative who drilled a few acres with it, so it does work, then he gave it to me. Thought I would use it to seed my pastures, but went with the broadcast seeder instead. Now I just want to be rid of it..........Oh, and the wife too

 

[flusher]

Let me clarify a point here. I'm not really interested in TRULY getting into farming grain. I am mainly curious. Thanks for all the replies and info.

I would like to at least get a ground drill some time for seeding purposes though. Are ground driven grain drills any good? Would it be better to spend the extra on a PTO-driven unit?

Derek---If you have the brochure for your Kubota M8540 take a look at it. In there there is a photo of a man (with a straw hat) driving a tractor pulling what appears to be some sort of a harvester attached to an auger of some sort attached to a wagon. If you have it could you take a look at it and explain what kind of setup this is? If you don't I guess I could try to scan it and post it here.

Once again, thanks for all the input! Keep the useful information coming!

Decided to go haying on 7 of my 10 acres this year. Been collecting implements. Here's my ground-driven grain drill. Bought it from a neighbor ($275 for a primary unit and one for spares). It's an old Minneapolis Moline P3-6 unit with 20 single-disc openers spaced 6" (10-ft working width), a big fertilizer box and two smaller boxes for grass seeding.

If you get a drill that has only a fertilizer box, you can use the fertilizer box for seeding a hayfield by mixing the seed with the fertilizer or if you don't need the fertilizer, then mix the small size grass seed with something else like sand.

Buying old stuff like this is one way to get into this type of farming without a big dollar investment. However, you have to be willing to do the necesary refurbishment.

I've disassembled the MM drill, soaked rusted parts in the seed cups in WD-40 to free them up, cleaned up the dried out grease in the disc opener bearings, relubed, and repainted.

I'll have this job finished in a few weeks.

 

[Glowplug]

Excellent post flusher! That thing sure does look to be a classic antique (euphemism for OLD!). If you haven't done so already you may consider posting your progress. It sure would be interesting to follow.

 

[flusher]

Excellent post flusher! That thing sure does look to be a classic antique (euphemism for OLD!). If you haven't done so already you may consider posting your progress. It sure would be interesting to follow.

Thanks. I'll post a new thread in a few weeks when I finish the restoration work.

 

[derekuk101]

Hey Chuck here are a couple of pics of that combine!

 

[Egon]

Many thanks for the pictures of the grain drills that I can recognize as to type. In my eyes they are not all that old at all.


If someone wants to plant grain and bale it for feed I'd recommend oats. We used to do that with oats but instead of bales it was sheaves from the binder/reaper!

 

[rtimgray]

Actually this drill was used 2 or 3 yrs ago by my relative who drilled a few acres with it, so it does work, then he gave it to me. Thought I would use it to seed my pastures, but went with the broadcast seeder instead. Now I just want to be rid of it..........Oh, and the wife too

Yeah, I wanna be rid of my wife too but can't get any takers for that either.

 

[Runner]

Here's a fun article about a guy's experience buying a JD 4400 combine.

Yesterday's Tractors - The Revival of a John Deere Combine

 

[jjmarotz]

Yeah, I wanna be rid of my wife too but can't get any takers for that either.

HAHAHAHAHA, that's funny But, I'll keep the wife for now, just the drill is available for now. Will keep you updated.