My home built no-till seed drill

[spurlocktool]

Many thanks Old McDonald for your comments. I would very much like to know a couple of things. First, what types of crops are you seeding, and how are you adjusting for the different types of seeds? Are you just making smaller exit holes in the bottom of the seed metering tube to adjust the amount of seed dropped?

Also, you mentioned using tines instead of discs. Do you mean like spring tooth tines? If so, how do you drive the rotating impellers if you do not have rotating disc blades? I'd really like to see photos of your designs if you have any, thanks!

By the way, I have made a model (but not yet a full sized version) of a seeder for very small seed like grass or clover. It is based on the same sized PVC tube as my original, but instead of outboard motor impellers to convey the seed it uses a "stipple" type paint roller. This has a coarse nap sort of like indoor/outdoor carpeting, and fits snugly inside the PVC. The small seed drops into the nap of the roller through the holes in the top of the PVC tube and is carried around to the exit holes in the bottom. It seems to work perfectly to evenly distribute the small seed. Unlike the relatively large spaces between the impeller blades which would drop a couple teaspoonfuls of fine seed at once, the roller nap only captures single seeds but in a continuous fashion. So adjusting seed rate is just a matter of changing gearing. And for complete coverage instead of planting in rows, like when planting grass, the metering tube could have continuous slots top and bottom (with occasional bridging) instead of individual exit holes. Multiple roller covers could be mounted on a single shaft to get the width required. I can post a couple of pictures of my model if anyone wants.

Not sure when I will get around to building a full sized model, but hopefully someone out there will run with the idea and share their experience.

 

[DaveOmak]

Thanks Bill..... I look at this thread a couple times a year because it is so ingenious.... I keep thinking I will build one someday...

Dave

 

[petes]

Thanks Foggy1111. As I mentioned in my picture descriptions, the best setup would be to use both front and rear gangs, with just a very small offset angle. That way it would not try to pull to one side. Or, use the front gang on one of those "X" shaped disc harrows, they're called angle frame discs. that would also cancel out any side pull. Either way, the angled furrow filling plates I use could be added to cover the seed. If I come across an angle frame disc at a yard sale I might just build seed drill version 2.0.

I'm a bit late to the party, but pull to one side with a single gang could be eliminated by turning half the discs around on the shaft. Flipping them so each side is cupped outboard would allow for even row spacing with some simple custom spacer spools. Great thread, and I love the idea of the nap paint roller! I'd been noodling how to meter grass and other small seed - that's now at the top of the list.

 

[OldMcDonald]

Note: For maize read corn.

spurlocktool, Sorry I cannot post pics because I do not even own a camera, not had one for several decades. Anyway, I lack the ability to post them. I had a notion to post a jpeg one on this site recently and could not work it out. My computer skills (apart from being a competent typist who makes the odd error) are virtually nil.

To answer your questions in order - I have sown sudan grass, yellow lupin, black eyed peas, maize, white lupins (graded to 12-13mm), field beans (smaller than lupin) and Aguadulce fava bean (ungraded and up to almost an inch in length).

I used a different drive mechanism. I already had a drill I had made to fit on top of a scarifier (heavy duty spring-loaded tines for primary and secondary cultivation) and I had a 2" o.d. metal tube to which I had orginally fixed two "seed plates" of large diameter pvc water pipe flanges, the bolt holes picking up the seed from individual seed hoppers. The flanges being part in and part out of the seed boxes. The metal tube was turned by being fixed to two spider wheels, one at either end. There is actually a photo of this drill in my ebook, and I will set up a code and send it to you to obtain it free. Probably in the next couple of days. It is not the world's best photo, but at least you will be able to see what I did. The seeds were dropped into large funnels fixed to the back legs of the scarifier (only two because it was specifically for maize) and dropped down a further piece of pipe immediately behind the scarifier point. Depth of sowing and the amount of seed to pick up in each bolt hole (partially filled with glue) had been a trial and error job, but ended up very satisfactory.

After seeing your design, I made a new 3point hitch frame for a drill and used the same seed hopper/tube idea - the seed hopper sitting flush on top of the tube, except my tube was an old length of 2" i.d. irrigation tubing. I used the same spider wheels fitted to a length of old 2" o.d. grape vine support tube the same as my previous drill. I made 1" round holes top and bottom of the irrigation pipe and half inch holes to match in the internal metal one. 4 at equal spacings. Where your impeller sits, I had a gap between two timber plugs, cut with a hole saw, and fitted on an 8mm rod with 8mm tubing cut to keep the plugs in position in the rotating seed delivery tube. This drill again was specifically for maize and it sowed a little heavy. It was ideal for sudan grass although I wanted double the number of rows to maize so ran back up the field to sow inbetween the down run rows. It did not sow enough black eyes. I drilled another metal tube with 20mm(three quarter inch) holes for a small trial of white lupins, but again not quite right. The lupins being a flat seed did not pass through as well as the maize or round seeds. I am certain that a little experimentation with size and number of holes in the metal tube would make the design fit many crops. I went to 1" holes for the fava beans, and double tracked back along the same seed lines, to achieve a slightly less stand than I wanted, but satisfactory considering the cheapness of the seed drill.

The tines are fixed 60x10mm and fitted with a "Baker boot" (Google it) foot. Flexible 40mm bathroom discharge water hose carries the seed to the sowing boot. The tines are not satisfactory in deep sowing and rocky conditions. I may change to scarifier spring loaded tines, although shear bolts are cheap and I hear them snap.

I have also trialled a different metering system. A flat bottomed insert in the seed hopper, 2" hole and irrigation tube, the hopper raised above individual small seed boxes containing a timber seed plate on the same lines as my original concept. The height of seed in the small boxes has a bearing on seed rate, as does the width and height of the small space between the seed plate and more irrigation tube of various diameters to collect the seed from the plates and deliver it down the water hose to the Baker boot. The seed plates are fixed to a 3/4 inch rod; with bicycle cogs and chain driving this rod (very little power needed) from the spider wheel tube. An old car brake spring provides tension to the chain. Yet again specifically set up for maize and worked very well. Adjustments to the small space referred to ended up just about perfect for the graded lupins, but field beans too heavy on several experiments, and fava too light. Given the low costs, and hopefully many seasons use, I would have no hesitation in having interchangeable seed plates or rods with different plates on them.

I like your small seeds idea. Given my own lack of them, I hesitate to request photos.

 

[spurlocktool]

I'm a bit late to the party, but pull to one side with a single gang could be eliminated by turning half the discs around on the shaft. Flipping them so each side is cupped outboard would allow for even row spacing with some simple custom spacer spools. Great thread, and I love the idea of the nap paint roller! I'd been noodling how to meter grass and other small seed - that's now at the top of the list.

Hello Petes,
Turning half the discs around might work for a very heavy disc or for tilled soil when the disc shaft can be set straight rather than offset. But for firm untilled soil the disc gang needs to be angled so all discs have the concave side angled slightly forward to bite in. So the ideal would be using one gang of those "X" shaped discs that have the front gang like this: /\ and rear gangs like this: \ / Then each half of the gang would counteract the other's side pull.

 

[OldMcDonald]

spurlocktool, I have sent you the coupon code via email. Please let me know if you do not receive it.

 

[Ohplz]

Not knocking this build more about my personal frustration with the internet and a bit of a rant :

this is disappointing and happens all too often on the internet, searching diy a home built grain drill we are presented with an impossible to reproduce build with important details that are based on the specific/specialized scrap that the builder had at the time.

My other favorite is:

How many times have i read "here is my home built xyz i already had the 3/4 of all the parts from an actual retail xyz, all i had to do was add wheels"

 

[GLyford]

Frustrating, but also very much human nature to put the minimum amount of physical build energy, raw materials, and thinking in needed to get the job done.

 

[Big Barn]

Frustrating, but also very much human nature to put the minimum amount of physical build energy, raw materials, and thinking in needed to get the job done.

I actually think it is common sense to put the minimum amount of build energy etc necessary into a project.

To me "human nature" is when one over thinks, overbuilds, and tries to re-invent the wheel. (ok I've been guilty of this once or twice )

I realize this is an old thread but I think the OP did a fine job.

IMHO of course...

 

[sixdogs]

For some reason, I missed this thread and may I say your work is pure genius. What a wonderful seeder. Congratulations on a job well done.