Need advice on grain drill for haying

[rdbigfarmboy]

Im interpeting that you are adding seed to an existing hay field. IF so then do this. I would use a 3 pt spreader mix all the seed together with some fertilizer and spread it. Run a disk (harrow or tined drag, leafy tree top or something like) over it to lightly mark the ground, and cover some seed.
If you are establising a new hay field then prepare a good seed bed and then sow seed and disk it in.

No till drills are BEST if you can get one rent it or hire someone to no till drill for you.

Old grain drills will work if you prepare a good seed bed. I would not buy a drill or cultipacker for a 7 acre field.

The local no till was busy so I reseeded 60 plus acres with a spreader and disk and got a good stand.

 

[Robert_in_NY]

Im interpeting that you are adding seed to an existing hay field. IF so then do this. I would use a 3 pt spreader mix all the seed together with some fertilizer and spread it. Run a disk (harrow or tined drag, leafy tree top or something like) over it to lightly mark the ground, and cover some seed.
If you are establising a new hay field then prepare a good seed bed and then sow seed and disk it in.

No till drills are BEST if you can get one rent it or hire someone to no till drill for you.

Old grain drills will work if you prepare a good seed bed. I would not buy a drill or cultipacker for a 7 acre field.

The local no till was busy so I reseeded 60 plus acres with a spreader and disk and got a good stand.

Our county soil district has 3 no till drills they rent out fairly cheap. I have heard of other counties doing the same thing so he might want to get ahold of his ag department as they would know.

Around here no one owns a no-till drill as everything is still conventional tillage. The guys who use the no-till are grape farmers (the county has a narrow unit for between the rows) and the small hay farmers and dairy farmers who want to seed small pastures and fields.

 

[JoeinTX]

Flusher, several suggestions here are probably your best bet for the money.

#1-the end-wheel grain drill. It's wonderful for grain planting but it can also be useful in grass/hay planting. I'm not a JD cheerleader, but, the best out there are the older JD end-wheel drills........there are darned tough to beat.

#2-the broadcast seeder. Broadcasters/spreaders are great for grass and smaller acreages like plots. You can find used 3-pt spreaders on eBay/locally for decent prices.


We have both and they cover all of our needs but I know little on culti-packers or no-till. Tried some min-till using the drill with the results you'd expect......half the passes.......half the stand. But, it was an amateurish first try so who knows what could be done with it ultimately.

 

[flusher]

Our county soil district has 3 no till drills they rent out fairly cheap. I have heard of other counties doing the same thing so he might want to get ahold of his ag department as they would know.

Around here no one owns a no-till drill as everything is still conventional tillage. The guys who use the no-till are grape farmers (the county has a narrow unit for between the rows) and the small hay farmers and dairy farmers who want to seed small pastures and fields.

Don't know about renting grain drills from the county soil people around here. May be able to rent one from a neighbor.

However, my acquisitive juices are flowing since I recently found three venerable old grain drills a few miles South of my place. One is a neat looking Superior-Oliver (or is it Oliver-Superior?) drill about 10-ft wide. I'm educating myself now on these old hunks of machinery and hope to do some dealing soon.

Around here the days of the freebies from the county ag district are over. I checked at the county agent's office into getting a soil test done free and he set me straight. Finally had to take my soil sample over to a test lab in Chico to get the analysis done ($70 for the test plus $20 for the recommendations).
Got flagged for low pH (6.03) and need 30 lb/acre nitrogen, 230 lb/acre phosphorus, 110 lb/acre potassium, 30 lb/acre sulfur and 2.2 lb/acre boron. I'll get it mixed in Red Bluff and broadcast it myself using the Kubota B7510HST. Could get it done by the fertilizer guy, but what's the fun in that?

It's a new hayfield on an old 10-acre piece of grazing land that's square in shape, one furlong (660 ft) on a side with fence lines oriented N-S and E-W. I'm using about 1.5 acres for house, buildings and lawn area and another 1 acre or so has about 30 almond trees clustered near the center of the parcel that are left from an old orchard (the trees still produce).

The hayfield is U-shaped and borders the North, West and South fence lines. There's an old ag well about midway along the West fence line together with a large above-ground concrete tank that feeds 3" dia galvanized irrigation pipe that run underground along the West fence line. My neighbor tells me that previous owners 30 years ago surface-irrigated the North half of the property for grazing.

The well needs work to get it back in shape and the well pump is gone, but I don't know if I'll bother with that. The weeds usually are 3-4 ft tall by mid-April when I do the first mowing and are around 2-3 ft tall in late June when I do the final mowing for the season. Don't really need to or want to irrigate during the hot months to get more cuttings. My neighbor irrigates his 20 acres of alfalfa to get more cuttings, but he's got a wad of cash invested and needs all he can get off his acreage.

 

[flusher]

Flusher, several suggestions here are probably your best bet for the money.

#1-the end-wheel grain drill. It's wonderful for grain planting but it can also be useful in grass/hay planting. I'm not a JD cheerleader, but, the best out there are the older JD end-wheel drills........there are darned tough to beat.

#2-the broadcast seeder. Broadcasters/spreaders are great for grass and smaller acreages like plots. You can find used 3-pt spreaders on eBay/locally for decent prices.


We have both and they cover all of our needs but I know little on culti-packers or no-till. Tried some min-till using the drill with the results you'd expect......half the passes.......half the stand. But, it was an amateurish first try so who knows what could be done with it ultimately.

I'm looking for pre-owned end-wheel grain drills around my neighborhood. May be able to make a deal soon for one.

My neighbor used a fancy Brillion-type seeder to plant his 20 acres of alfalfa a few months ago. I probably could rent that thing (that's my backup in case my search for my own grain drill falls short).

 

[Robert_in_NY]

The Brillion seeders are amazing, I still regret missing out on the one locally as it was 12' wide and in like new condition for cheap. I love using our 5' unit behind the Ford 640 or the 1920 as they are good for small food plots or small hay fields.

I didn't mean the county would let you use their drills for free if they have one there (but I would rent the Brillion from you neighbor). Our county charges by the acre but I can't recall the price.

As for the soil test, I get my test done for $12 - $15 per sample depending where it goes. Cornell and Penn State both do soil test (don't know how much PS charges). I can take my sample to any of my fertilizer dealers or the Cornell extension at my County ag agency and they send it to the labs they use. The fertilizer dealers send the sample to the lab at their plant they are associated with.

I am sorry you got soaked so bad for your sample hopefully you can find a cheaper place next time.

 

[blueriver]

I want in!! Heres my opinion, I used the local tradio (thats short for trade -radio), called in and told them I wanted a grain drill. I got a John Deere, 12' with grass seed attatchment and rear packing wheels for $200. (Have to look at the model#) Drove 16 miles, hooked it behind the dodge and pulled it home.

Each fall I put down wheat and rye mix, for spring grazing, I do not make a seed bed, (I quess this would be no-till?) after a fresh rain and the ground is fairly soft, I use this and seed it down, the only time I didn't get a good stand was lack of moisture!

Inside the lids are the setting requirements for everything right down to alfalfa, I also just used it to sow down some bahia grass on a place I rent, the landlord asked for it.

when I am looking, for implements, I like to seek the equipment that is older and just hanging out with no purpose ... Great deals!!

 

[Robert_in_NY]

Was it a JD 8300? I used one a couple years ago (my friend owned it). In todays market there really isn't much difference between drills as far as the JD 8300 and International 5100 and 5300. They look almost identical except paint and both doa good job putting seed in the ground.

I think JD had an 8200 drill also.

I like the double disc openers with press wheels but the JD I used had single disc openers and just the chains. The oats came up just fine but I think the birds have an easier time finding the seed that isn't completeley covered.

Did your JD have a fertilizer box built in? I know a lot of the drills that have fertilizer boxes are usually rusted thru on the inside from not being cleaned good enough. They put seed in the ground just fine still but are not as nice overall (but are a lot cheaper).

 

[blueriver]

Robert, If your asking me the question, I don't think its an 8500, I will have to look. I do know it is single disc and I want to say I think 7", does that sound correct? Either way it does exactly what I need. I think if the wheat prices stay up I may put some in next year to harvest. I bet I can find an older used good combine for next to nothing.

BTW ... hows the back coming along?

 

[Robert_in_NY]

Robert, If your asking me the question, I don't think its an 8500, I will have to look. I do know it is single disc and I want to say I think 7", does that sound correct? Either way it does exactly what I need. I think if the wheat prices stay up I may put some in next year to harvest. I bet I can find an older used good combine for next to nothing.

BTW ... hows the back coming along?

Sorry, the question was directed towards you and I wrote 8300, not 8500 (just to avoid confusion).

If it is 12' wide then it would be a 21 hole drill if it is a 7" spacing. The 8300 came in 6,7, 8 and 10" spacings.

My back is doing fairly well. I have some bug that is making all my joints sore and very stiff so I am not feeling the best today. I hope it goes away soon as I am getting tired of my head hurting I got this problem where I am addicted to TBN and staring at the screen makes my head hurt even more but I can't look away

Have fun and good luck with the wheat. I bought a JD 3300 combine with a 2 row corn head and 10' table for $1k in PA. It was in great shape (well the table needed work but it was useable). I was looking for a walker so that I could bale the straw as I dispise baling behind rotaries. Depending on the crop condition you will either be baling short, ground up straw or straw dust (chickens like the straw dust as it kicks around easy ). Baling behind my walker is so much nicer, I don't get as clean a sample as a rotary but for my uses that is ok.