Seeder Box on Grain Drills

WNYBill · Sep 28, 2016

I don't want to plant anything but clover and/or brassica. I have not had good luck with a cyclone seeder, either hand held or tractor mounted. Seed is so fine it is impossible to get a uniform seeding on half acre plots. I am looking at 10 to 15 lbs per acre. Oats, buckwheat, rye works fine mixed with fertilizer in cyclone 3 pt seeder. I am thinking a drill might work for me. I know I need a working seed box and I have never used a drill. QUESTION, what do I need to look for when I look at a used drill? Is one brands seed box better than another? Am I wasting my time looking for a used drill with a seed box that works.
I realize Brillion makes exactly what I want... but I can't justify that kind of money!

Bill

4520BW · Sep 28, 2016

A good drill would be expensive and hard to operate on such a small plot. Have you ever tried and small seeder on an ATV? I have sowed a lot of acres with mine,and the secret is to apply at half rate then go back and split the middles for a good uniform stand, but if you are wanting a drill a great plains 10' would work great. I had one that I did a lot of water way seeding with.

DeltaRed · Sep 28, 2016

I have good luck with a 'cyclone' seeder. However,I set the rate in half,or even thirds and double or tripple spread,'splitting' tracks. I get exelent,ever coverage. I agree 1/2 acre plots are harder,but doable.

Briar Hill Brittanys · Sep 28, 2016

If you can find one not totally rusted up, these old drills work great for what you're needing (IMHO). John Deere/Van Brunt FB.

This one started out as a 17/7, 17 drops on 7" spacing. It has the small seed box in the front, and a fertilizer box in the back. Rope trip means no hydraulics needed.

[/URL]

Here's what it looked like before. The right side gear drive was busted, which was the reason for channeling the frame. I've done several like this, the smallest being an 11/7 that ended up having 6 drops on 7" spacing. Don't have pics of it, but it would fit on my 16' x 77" trailer hitched to the old 8N.

It'll hold 200+ pounds of cereal rye and more than enough turnip, clover, whatever small seeds. I've drilled rye, wheat, winter peas, buckwheat, turnips, and forage radish with it.

Also have a Cyclone spreader that worked good for turnip and clover.

Hope this helps. Mark

JMS/.MN · Sep 28, 2016

Many drills are built in two "halves". and folks split them, then add a wheel. Can make two plot drills out of one. Each half has its own seed drive. Make sure you have the grass seed box on it. Pull a cast iron packer behind for good seed to soil contact. Or a section of tine tooth harrow- they"re usually 5 feet wide, so go well with a split 10 foot drill.

oj · Sep 28, 2016

If you have a tractor mount cyclone type machine, we always used to mix small seeds with a little urea or ammonium nitrate. Usually used about a hundredweight to the acre of fertiliser and how ever much seed we wanted, mix it on a concrete floor and then load the seeder with the mix, set the seeder for the fertiliser rate and go...

Charlie M · Sep 28, 2016

Around here there quite a few of the old Ontario drills still around and many had grass seeder boxes. Even a horse drawn machine would be big enough for what you want to do.Many of them don't have a good fertilizer box any more but the seed and grass seed boxes are usually in good shape.I just top seeded about 3 acres with timothy and a horse drawn Ontario drill.There are probably other makes of drills around your area that would work also.

WNYBill · Sep 29, 2016

Thank you, that is the kind of information I was looking for. I haven't looked at any used drills so my questions are elementary. How do
you change the seed rate? How do they adjust for seed size? Is the ground drive separate for the drill and the seed box, or are they tied
together?

Bill

Texasmark1 · Sep 29, 2016

TX. Jim can tell you the model numbers, but I have had 2 JD drills over the years and both were super even though they were 30+ years old when I bought them. What to look for? Everything that moves is able to move. Prefer the galvanized hopper. Ensure the discs rotate. All the drop chutes present. Gauge slots are intact so that you have positive control on seed flow when the tires are turning. My current and last one is a '60's model, dual discs, straight seed, no fert attachment, 7" spacing, 7' width. Seeing lots of grease all over it is good. I had to replace one box chain on the pickup gearing and link chain on the tire to auger drive was all in 20 years of usage.

Frantz · Sep 30, 2016

I got a really good deal on a solid MF 33. But the few parts I knew were needed I made the poor assumption that they were cheap. $45 each for the funnels and I needed all 15 of em. Still came out w good deal but parts can kill you. Make sure parts are available too.

Seeder Box on Grain Drills

WNYBill

Member

4520BW

Well-known Member

DeltaRed

Well-known Member

Briar Hill Brittanys

Well-known Member

JMS/.MN

Well-known Member

oj

Member

Charlie M

Well-known Member

WNYBill

Member

Texasmark1

Well-known Member

Frantz

Member

Similar threads