Seeding with a drill

I will be planting some Oats and hay and also some soybeans this next Spring. I am wanting to do all of it with my IH #10 drill that is on 7" spacing. I will plug every other hole for the soybeans. I have no previous experience planting with a drill other than a food plot sized field that I put hay in as an experiment this past summer. My results were ok for the plot, but poor for a field. I was concerned that it would quit planting and I wouldn't know it, so I removed the seed tubes and just let the seed fall from the meters. That seemed to work, but I did have alot of seed in the framework of the planter, especially from the end units. I'm glad I did have the seed tubes off though, as I did have to stop many times to clear out the seed meters, seemed that they plugged quite often. I'm thinking that was from not having the seed meters set right. I planted a mix of grasses, each with a different size seed. the chart on my drill did not have any of these seed types on it, so I just set it at 1/4 open. After many plugs, I moved the seed meters to 1/2 open. That helped, but still some plug ups. I then opened the meters up to 3/4 open. Many less plugs, and then running this machine became fun, but by that time I was about done. I went through about as much seed as I expected too, so I now wish I would of set it at 1/2 open from the start. Anyhow, I now have a fear of the seed meters plugging when I get to planting a field with it. There is no monitor on this older machine, I don't mind removing the seed tubes when planting hay, but would prefer they be on especially when drilling the beans. Hopefully I can get the setting right from the start as soybeans are listed on the chart in the seedbox of the drill. Is there any way to be fairly certain that it is planting? other than waiting for the seedbox to get low, at that point I could see what row is not planting, but by that time who knows how long it has not been planting.

I really like this drill, and I'm sure it can work just fine, but I have a fear of many, long skip rows. I guess I am hoping that someone may have a way of relieving my fear of this.

Thanks for any help you may be able to offer.

I don't think the meters will stop up with beans. (you are using seed beans) We have a great plains no-till drill, with no monitor. I just look at the end where I lifted the drill up last. You can see where it dribbled a few beans on top of the ground. If the disk and hoses stop up seed will run out the top of that cup. We raised 66 bu beans no-tilled in 7.5 in spacing this year. Field hasn't been plowed since the 70's or chiseled since 85. Has been disked and ran over with a du-all when we have cut ruts harvesting about every 5 to 8 yrs. Vic

I plant my few acres of bean with a John Deere Van Brunt drill made about 1922. They went 55bu./acre this year. Spacing is 7". Beans need to planted shallow and a cultipacker behind the drill helps a lot. Clean all the drop tubes really good before starting, mouse nests are the usual problem.

I wonder if the "seed gates" on each individual "fluted feed" are adjustable (for different sized seeds) on your IH? (I am most familiar with the DEERE units that ARE adjustable.)

Also, if you are going to be seeding fine seeds (grass), it works best to have a separate grass seeder attachment for that type of seed, with it's own seed hopper and minature "feeds".

Another note... IIRC, the seed feeds out the BACK side of the feeds on the IH, where you can't see that is it dropping into the cups/tubes, whereas John Deere drills feed out the front, visible (at least somewhat) to the tractor driver.

Hi Bob,

I should have been more clear. I did seed the grass through the grass seeder, not the big bin where the soybeans will go.

Also, I will look to see if the soybean seed will be visible from the tractor seat as it drops into the tubes.

Thanks for the info!

yep you can drill beans if their clean, just don't close it down to tight for the size seed you're using and yes you can block off row units to get different row spacing,never did understand why IH left the open part of the feed cups facing toward the back of the drill when no longer being pulled with horses and the operator riding on the back,i had a 5100 that was the only thing I didn't like about it

Go to your local hdw store and buy some clear tubing for your small seed drops. Then you can see the seeds dropping and also get the seed where it belongs, in the ground. The covering chains that attach to the opener boots also help cover small seed.
Loren