yoderjac
5 year old buck +
BACKGROUND:
As many of you know from other threads, I have a small 4' Kasco No-Till Versadrill. In general, it is the best equipment investment I've made, but unlike the big drills, it does have it's quarks.
Instead of having lots of weight and a limiting wheel for depth like the big drills, seed depth is controlled by shortening or lengthening the top-link to put more or less pressure on the cutting wheels and openers. It also has plenty of room on the frame for adding weight and depending on soil conditions, sometimes that is necessary.
The problem is that if you shorten the top-link enough to get the depth you need, the culitpacker does not have enough pressure to cover the seed well. This spring, I had a buddy follow my planting with an ATV and lawn roller to cover the seed.
Another issue that all 3-point drills have is that the frame is rigid enough that as the tractor goes over uneven ground, the drill can lift or get more pressure.
One the other end of the spectrum, if I add weight to achieve the proper seed depth and I lengthen the top-link so the cultipacker works properly, when I lift the drill with the hitch, the cultipacker hangs so low I can smack it on the ground when making turns on uneven ground.
I'm operating this drill with a Kioti DK45 4x4 tractor with a FEL which has plenty of lift capacity for the drill.
PLAN:
I'm considering adding a hydraulic top-link. My tractor has a detent lever and a single set of hydraulic ports on the rear. I was thinking of adding a simple open/closed solenoid valve with a reservoir or return line.
My thinking is this. I could shorten the link using the detent lever with the valve closed when transporting the drill or making turns. This would eliminate any issue of the cultipacker being too close to the ground and hitting the ground when I turn. Then, when I'm ready to operate the drill, I would drop the hitch and lengthen the top-link using the detent lever until it is resting on the ground. I would then open the solenoid valve. This should equalize the pressure and allow the top-link to float. I would then use weight alone to adjust seed depth based on soil conditions. Since the place on the frame for weight is pretty much in the center front-to back, I would expect the cultipacker to get proper pressure. I would also expect the drill to operate more like a tow-behind drill that conforms more to the ground.
I could just keep using the lawn roller as a follow-up. It takes a lot of time and with my clay soil, I don't like to smooth surface it makes on the field compared to a cuitpacker. I could just buy a 10 foot cultipacker and follow up the plant with that. That would speed up the process compared to my 4' roller and would give me a better surface. However, the cost is probably about the same as the hydraulic top-link. The hydraulic top-link would also be advantageous when using a box blade or rear blade or similar items for road maintenance.
REQUEST:
I'd appreciate any critique of this idea and any advice from folks who have used hydraulic top-links or folks that have more experience with hydraulics in case I misunderstand how it works.
Thanks,
Jack
As many of you know from other threads, I have a small 4' Kasco No-Till Versadrill. In general, it is the best equipment investment I've made, but unlike the big drills, it does have it's quarks.
Instead of having lots of weight and a limiting wheel for depth like the big drills, seed depth is controlled by shortening or lengthening the top-link to put more or less pressure on the cutting wheels and openers. It also has plenty of room on the frame for adding weight and depending on soil conditions, sometimes that is necessary.
The problem is that if you shorten the top-link enough to get the depth you need, the culitpacker does not have enough pressure to cover the seed well. This spring, I had a buddy follow my planting with an ATV and lawn roller to cover the seed.
Another issue that all 3-point drills have is that the frame is rigid enough that as the tractor goes over uneven ground, the drill can lift or get more pressure.
One the other end of the spectrum, if I add weight to achieve the proper seed depth and I lengthen the top-link so the cultipacker works properly, when I lift the drill with the hitch, the cultipacker hangs so low I can smack it on the ground when making turns on uneven ground.
I'm operating this drill with a Kioti DK45 4x4 tractor with a FEL which has plenty of lift capacity for the drill.
PLAN:
I'm considering adding a hydraulic top-link. My tractor has a detent lever and a single set of hydraulic ports on the rear. I was thinking of adding a simple open/closed solenoid valve with a reservoir or return line.
My thinking is this. I could shorten the link using the detent lever with the valve closed when transporting the drill or making turns. This would eliminate any issue of the cultipacker being too close to the ground and hitting the ground when I turn. Then, when I'm ready to operate the drill, I would drop the hitch and lengthen the top-link using the detent lever until it is resting on the ground. I would then open the solenoid valve. This should equalize the pressure and allow the top-link to float. I would then use weight alone to adjust seed depth based on soil conditions. Since the place on the frame for weight is pretty much in the center front-to back, I would expect the cultipacker to get proper pressure. I would also expect the drill to operate more like a tow-behind drill that conforms more to the ground.
I could just keep using the lawn roller as a follow-up. It takes a lot of time and with my clay soil, I don't like to smooth surface it makes on the field compared to a cuitpacker. I could just buy a 10 foot cultipacker and follow up the plant with that. That would speed up the process compared to my 4' roller and would give me a better surface. However, the cost is probably about the same as the hydraulic top-link. The hydraulic top-link would also be advantageous when using a box blade or rear blade or similar items for road maintenance.
REQUEST:
I'd appreciate any critique of this idea and any advice from folks who have used hydraulic top-links or folks that have more experience with hydraulics in case I misunderstand how it works.
Thanks,
Jack