A Few no till questions.......

[swat1018]

LOL - BTW Swat - I used a conventional drill (with 2 seed boxes) for many years prior to my 7 years of running a no-till drill....so if you've only been using a drill for a decade - you're still a Rookie.

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Yea. You're definitely the best around. You should have typed out, "Put fuel in tractor, turn key after pushing in on clutch," somewhere after checking the air in your tires. I've been farming since I was 17, so I may have you beat, although you look pretty old...

 

[Foggy47]

Yea. You're definitely the best around. You should have typed out, "Put fuel in tractor, turn key after pushing in on clutch," somewhere after checking the air in your tires. I've been farming since I was 17, so I may have you beat, although you look pretty old...

LMAO.....I used to tell young salesmen...that "I sold more tons of aluminum than you seen pounds of that chit". all good humor. ;). In some cases it may have been true.

 

[WTNUT]

LOL. I've been running this drill for over a decade and have planted everything under the sun without a drill related failure. And the seed rate book is damn close, at least everything I've ever done.

I am like Swat, I used a 606NT for a good ten years and have been using the 806NT for at least five. I watch my seed box after an acre or two and at the end of the day, but in my experience the seed rate charts in the manual are really really close.


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[Turkish]

My best engineering profs taught us that perfection is the enemy of efficiency and efficiency is where the money is made.

And 100#/ac is only a single significant digit.

 

[Wild Thing]

I am like Swat, I used a 606NT for a good ten years and have been using the 806NT for at least five. I watch my seed box after an acre or two and at the end of the day, but in my experience the seed rate charts in the manual are really really close.


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OK - For you guys who have never calibrated a grain drill, I just hope you continue to plant monocultures of those seeds that are listed in the seed rate chart where a few pounds per acre difference isn't all that critical. That is really pretty easy for those who don't care to learn how to calibrate. If you ever decide to plant something that isn't listed in the chart or a mixture of seeds such as a multi-seed cover crop, hopefully you can figure out where to start with the drill settings. If not, let me know and maybe I can help you out.

I rarely plant monocultures of anything anymore and those that I have planted generally are not found in the seed rate chart, such as switchgrass and different sizes of coated RR sugar beet seed, where a few pounds per acre makes a huge difference. I typically plant cover crop mixtures of around 12 different types of seed and, of course, you won't find anything like that in a seed rate chart. Fortunately, I have learned how to accurately calibrate my drill so I can plant these crops with the confidence that what I think I am planting....I am actually planting - and I am not wasting any expensive seed in the process - like $250/acre RR sugar beet seed. I have calibrated my drill so many times that it has become second nature and no big deal at all. If I ever decide to plant a straight monoculture of say, rye or oats, I will just look at the seed rate chart and use their recommended setting...and watch my seed box after every acre or two. :)

 

[swat1018]

A lot of assumptions there. I have calibrated my drill before, but don't anymore. I rarely plant a monoculture, either.

So who is the source that tells you to plant X pounds of this, Y pounds of that, Z pounds of that and mix it all together, then plant it at a rate of Q? There are so many variables that I've found calibrating the drill to be unnecessary. I've been doing it a long time, and I'm constantly tweaking mixes, rates, etc. If you don't know your equipment and what you're trying to do, I get it. Believe me, I'm fine with anyone calibrating, but to assume you have to calibrate to have good or great plots is very misleading. You calibrate a drill by cranking the crank however many turns you decide and weighing seed and doing mathematics, I calibrate a drill by drilling a known acreage and looking in the box at a known amount of seed.

 

[Wild Thing]

More than one way to skin the cat for sure Swat.

 

[Foggy47]

A lot of assumptions there. I have calibrated my drill before, but don't anymore. I rarely plant a monoculture, either.

So who is the source that tells you to plant X pounds of this, Y pounds of that, Z pounds of that and mix it all together, then plant it at a rate of Q? There are so many variables that I've found calibrating the drill to be unnecessary. I've been doing it a long time, and I'm constantly tweaking mixes, rates, etc. If you don't know your equipment and what you're trying to do, I get it. Believe me, I'm fine with anyone calibrating, but to assume you have to calibrate to have good or great plots is very misleading. You calibrate a drill by cranking the crank however many turns you decide and weighing seed and doing mathematics, I calibrate a drill by drilling a known acreage and looking in the box at a known amount of seed.

If you buy mixed seeds, they usually supply a rate for that mix.....and rates are often listed for adding to a mix. Or, perhaps your mix is similar to one on a website or your experience tells you what to combine. So....you arrive at a rate that you can calibrate for. So....there is that. Grin.

I use a combination of all the above......but having a new drill, I also calibrate for a starting point.....then usually tweak the setting a few times.

 

[omicron1792]

If you buy mixed seeds, they usually supply a rate for that mix.....and rates are often listed for adding to a mix. Or, perhaps your mix is similar to one on a website or your experience tells you what to combine. So....you arrive at a rate that you can calibrate for. So....there is that. Grin.

I use a combination of all the above......but having a new drill, I also calibrate for a starting point.....then usually tweak the setting a few times.

I bought the green cover summer release, and they told me the settings to use on my drill. They use great plains drills in their test plots, and they told me they never calibrate them.

I think if you enjoy doing that kind of stuff, it is awesome to do. Lord knows I do a lot of things that make no sense. I do think it is a bit superfluous putting cups under a drill and turning a crank. In these mix we do, we are guessing on the exact amount of each plant to put in. So even if you drill exactly what you want, you don’t know that 5 pounds of millet, or 2 pounds of Brassicas, or 100 pounds of winter rye is the exact amount. That is a guess also. Every website I read has a different number for what rate to drill, what rate to drill in a mix. So if it was that important to put the exact amount to see, you would have to do years of test plots and get the seed right down to 2.75 pounds, 103 pounds, which most people are not doing. We round to the nearest whole number. So again, calibrating an exact rate on the drill doesn’t take all guesswork out of things.

 

[Foggy47]

^. Yep. I suppose at the end of the day....it all comes down to experience,recommendations and / or judgement. Either you rely on someone els's judgement, or your own on what mix and rates to apply. It does take a while to gain good experience....therefor many of us rely on the recommendations of the seed company. I agree that precise levels of drill settings are folly.......but if I buy enough mixed seed to cover ten acres.......then I want my seed rate to come out close at the end of the day. I usually do.

 

[Nightvision]

I just want a no till drill

 

[Wild Thing]

I mix my own seed blends so I know that I want X # of Y, X# of Z, X# of what ever, over 12 types of seed. When I add it up I know that I want to drill that mix at say 50#/acre. It is easy enough to calibrate my drill to plant exactly at 50#/acre. If I have planted a similar mix at 40#/acre the previous year I have a good starting point....and I keep good notes which helps as well.

Where calibration is really important though is when you are drilling very small amounts of small seed - especially when it is expensive seed as RR sugar beet seed is. At $250/acre for 2 pounds of seed, I can't afford to guess at what rate I should be planting and find out that I ran out of seed after only planting a half acre. Although not quite as expensive at only $12-$15 per pound, I don't want to end up planting switchgrass at 9 or 10#/acre when I only wanted it at 6# acre.

I have familiarized myself enough with my drill and the calibration process that I would much prefer to calibrate it to begin with than to have to guess. I consider calibrating my drill as an asset - not an obstacle.

 

[omicron1792]

I mix my own seed blends so I know that I want X # of Y, X# of Z, X# of what ever, over 12 types of seed. When I add it up I know that I want to drill that mix at say 50#/acre. It is easy enough to calibrate my drill to plant exactly at 50#/acre. If I have planted a similar mix at 40#/acre the previous year I have a good starting point....and I keep good notes which helps as well.

Where calibration is really important though is when you are drilling very small amounts of small seed - especially when it is expensive seed as RR sugar beet seed is. At $250/acre for 2 pounds of seed, I can't afford to guess at what rate I should be planting and find out that I ran out of seed after only planting a half acre. Although not quite as expensive at only $12-$15 per pound, I don't want to end up planting switchgrass at 9 or 10#/acre when I only wanted it at 6# acre.

I have familiarized myself enough with my drill and the calibration process that I would much prefer to calibrate it to begin with than to have to guess. I consider calibrating my drill as an asset - not an obstacle.

I agree you know what weight of each seed that gets drilled. What you don’t know is weight of seed that makes the best plot. You have an idea, because when you planted 5# one year of something you got a good plot. What I’m saying is that is the same as people that don’t calibrate drill and just do it on a “good enough” amount.

It’s all about having fun and enjoying outdoors to me. I’m glad different people do it different ways.

 

[Wind Gypsy]

How did your planting go @TreeDaddy?

 

[Turkish]

So even if you drill exactly what you want, you don’t know that 5 pounds of millet, or 2 pounds of Brassicas, or 100 pounds of winter rye is the exact amount. That is a guess also. Every website I read has a different number for what rate to drill, what rate to drill in a mix.

This guy gets it.

 

[Wild Thing]

" Lord knows I do a lot of things that make no sense. I do think it is a bit superfluous putting cups under a drill and turning a crank." Omicron1792

This guy gets it.

He sure does! I can't believe I have been such a damned fool wasting my time calibrating my drill all these years. Frankly, I don't know why the manufacturers even waste their time and money including directions for calibrating in the owners manuals - nobody needs them anyway because guessing obviously works just as well.

I even foolishly wasted my time calibrating my sprayer....measuring time and ... speeds....and volumes. Sounds like I could have been like a lot of you guys and just filled the tank with water and dumped in my guessed amount of herbicide and been just fine!



I even wasted my time keeping notes on the sprayer - what a bunch of superfluous bull shet! Should have just gone by the seat of my pants!



Thanks for all the enlightenment we all got on this thread. I sure hope the OP got all of his questions answered satisfactorily. I am moving on to something else...

 

[Turkish]

I had a funny dream the other night when a bag of seed had a disclaimer saying “do not use this product in a manner other than directed, under penalty of law.” Really odd.

 

[TreeDaddy]

" Lord knows I do a lot of things that make no sense. I do think it is a bit superfluous putting cups under a drill and turning a crank." Omicron1792



He sure does! I can't believe I have been such a damned fool wasting my time calibrating my drill all these years. Frankly, I don't know why the manufacturers even waste their time and money including directions for calibrating in the owners manuals - nobody needs them anyway because guessing obviously works just as well.

I even foolishly wasted my time calibrating my sprayer....measuring time and ... speeds....and volumes. Sounds like I could have been like a lot of you guys and just filled the tank with water and dumped in my guessed amount of herbicide and been just fine!

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I even wasted my time keeping notes on the sprayer - what a bunch of superfluous bull shet! Should have just gone by the seat of my pants!

View attachment 44995

Thanks for all the enlightenment we all got on this thread. I sure hope the OP got all of his questions answered satisfactorily. I am moving on to something else...

Ok,

But im pulling you back in come fall planting time in texas

Many thanks for your help

bill

 

[TreeDaddy]

How did your planting go @TreeDaddy?

Went well!!

I jumped off tractor half a dozen times to check seed depths,etc!!!

Lack of rain fried my plots this summer

bill

 

[Potter co notill]

A lot of assumptions there. I have calibrated my drill before, but don't anymore. I rarely plant a monoculture, either.

So who is the source that tells you to plant X pounds of this, Y pounds of that, Z pounds of that and mix it all together, then plant it at a rate of Q? There are so many variables that I've found calibrating the drill to be unnecessary. I've been doing it a long time, and I'm constantly tweaking mixes, rates, etc. If you don't know your equipment and what you're trying to do, I get it. Believe me, I'm fine with anyone calibrating, but to assume you have to calibrate to have good or great plots is very misleading. You calibrate a drill by cranking the crank however many turns you decide and weighing seed and doing mathematics, I calibrate a drill by drilling a known acreage and looking in the box at a known amount of seed.

I’m with you on this. I calibrated one time and thought it was a waste of time. I think one of the biggest problems people having with no till drills is planting depth just IMO