NEW Great Plains Line of Small Drills?? 3 to 5 foot 3 Point drills.

[Wind Gypsy]

I'm assuming pricing somewhat like this for a similar market?

2025 ESCH 5603 For Sale in Bethel, Pennsylvania

2025 ESCH 5603 For Sale in Bethel, Pennsylvania at www.zimmermanfarmservice.com. 2 seed boxes included, New Technology High Speed Drill 8mph!, Food Plot Drill, 3 FT Drill. We deliver to US and Canada for reasonable rates.Will plant bin run grain, Ask about $217 a month, Weight 2100 LB

www.zimmermanfarmservice.com

Those Esch drills are heavier built than even the No-till model great plains and have narrower row spacing.

 

[Wind Gypsy]

Being so close to GP, he has talked with them about places to cut cost on their regular 606NT. He has told them their boxes are oversized. If full he said you can plant around 10 acres per fill. Guys who are buying such a small machine probably wouldn't mind filling the box more often. If you are an actual producer you are buying the 40' model anyway. I thought that was a valid point.

The only actual producers who would have such a drill probably aren't using em for row crops best i can figure? Maybe some small pasture overseeding, grass strips for erosion control, orchard cover cropping between trees, etc. Still, would probably want a 10'ish pull type I'd think.

 

[Wind Gypsy]

I see one feature on the 5' model that seems preferable to the 3p500/3p600 - the drive wheel height adjustment. That appears like it would make adjustment a lot easier.

 

[Foggy47]

Good info above on drills W.G. One thing I neglected to show was that GP is also offering a heavier weight version of these smaller drills now....and it does include the front slicing coulters and is somewhat heavier weight. I think this also applies to the three, four and five foot drills.....so they may be a solution for some with tougher conditions for no till. I'm not sure what it takes to add weight to those models.

that drive wheel and adjustment means does appear to be a better solution.

 

[Foggy47]

NOTE: I was just looking at the specs on the 4 foot wide stealth pro drill by Great Plains. The model WITH the coulters weighs 1510 lbs empty....while the modlel WITHOUT the front coulters is 510 lbs less. Significant differences here. I cannot find the page with all the drill models specs listed. It's a hard piece of literature to navigate.....so do your own homework here. These drill models with the no till coulters may be what you need?

I tried to do a copy and paste....alas....to big of a file.

 

[Wind Gypsy]

Good info above on drills W.G. One thing I neglected to show was that GP is also offering a heavier weight version of these smaller drills now....and it does include the front slicing coulters and is somewhat heavier weight. I think this also applies to the three, four and five foot drills.....so they may be a solution for some with tougher conditions for no till. I'm not sure what it takes to add weight to those models.

Yes, i'm not 100 percent sold on coulters helping that much with getting through residue vs having all of that weight on the openers but i do like the little seed bed the wavy coulters on my Esch drill help create. They loosen up the soil a bit before the openers get there and it seems to help get soil closed around the seed.

Adding the coulters not only adds weight but for 3pt models it moves the center of gravity back from 3 pt pins. Looking at the 4' model with coulters - empty weight is very close to my 3p600 but the center of gravity would be further back. Assume those weights are without the small box adder as well.

Here's the weights you were referencing @Foggy47

 

[Foggy47]

To clarify.....it appears that the Great Plains Stealth Pro is now available in 3,4,5,6 foot widths with and without front coulters in each width listed. The drills with the front coulters weigh about 1/3 more that the min-till models.

W.G. beat me to it. Good post W.G. I wish I had better computer skills.....lol.

I like the specs on that Stealth Pro 5, and it may max-out my tractor's capacities. One could always remove those front coulters. Not sure how much weight this would reduce tho. I'm having difficulty understanding where the small seed box is?....but I think it's included....no?

 

[Wind Gypsy]

Looks like 3, 4, 5' models offer something different than existing great plains models. For the other models, i dont really see any benefit from the standard great plains offerings unless they price them lower.

 

[Foggy47]

^ I'd bet this is why GP discontinued the 3P500 last year. It's now in the "stealth pro" line. I kinda wonder if the Stealth Pro line wont be marketed to non GP dealers.....such as seed distributors, Cabelas, Bass Pro and such??

 

[Wind Gypsy]

^ I'd bet this is why GP discontinued the 3P500 last year. It's now in the "stealth pro" line.

The 3,4,5'ers are definitely a bit different. Wouldn't be surprised if the row units are exactly the same but the drive wheel setup is different and the seed boxes are different. They look lower profile kind of like the 3p500v model but still different.

 

[Foggy47]

The 3,4,5'ers are definitely a bit different. Wouldn't be surprised if the row units are exactly the same but the drive wheel setup is different and the seed boxes are different. They look lower profile kind of like the 3p500v model but still different.

The newer drill models discussed here are lower profile....and look more like their "old" orchard models. I think these are a take-off of that design. These could be just the ticket for many with decent drill weights....but not "too" heavy for small tractors. I would like to see one.....but I am satisfied with my current drill after making my mod's to my 3P500. (at least they got a step you can get to the seed box....lol).

EDIT: Just looking at the HP reccomendations in the spec's above....those rec's seem VERY conservative. I'd bet that some smaller HP tractors that are well built (weight) would easily handle those drills. My Kubota L3560 HSTC, would (little doubt) handle that 5 foot, no till model.....IMO. It's got the lift capacity and weight to do the lifting....and I pulled a similar Tar River 5 footer (coulters and openers, loaded with weight) in the past. I suppose they want to provide some absolutes to stay out of trouble with average "Joe-consumer."

Edit 2: Those HP recommendations appear almost ridiculous to me. I think they are nearly double what it takes to pull them.....especially on fairly level ground. To me it's all about the tractors weight and 3 point lift capacities. I suppose there are allot of variables here.....but they seem almost absurd in the HP requirements....no?

 

[Foggy47]

FWIW......I saw a five foot GP Stealth Pro on Tractor House. Emailed the dealer to get a price. He said they had sold it....but gave me this price on a new one. "A new 5’ w/o coulters and agitator are $14,300 w/ coulter add $2950."

I'm not sure.....but I think a small seed box is extra (?).

 

[Wind Gypsy]

FWIW......I saw a five foot GP Stealth Pro on Tractor House. Emailed the dealer to get a price. He said they had sold it....but gave me this price on a new one. "A new 5’ w/o coulters and agitator are $14,300 w/ coulter add $2950."

I'm not sure.....but I think a small seed box is extra (?).

Assume the small box is not included which aligns with the 3p500/600s being in the $15s with 2 seed boxes when i looked last week.

 

[Foggy47]

Assume the small box is not included which aligns with the 3p500/600s being in the $15s with 2 seed boxes when i looked last week.

Dealer just called me. There is no Small Seed Box available for the Stealth Pro line of products (in the three to five wide drills). He told me the smallest drill now offered with a small seed box would be the 3P600. ....As the 3P500 (like I have.....with the small seed box) is now discontinued.

I think I have an orphan....but it's got everything I need for my purposes. I feel blessed.

Gotta wonder what GP is thinking not making a small seed box? They do show in a video where you can locate seeds behind the coulters. Which is (now) evidently only for the 6 foot and larger drills.

Not having the small seed box would be a deal breaker for me. Now it's a Genesis with a slightly better seed delivery system (IMO). Kinda forces the owner to buy blended seeds or make multiple passes. Not for me......