No-till drill - price of a used (but good) one?

[Wind Gypsy]

Totally depends on the drill. My drill is conventional but weighs 2k with seed. That matters more IMO than front cutting coulters which many remove anyways.

The front coulters are for cutting through thatch and such more than the dirt. I think a no till drill over conventional drill “may” have an advantage in that scenario. However, in dirt there is more weight on the planting coulter in a conventional drill than a no till drill so my guess is I get seed in dirt better than I’d drill had front coulters.

This is way way beyond what you need in this thread!!!

I interpreted the use of "conventional drill" as an old style without press wheels to cover seed, which there are lots of available for a low price comparatively.

 

[omicron1792]

I interpreted the use of "conventional drill" as an old style without press wheels to cover seed, which there are lots of available for a low price comparatively.

I see. Totally agree with everything you said then!

 

[Foggy47]

I interpreted the use of "conventional drill" as an old style without press wheels to cover seed, which there are lots of available for a low price comparatively.

The recent Great Plains and Landpride 3P500 and 3P600 are interesting in this discussion. They do have closing wheels and are relatively lightwieght. They are called a minimum tillage drill.....but around my area they get used in no-till applications as we have light, sandy soils. They are styled much like the Genesis drills (without slicing openers) but are considerably lighter in weight. If I did not have a Tar River.....a drill like this would be a good choice (in these soils).

A guy near me gets some "big ag" conventional drills as said above.....and converts them to 5 and 6 foot widths with a three point hitch on 'em. Those have closing wheels too. Looks like he does a nice job.....and has offered them on marketplace for about $2500. Good low-cost solution for some.

Gets hard to make a blanket statement on any of these drills for their features and purposes. ;)

 

[bigboreblr]

Dont quote me here, but I believe wheat needs the deepst tillage of the big 3 grains. IF your using rye and clover, I'd think you'd be ok with conventional drills.

What could be the growing pain, is labor to get it in good shape. Rusted shafts, bent things, sheet metal work on bins, old tires, etc.......

 

[buckdeer1]

I have a solid stand 12ft and it works fine as a NT on my lighter soil,I know the solid stand also comes in a 10 ft. I bought mine for 500.00

 

[KingLoser]

From a complete newbie perspective, how would you gauge how light your soil is?

 

[Foggy47]

From a complete newbie perspective, how would you gauge how light your soil is?

4 Easy Soil Tests You Can Perform Yourself

Learn how to test for soil composition, drainage, biological activity, and acidity.

www.thespruce.com

 

[buckdeer1]

My field isn't sandy but not black dirt either,but it's the top 1.5 inches you keep loose anyway.I may rip up someday.I know my SIL that farms no-till for a living has a huge ripper to loosen the soil after several years of no till

 

[Maddog66]

I have lots of rock so a tiller and a drill are tough. Instead I bought a Firminator. It costs less than a ‘real’ drill, 10k last year, but I really like it so far.

I rolled and planted about 4 acres of brassicas my first time using it. In one day. Myself

 

[Foggy47]

It's taken me many years to understand food plotting in my sandy/loam soils. Where I am from (Southern MN) lots of tillage and ground prep seemed to be the answer to farming......and those practices were how I started my food plots in the past. Kinda kept the blinders on for a long time.....and did lots of tilling and disking and row crops with lots of chemicals to keep the weeds in check. All "old school" practices that took time for me to understand. I am not much of an agronomist......and more of a machinery guy.......so new ideas came slow for me.

After learning about my soils and taking a long look at other ways of doing things.......I am now sold on minimum tillage and the use of a drill. In my sand it really preserves so much moisture and allows me to get thru dry periods. I've got enough time in now to see the results of no-till.....and I doubt I would go back to extensive tillage again. Tho their may be times where I use some degree of tillage.....it's not a significant part of my plans.

 

[Foggy47]

It's taken me many years to understand food plotting in my sandy/loam soils. Where I am from (Southern MN) lots of tillage and ground prep seemed to be the answer to farming......and those practices were how I started my food plots in the past. Kinda kept the blinders on for a long time.....and did lots of tilling and disking and row crops with lots of chemicals to keep the weeds in check. All "old school" practices that took time for me to understand. I am not much of an agronomist......and more of a machinery guy.......so new ideas came slow for me.

After learning about my soils and taking a long look at other ways of doing things.......I am now sold on minimum tillage and the use of a drill. In my sand it really preserves so much moisture and allows me to get thru dry periods. Another HUGE benefit for me is that I have that damn pigweed under control. I've got enough time in now to see the results of no-till.....and I doubt I would go back to extensive tillage again. Tho their may be times where I use some degree of tillage.....it's not a significant part of my plans. For me, the purchase of a no-till drill was a real game changer in my methods.

 

[Foggy47]

I have lots of rock so a tiller and a drill are tough. Instead I bought a Firminator. It costs less than a ‘real’ drill, 10k last year, but I really like it so far.

I rolled and planted about 4 acres of brassicas my first time using it. In one day. Myself

Had a look at the Firminator website......and see that they now offer a small drill too. I think it's made in Europe?. Anybody know about them? Price?

 

[Maddog66]

I wasn’t trying to imply it was no till, but I may have.

Just throwing it out as maybe a more affordable “close enough” option versus real drills.

When I made my decision to buy the G3, I was real close to stepping up on a new GP drill. But the complexity of it and my newness to tractor-scale plotting sent me the other direction.

The roughly $8-10k difference went toward other tools. Grapple, Ag lime spreader, water trailer, and a few treestands.

You can’t plant into sod, but break it once and you’re golden from then on.

 

[Maddog66]

If you call or email them…. forgot they guys name …..he’ll answer back right away.

Nice guy and very, very helpful!

 

[roymunson]

We bought a 6' Great Plains NT about 2 years ago from a member on here. You won't be getting your hands on it. We use it for everything from clover to cereal grains to peas to turnips. I like the 3 point option because I can pick it up and back into an odd shaped corner of a food plot.

I can plant 10-15 acres in 3/4 of a day on a saturday where it used to take many passes, and a lot more labor to get it done. If you can swing the cash for a luxury, it's totally worth it IMO

T&M is great because it doesn't stir up the seed bed. But a drill gets you that same benefit PLUS immediate soil contact.

Prices have changed in and around COVID for everything, but last I checked 10K for a decent shaped 6' drill is about right. Give or take.

 

[omicron1792]

If you call or email them…. forgot they guys name …..he’ll answer back right away.

Nice guy and very, very helpful!

William Yancy. Awesome guy. DM me if you need his contact.

 

[Foggy47]

We bought a 6' Great Plains NT about 2 years ago from a member on here. You won't be getting your hands on it. We use it for everything from clover to cereal grains to peas to turnips. I like the 3 point option because I can pick it up and back into an odd shaped corner of a food plot.

I can plant 10-15 acres in 3/4 of a day on a saturday where it used to take many passes, and a lot more labor to get it done. If you can swing the cash for a luxury, it's totally worth it IMO

T&M is great because it doesn't stir up the seed bed. But a drill gets you that same benefit PLUS immediate soil contact.

Prices have changed in and around COVID for everything, but last I checked 10K for a decent shaped 6' drill is about right. Give or take.

Better check again. I priced a 3 Point 3P500 drill last January....and it was $12000. with small seed box, plus or minus. A few months later the same drill price was $16,000 and my dealer would not honor the January quote. I walked away.....and remain content with my Tar River Saya 505. Not sure if there were more price increases to follow? I'm watching those same drills sitting unsold on my dealers lot. Prices got crazy for so many things.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

Prices got crazy for so many things.

Yes ....... and a LOT of the price increases on various things had nothing to do with "supply-chain" issues either. Some businesses just piled on and used the "supply-chain" excuse to jack prices. Inventory on shelves selling for $X soon became $XX and $XXX. GREED.

 

[roymunson]

Yes ....... and a LOT of the price increases on various things had nothing to do with "supply-chain" issues either. Some businesses just piled on and used the "supply-chain" excuse to jack prices. Inventory on shelves selling for $X soon became $XX and $XXX. GREED.

maybe greed, maybe free market supply and demand.

My unit was used with about 20 acres on it if I remember correctly. I wasn't shopping new.

 

[omicron1792]

maybe greed, maybe free market supply and demand.

My unit was used with about 20 acres on it if I remember correctly. I wasn't shopping new.

Same. Got a 3p600 with 34 acres planted for 8500