Review of Landpride 3p600 drill

[deepsleep]

Never one time have I wished I had the NT model or pull behind over my 3p600

I want to do a lot of what you are doing, the question is whether I can do it as an absentee landowner. For spring planting, I take a week off, so that's usually no big deal. It's fall when I fly in Friday night and have to have everything done by Sunday morning. I know you have a bunch of experience with it. Is is pretty simple once you have things dialed in to get planting pretty quickly? Also, I think you said in an earlier post you are using a Land Pride quick hitch? I have one and it would be huge if it works with that.

 

[Brian662]

Quick hitch works for them. Where are you located?

 

[omicron1792]

Yeah my quick hitch works.

I spend about 2 days total planting now. Once you get it down it’s fast. Probably an acre every 30 min. I crimp and plant at same time.

 

[deepsleep]

Quick hitch works for them. Where are you located?

Live in FL, property in MI

 

[Foggy47]

I think if you were able to spend enough time with your drill in the spring.....you could be pretty well pre-set for fall. I do think there is a day's learning curve to get things set up. A hydraulic top link really helps with tweaking depth changes IMO....but lots of folks get along without. Not sure of your soil type.....but especially with light sandy soils I dont see any need for the front coulters....tho these drills are lighter than some of the competition.

I think I have more problems with not getting too deep with my small seeds.....rather than getting enough penetration with the openers. I did have some less than stellar small seed results from last fall when I put down some yellow sweet clover. Not sure if I hurried the seeds too deep? Dunno. I have not failed to get abundant rye and clover results so far and absolutely love the time savings this machine provides.

I'm going to look up your tractor lift capacities......but for sure you can pull it if you can handle the weights. I can see some advantages with the pull type drills.....but for ease of operation it's hard to beat the 3 point drills.....IMO.

 

[deepsleep]

I think if you were able to spend enough time with your drill in the spring.....you could be pretty well pre-set for fall. I do think there is a day's learning curve to get things set up. A hydraulic top link really helps with tweaking depth changes IMO....but lots of folks get along without. Not sure of your soil type.....but especially with light sandy soils I dont see any need for the front coulters....tho these drills are lighter than some of the competition.

I think I have more problems with not getting too deep with my small seeds.....rather than getting enough penetration with the openers. I did have some less than stellar small seed results from last fall when I put down some yellow sweet clover. Not sure if I hurried the seeds too deep? Dunno. I have not failed to get abundant rye and clover results so far and absolutely love the time savings this machine provides.

I'm going to look up your tractor lift capacities......but for sure you can pull it if you can handle the weights. I can see some advantages with the pull type drills.....but for ease of operation it's hard to beat the 3 point drills.....IMO.

I appreciate the intel. I had rear remotes installed on my tractor for a stump grinder, so I'll definitely get a hydraulic top link. I'd appreciate your opinion on which one to get. I hear you on planting too deep. I ran into that problem with my planter while planting beans. One thing that I see you and others doing is drilling into established clover, as you mention above. That is one of the situations where broadcasting doesn't work well. I'm envious when I see you drilling rye and radishes into clover. That would be amazing for my small woods plots. It would also be great to add some oat and wheat in my fall plantings, which, of course, aren't great with broadcasting. One thing is for certain, if I do this, I'll check very closely on which way to turn the calibration handle!

 

[Wind Gypsy]

I really enjoyed reading this thread, as well as the many others comparing the nt vs. min-till drills vs PH drills, etc. Like many of you in the past, I'm currently in the research/shopping phase for a drill. My hunting property is a few states away, and I am only able to get up there a couple of times yearly to plant. Initially, I had multiple micro plots in the woods as well as a larger plot in a power line. Total food plot area was around 5 or 6 Ac. I've done a little of everything over the years, but last few years, I settled into a rotation of throw and spray/cultipack rye and buckwheat, although the last 2 have been rye only and a few areas of clover. This winter, I acquired another piece of land with around 14 Ac additional tillable. 9 of that is Ag ground that has been NT soybeans for at least a decade, the other is a newly cleared powerline. This spring I put in about 8 acres of corn with my Brutebuster 3 row planter. Despite it being a bit rocky, I had no trouble no-tilling into this. For those that aren't familiar, this planter is technically till or min-till with shark teeth row cleaners on the front and double disk openers and closing wheel. I'm currently trying to formulate a longer term plan to decrease fertilizer and herbicide use. I'm thinking I could set up a rotation where every other or 3rd year I'll plant a corn/bean mix (beans in middle row of planter) rotated with diverse cover crop blends. In the spring, I'll plant corn/beans in one half and drill the summer blend into the other. In the fall, overseed the corn/bean mix with rye/clover/radishes/etc, and drill the fall blend into the summer blend. I guess my question related to the 3p500/600 series pertains to whether or not my tractor can handle it, and how time-intensive is it to set up each time. I have an L4240, which I'm guessing will work, as it is similar to the MX series some of you guys are using-- it has higher 3pt capacity but smaller loader and frame. The other concern pertains to setup--in reading through about 6000 posts on here and other forums, I've seen where people have had some growing pains. Is it feasible to get to my property, hook it up and be off and running in an hour or less (after the initial learning phase). Also, for those that have them, do you wish you had gone with the NT model or towable NT model? I'd rather go with the 3p600 because of all of my remote plots. Thanks.

I have a 3p600 that I haven't fully gotten dialed in yet. I also have an Esch 3' pull type true no-till drill. My tractor is a kubota L3560 with 805 loader (similar to foggy but i have ROPS and he has a cab). Your tractor is near the same as ours for size/weight/lift capacity ratings.

So far i haven't figured out which drill I want to sell. The 3p600 is going to be way faster but in my limited trials, it doesn't plant as well as the pull type Esch and I think the main factor is weight. The Esch is like 2200 # on 7 rows and the 3p600 is 1400 ish # on 9 rows. Hopefully some adjusting of the drive wheel height and more added weight will do the trick but I dont think it will ever do quite as well as the pull type. If it weren't for the cost, storage constraints in a shipping connex, and tight access through neighbors spot to one of my plots, i'd ideally have a 606NT pull type.

 

[Foggy47]

I appreciate the intel. I had rear remotes installed on my tractor for a stump grinder, so I'll definitely get a hydraulic top link. I'd appreciate your opinion on which one to get. I hear you on planting too deep. I ran into that problem with my planter while planting beans. One thing that I see you and others doing is drilling into established clover, as you mention above. That is one of the situations where broadcasting doesn't work well. I'm envious when I see you drilling rye and radishes into clover. That would be amazing for my small woods plots. It would also be great to add some oat and wheat in my fall plantings, which, of course, aren't great with broadcasting. One thing is for certain, if I do this, I'll check very closely on which way to turn the calibration handle!

I think I bought my hydraulic top link at Agri Supply. I got one without the check valve....and have never seen a need for one. Keep in mind that if you use a quick hitch (or PATS EZ Hitch) you will need a top link that goes about 3" longer. Ask me how I know. They typically offer just two lengths for cat 1....so I if you go to the longer one - your golden. If you call them (or do a little web surfing) I'm sure they will know your needs. I kept my hoses to the top link pretty short.....and my install is nice and neat.

I wish I had bought a new (rather than used) 3P600 instead of the 3P500. I doubt the weight would be any substantial difference. I had a few issues due to the drill set up for soybeans (too deep - had to move the drive wheel down) but there is always a learning curve. If you buy from a local dealer, I would try to get their man out for a 1/2 day to help you get started. May save you lots of time......if the guy has any experience. But....it's not rocket surgery. lol.

 

[deepsleep]

I have a 3p600 that I haven't fully gotten dialed in yet. I also have an Esch 3' pull type true no-till drill. My tractor is a kubota L3560 with 805 loader (similar to foggy but i have ROPS and he has a cab). Your tractor is near the same as ours for size/weight/lift capacity ratings.

So far i haven't figured out which drill I want to sell. The 3p600 is going to be way faster but in my limited trials, it doesn't plant as well as the pull type Esch and I think the main factor is weight. The Esch is like 2200 # on 7 rows and the 3p600 is 1400 ish # on 9 rows. Hopefully some adjusting of the drive wheel height and more added weight will do the trick but I dont think it will ever do quite as well as the pull type. If it weren't for the cost, storage constraints in a shipping connex, and tight access through neighbors spot to one of my plots, i'd ideally have a 606NT pull type.

I was hoping to hear from you. I could tell from some of your other posts here and elsewhere that you are not "sold" on the 3p600 quite yet. I guess the answer to the question lies in the results you get. If you are getting great germination even though you don't feel you're cutting enough, then all is well. Considering the maneuverability, footprint for storage, and much higher planting speed (vs 3'), I would be willing to accept a bit lower germination. Not to mention, most of what everyone plants with these does not need to be super deep or at consistent depth for a good plot. I think corn is the only crop where that is pretty critical, but not really for food plots. Please keep us updated on how things turn out.

 

[deepsleep]

I think I bought my hydraulic top link at Agri Supply. I got one without the check valve....and have never seen a need for one. Keep in mind that if you use a quick hitch (or PATS EZ Hitch) you will need a top link that goes about 3" longer. Ask me how I know. They typically offer just two lengths for cat 1....so I if you go to the longer one - your golden. If you call them (or do a little web surfing) I'm sure they will know your needs. I kept my hoses to the top link pretty short.....and my install is nice and neat.

I wish I had bought a new (rather than used) 3P600 instead of the 3P500. I doubt the weight would be any substantial difference. I had a few issues due to the drill set up for soybeans (too deep - had to move the drive wheel down) but there is always a learning curve. If you buy from a local dealer, I would try to get their man out for a 1/2 day to help you get started. May save you lots of time......if the guy has any experience. But....it's not rocket surgery. lol.

I appreciate the top link info. I saw you had some kinks to work out when you bought it, but sounds like things are pretty smooth now. I want the 600 mainly to cover my tractor tracks. The dealer I spoke to didn't sound super familiar with the min-till models when I spoke to him. I think I'll have to learn from videos, and this forum, of course. Since I use my Brutebuster planter for deeper seeds, I think I could probably dial in a depth of 1/2" or so for most everything I'd plant. That should simplify things, I would think.

 

[TreeDaddy]

I think if you were able to spend enough time with your drill in the spring.....you could be pretty well pre-set for fall. I do think there is a day's learning curve to get things set up. A hydraulic top link really helps with tweaking depth changes IMO....but lots of folks get along without. Not sure of your soil type.....but especially with light sandy soils I dont see any need for the front coulters....tho these drills are lighter than some of the competition.

I think I have more problems with not getting too deep with my small seeds.....rather than getting enough penetration with the openers. I did have some less than stellar small seed results from last fall when I put down some yellow sweet clover. Not sure if I hurried the seeds too deep? Dunno. I have not failed to get abundant rye and clover results so far and absolutely love the time savings this machine provides.

I'm going to look up your tractor lift capacities......but for sure you can pull it if you can handle the weights. I can see some advantages with the pull type drills.....but for ease of operation it's hard to beat the 3 point drills.....IMO.

any tips on drilling the sweet clover?

Mine would get jammed/plugged up in small seed box openers when planted

bill

 

[Foggy47]

any tips on drilling the sweet clover?

Mine would get jammed/plugged up in small seed box openers when planted

bill

I didn't see that seed as different from other seeds. It went thru my drill just fine........I just dont see any growing at my place. I keep forgetting to look at my seed sheet to see what else I planted with the YSC. Been so wet here I have done almost nothing at my place recently.

 

[omicron1792]

I didn't see that seed as different from other seeds. It went thru my drill just fine........I just dont see any growing at my place. I keep forgetting to look at my seed sheet to see what else I planted with the YSC. Been so wet here I have done almost nothing at my place recently.

Foggy. YSC doesn’t pop until year 2. I wouldn’t even think of it again until next spring.

 

[TreeDaddy]

I didn't see that seed as different from other seeds. It went thru my drill just fine........I just dont see any growing at my place. I keep forgetting to look at my seed sheet to see what else I planted with the YSC. Been so wet here I have done almost nothing at my place recently.

so.....you planted in a mix?

I will try that next time

Or use some type of seed carrier if planting YSC solo

bill

 

[Foggy47]

so.....you planted in a mix?

I will try that next time

Or use some type of seed carrier if planting YSC solo

bill

Yep.....If my memory serves.......I planted about 6# YSW, 5# Medium Red Clover, 2# Ladino White Clover, 4# Crimson Clover in the small box. Meanwhile I was putting down about 120 lbs of Cereal Rye in the big box and some AWP that needed to go. I did this all in late August. Have done nothing yet this year.....waiting to roll/crimp the rye in July.

 

[deepsleep]

I’m working on joining the club. Does anybody recommend the 6” spacing or does that reduce the down pressure/opener too much? I’m assuming I want the agitator? It’s an $500 option. Also, what is the preference on closing wheel style?

 

[Brian662]

I’m working on joining the club. Does anybody recommend the 6” spacing or does that reduce the down pressure/opener too much? I’m assuming I want the agitator? It’s an $500 option. Also, what is the preference on closing wheel style?

I don't have the agitator. I also have the 7.5" spacing. It's cheaper and more weight per row. Also it's easier (for me) to block a row and plant 15" row spacing on beans. As far as the closing wheels, I can't speak to what option is better, I think it'll depend on planting conditions.

 

[Wind Gypsy]

I really liked the sound of the 6” spacing but I’d probably opt for 7.5” just to get more down pressure.

My other drill has 5.5” spacing and that works well. I like the idea that everything canopies over a hair earlier but it probably doesn’t amount to a notable difference in practice?

 

[Foggy47]

I have the 7.5" spacing and would do that again. I think on a "minimum till drill" used for no til.....the extra down pressure per row is good to have.

I have the wider press wheels with the rib. I'm not sure if it makes any meaningful difference? That rib does leave an impression tho....and may provide a benefit in sandy soil. Dont know.....but I think they sell more with the narrow smooth wheels.

I do not have an agitator....and for $500 may do that just because it's not a high price. Might be better for things like switch grass? I don't know anyone with the agitator....maybe someone will chime in?

 

[Brian662]

I think the agitator would be for the big seed box and switchgrass would be planted with small seed box?