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Post by Freeborn on Aug 13, 2021 22:28:09 GMT -6
^ The machine I have weighs about 1100 lbs IIRC. I put about 300 lbs or cast iron weight on the front "weight trays" (shown in that last pic above). Not sure it's needed.....but I dont have issues with more weight for my lift. Smaller tractors (with lower lifting capacities) may need the light weight to be able to lift this up. I sliced through heavy sod like nobody's business. Very happy right now with choosing this product.. . Looks great Tom, will the extra weight affect planting depth? It does with my Kasco unless I use the hydraulic lift to limit how far down I penetrate. Do you have a part number on those paddles, I may try and fit those on my drill.
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Post by Foggy on Aug 14, 2021 5:57:50 GMT -6
^ The machine I have weighs about 1100 lbs IIRC. I put about 300 lbs or cast iron weight on the front "weight trays" (shown in that last pic above). Not sure it's needed.....but I dont have issues with more weight for my lift. Smaller tractors (with lower lifting capacities) may need the light weight to be able to lift this up. I sliced through heavy sod like nobody's business. Very happy right now with choosing this product.. . Looks great Tom, will the extra weight affect planting depth? It does with my Kasco unless I use the hydraulic lift to limit how far down I penetrate. Do you have a part number on those paddles, I may try and fit those on my drill. There is a parts manual for this thing. You can download it from their site at Tar River. Not sure if they have the whole assembly to sell? You could call the MN salesman (though their phone number on the website) and ask him. Nice guy and he is traveling in MN all the time. I know one guy from on line was trying to purchase the spring loaded front Coulter assemblies for his conventional drill. Thus turning it into a no till drill. One way to regulate the seed depth is to adjust my hydraulic top link to pull the double disk openers a bit higher and put more pressure on the slicing coulters (or vice versa). The machine is almost exactly level now.....and I may fasten a level to the side of the main frame....in order to check the machine when planting.....in order to find the "sweet spot" for planting depths. I am uncertain if I need those cast weights added?
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Post by Foggy on Aug 14, 2021 19:00:03 GMT -6
Today I worked on getting the seed cups to be uniform from one row to the next. Kinda fussy alignment system they have here. It works but its really hard to get at the adjustment bolts and then it takes a little smoke and mirrors to get everything uniform. I think this is a one time event....and it's really important on small seeds to provide uniformity.....so I gave this allot of attention. Then I spent some time getting the depth set up. This is something Big Jerry questioned when he stopped by for a look the other day. I found that the manual says to keep the machine as level as possible......so I zip tied a level to the main frame to keep set-up easy. . Then I spent some time adjusting the rear wheel that provides allot of the depth control, and the settings on the frame which push the double disk openers into the ground. If needed I can increase the tension on those by adjusting the spring pressure.....but I hope to not go there. I also can tweak my hydraulic top link to increase or decrease pressure on the slicing Coulter or the double disk openers. Kinda a game of tweaking a bit here and there. I had to work in the direct sun today....so I was losing my humor after a time. With that adjusted....I took to setting up the seed rates on the cups to dispense the right amount / acres of the seeds I plan to plant. I found an area that is a problem due to leakage of small seeds around the seed cup mounts. I think a bit of flex seal tape will solve this issue....but that is for tommorow. Interesting how shelled I was after 4.5 hours of this stuff. I could hardly lift my arms at the end of the day. This getting old chit is real boys. Hopefully I won't have to go at this machine so hard in the future and I think the time spent in the past few days will prove worthwhile. It is good to go thru the process to better understand the workings. At some point tho....you just wanna drive the tractor and put down seeds. (that's the fun and easy part.) OH....and at the end of the day....I USED !20 VOLT AC POWER TO VACCUUM THE SEED OUT OF THE BOXES. EAT YOUR HEART OUT SD! Grin.
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Post by Foggy on Aug 14, 2021 19:20:55 GMT -6
^. Just reflecting on time gone by. When I was in my teens.....I spent several years bending wrenches with Delbert Sheaffer whom was the machinery set-up man and delivery guy my dad had on the payroll. He was a class act. I think I learned more from him than almost any other individual in my youth. And, he was a good role model too. Hard working family man and willing to tackle just about anything mechanical. He and I would assemble things like disks and cultivators and hay balers and combines.....and we did ALLOT of corn pickers. Learned how to trouble shoot things like knotters on balers and combine sieves. Loaded and unloaded some chinery that could be hazardous....if you did not know what you were doing. I even went to combine school with Delbert. The wss a LOOONG time ago. But gotta say, he was very influential in my mechanical abilities. We had several other cracker-jack employees....Including a welder (Leroy Grunst) whom welded ships together during WW!!. He could shorten truck chassis and drive shafts and so much more. Also had a parts man that could remember up to eight part numbers as he picked those parts or kept inventory cards (MANUALLY)....hated that work. Watched Leroy weld gas tanks. He was the real deal too. I feel fortunate to have some of these mentors in my childhood. I thought everyone had these talents back then....but these guys were exceptionally good by any standards. They are gone....and likely legends to very few...if not for their families. I miss those old timers. They were almost family.....maybe better. .
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Post by sd51555 on Aug 14, 2021 20:25:56 GMT -6
OH....and at the end of the day....I USED !20 VOLT AC POWER TO VACCUUM THE SEED OUT OF THE BOXES. EAT YOUR HEART OUT SD! Grin. There are no points for overcomplicating the spreading and germination of clover and small grains.
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Post by kooch on Aug 14, 2021 20:35:26 GMT -6
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Post by Sandbur on Aug 15, 2021 4:21:39 GMT -6
You need to put a level on the hopper. I wouldn’t worry about zip ties, but just use twine string. In all truth, it sounds like foggy knows and enjoys what he is doing. The company should hire him!
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Post by Freeborn on Aug 15, 2021 4:50:25 GMT -6
OH....and at the end of the day....I USED !20 VOLT AC POWER TO VACCUUM THE SEED OUT OF THE BOXES. EAT YOUR HEART OUT SD! Grin. There are no points for overcomplicating the spreading and germination of clover and small grains. Actually for Foggy there is, anybody who has tried to plant on sandy soil knows getting seed into the ground is key to germination and keeping the seed/plant alive. If you just broadcast seed on top of sand it lays there and does nothing.
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Post by Freeborn on Aug 15, 2021 5:00:38 GMT -6
Today I worked on getting the seed cups to be uniform from one row to the next. Kinda fussy alignment system they have here. It works but its really hard to get at the adjustment bolts and then it takes a little smoke and mirrors to get everything uniform. I think this is a one time event....and it's really important on small seeds to provide uniformity.....so I gave this allot of attention. Then I spent some time getting the depth set up. This is something Big Jerry questioned when he stopped by for a look the other day. I found that the manual says to keep the machine as level as possible......so I zip tied a level to the main frame to keep set-up easy. . Then I spent some time adjusting the rear wheel that provides allot of the depth control, and the settings on the frame which push the double disk openers into the ground. If needed I can increase the tension on those by adjusting the spring pressure.....but I hope to not go there. I also can tweak my hydraulic top link to increase or decrease pressure on the slicing Coulter or the double disk openers. Kinda a game of tweaking a bit here and there. I had to work in the direct sun today....so I was losing my humor after a time. With that adjusted....I took to setting up the seed rates on the cups to dispense the right amount / acres of the seeds I plan to plant. I found an area that is a problem due to leakage of small seeds around the seed cup mounts. I think a bit of flex seal tape will solve this issue....but that is for tommorow. Interesting how shelled I was after 4.5 hours of this stuff. I could hardly lift my arms at the end of the day. This getting old chit is real boys. Hopefully I won't have to go at this machine so hard in the future and I think the time spent in the past few days will prove worthwhile. It is good to go thru the process to better understand the workings. At some point tho....you just wanna drive the tractor and put down seeds. (that's the fun and easy part.) OH....and at the end of the day....I USED !20 VOLT AC POWER TO VACCUUM THE SEED OUT OF THE BOXES. EAT YOUR HEART OUT SD! Grin.
Great looking dill Tom, that should be a very effective tool going forward. My Kasco is similar in that there are endless adjustments to dialing in the drill. I think your hydraulic toplink will work nicely for adjusting your depth without getting off the tractor. That’s a feature I would like to have as adjusting the top link manually is a pain.
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Post by Foggy on Aug 15, 2021 7:41:17 GMT -6
^. Thanks Jerry. I was a bit surprised to thee how effective that big roller / wheel (with the tubes0 is at closing the seed trench.....in addion to those spring loaded plates on the back. Lots going on here....and it all serves to cover those seeds. Your right about sandy soils........getting the seeds lightly covered with soil is what ti takes to get those seeds to grow in the sand I got. That won't be so hard currently as I have lots of bare land due to the dourght. But it will be more difficult as I get some thatch devleoped.
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Post by kooch on Aug 15, 2021 7:44:25 GMT -6
I was just teasin'
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Post by Foggy on Aug 15, 2021 8:14:48 GMT -6
You damaged my feelings. Grin. I've broadcast my last seed with one of those freaking slingers. Doing 7 acres with a Solo spinner with a variety of seeds is not for the faint of heart. Kinda like liming from bags.....too hard for an old guy. It's ok for you tho. Grin.
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Post by kooch on Aug 15, 2021 8:16:56 GMT -6
You damaged my feelings. Grin. I've broadcast my last seed with one of those freaking slingers. Doing 7 acres with a Solo spinner with a variety of seeds is not for the faint of heart. Kinda like liming from bags.....too hard for an old guy. It's ok for you tho. Grin. That thing hanging off my chest with 20 pounds of clover seed in it get's hard on the lower back pretty quick. I admit it.
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Post by Foggy on Aug 15, 2021 8:30:11 GMT -6
You damaged my feelings. Grin. I've broadcast my last seed with one of those freaking slingers. Doing 7 acres with a Solo spinner with a variety of seeds is not for the faint of heart. Kinda like liming from bags.....too hard for an old guy. It's ok for you tho. Grin. That thing hanging off my chest with 20 pounds of clover seed in it get's hard on the lower back pretty quick. I admit it. I've gotten pretty good at applying seeds via that Herd GT77 seeder mounted on the front of my UTV. It can broadcast about 20 feet wide.....and at a variety of rates. Still, for me, broadcasting requires tillage and tillage brings on the pigweed issues. No more bare dirt for me. (knock on wood . )
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Post by Sandbur on Aug 15, 2021 14:13:26 GMT -6
There are no points for overcomplicating the spreading and germination of clover and small grains. Actually for Foggy there is, anybody who has tried to plant on sandy soil knows getting seed into the ground is key to germination and keeping the seed/plant alive. If you just broadcast seed on top of sand it lays there and does nothing. That broadcast seed does less than nothing. It attracts those damned turkeys!
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