The more things change.....

[hobbyfrmr]

Reading the Grain news tonight, John Deere had introduced a new combination ripper, and AgCo has introduced new tandem disc harrow and vertical tillage implements.
A quote from the AgCo senior marketing specialist. " a high performing tillage tool is more important than ever."
What's next , introducing a high speed rod weeder?
Talk about re inventing the wheel! I really have no concept as to how much money there is to be had in supplying agriculture.

[tweety]

If you spend at least $100,000 on a tillage sucker tool with at least a $500,000 - gotta be a quad trac - tractor going 18 mph with dirt 30 feet in the air, erosion and tillage is cool again.

Yay innovation where money is no object.

Morons. PT Barnum would be proud.

[freewheat]

Fads come and go. Hyper tillage is a fad.

[bucket]

I think it's a sign of the times. Instead of cultivating 4 times or disking and then harrowing it can all be done quickly in one pass.

I asked this on another thread but can't remember the answer, but I thought vertical tillage would be a great fit for organic systems?

I like the idea not the price but I see their purpose for my land and time availability.

[hobbyfrmr]

I like the idea but not the price. The other interesting angle that was presented early into these machines is that you have to go 8 mph or your not being effective. This logically means you need high horsepower tractor......and they were not really bringiing in small ones. Freight was expensive and no one really buys the smaller ones. That disqualified me pretty quick. Then they could get a small one .....but an extra $4000.00 in freight. That disqualified me even quicker.
I think they definitely have a place on organic farms, but not enough to chase salesmen with more money for physically less steel. It was a good try though, I almost rationalized that "extra cost for the inconvenience of selling a smaller unit" theory.
It is mostly large efficient farms around here and there are multiples of different models of these machines. I agree, they leave a very nice finish.

[pourfarmer]

hobby farmer, Have you ever looked into retrofitting a old deep tiller with the ripple coulters and hubs? I've seen the conversions kits in "The Book". It seems like a economical way to get a smaller unit, I'm not sure if the depth control would be as accurate as the lemken or salford.

[tweety]

Hobby have you looked into the feasibility of steam for weed control ?

[hobbyfrmr]

No to both above I questions. I will look into both. I need something more substantial than vertical tillage to powdown belt high sweet clover.
I never considered steam . I like tillage, heavy tandem disk.

[tweety]

Always wondered about steam, after all you only need cellular damage, doesn't have to be cooked.

Tillage, something bugs, rain, and sun do for free with no erosion or destruction of microchannels and soil health.

[grassfarmer]

Hobby, Have you looked at the Rodale crimper roller idea? Lots of YouTube videos on it - even plans to make your own.

[sumdumguy]

Tweety-bugs, rain and sun do for nothing? Tillage? Not in my world!

[tweety]

Thats pretty cool crimper. oilfield uses those flax straw crimper planter things for reclamation. Leaves flax stubble standing where bare dirt was.

Hobby, you gotta be able to have a thin black line where your seed comes up and a rats nest everywhere else that nothing grows thru.

Sumdum, not following what you mean, other then maybe you enjoy tilling the shit out of the soil with reckless abandon not giving a hoot about soil health because there is 'just no other way'

[furrowtickler]

Doing nothing after a few years of saturated soils is by far worse than a bit of tillage