Dutch vertical side band

[flea beetle]

Have run a Flexicoil 5000 drill since 2008. I have used Dutch low draft twin row 31/2 inch, then regular atom jet side band and now atom jet high rate side band. I can’t say that I noticed too much difference in trash clearance, only issue is in pea stubble. There is no doubt that the atom jet works better in canola, in cereals I give the edge to Dutch low draft. Should have a better idea this fall, my neighbour seeded some barley for me with his Dutch low draft this spring, hope to do some yield testing this fall. The only other thing I did was order the drill without the harrows between the openers and the packers, just make a mess with much straw in my opinion.

Do you prefer the regular side band or the high rate side band between the two? What kind of soil? Kind of a clay-loam here.

[Guest]

So you sent them for a rebuild at 30,000 acres? Or you got 30,000 acres out of the opener before having to change them to something else, and did a rebuild in there somewhere?

Have 35,000 acres on the dutch low drafts, and have replaced the tips at about 20,000 acres. Boots themselves probably have another 20,000-25,000 acres in them yet.

at 30,000 acres we were missing maybe a half a dozen carbide pieces
the hard band welds were worn on sides (cost $30 apiece/opener/average)
they re-welded hard band and glued those few missing carbide squares back on
no rocks , heavy soil , no sand though
they were like new and we put them back on and I'm sure we will get another 30,000 acres/10 years
and that should finish me off , lol
really like the atom jet opener
had the morris gumbo boot before that and it made you feel like jumping off a bridge when looking behind drill, they did always grow good crops tho, just to coarse and rough

[blackpowder]

The way the packers are on this flexi I'll be trading drills long before openers are worn.
At least for now, drills arent worth fixing given cost of good used.
Kept my old Dutch boots to send with.

[Guest]

The way the packers are on this flexi I'll be trading drills long before openers are worn.
At least for now, drills arent worth fixing given cost of good used.
Kept my old Dutch boots to send with.

whats wrong with packers?

[blackpowder]

Nothing yet.
But when rubber caps start giving trouble for example. Flexi new to me. But when you can get a low acre toolbar for 30 to 60? Look like a night mare to overhaul and I've priced out parts.

[Hamloc]

Do you prefer the regular side band or the high rate side band between the two? What kind of soil? Kind of a clay-loam here.

I prefer the high rate side band over the regular one. After a few years of trial and error we put cereals and peas out the back of the boot and when seeding canola we put the canola out the side and the fertilizer out the back. By putting the cereals out the back you get a bit wider spread on the seed and therefore slightly better soil utilization than if you put the seed out the side. Also with canola slightly better seed fertilizer separation on the high rate side band over the regular one. Our soil is a black sandy loam.