How do you figure the size of airdrill you can pull?

[poorboy]

I have a 40 foot bourgault airdrill on 9.8 inch spacing that has 50 shanks. My tractor can just pull it and no more. If I traded up to a 12.6 inch spaced drill and kept my same aircart, could I pull 50 shanks spaced 12.6 apart (52 feet)?

Is the draft based on a per opener amount, or is there some differences based on spacing.

[wd9]

You would also have to include the weight of the additional frame. It will be minimal however unless you have to go to a 5 plex in the process. If you have flat land, not an issue.

Did the same thing, sort of, couldn't pull an 8 inch machine, moved the shanks to 10, less shanks, and worked great.

[dfarms11]

What size of tractor do you have?

[poorboy]

I have a JD 4wd rated at 360 hp. It can just pull my drill when wet or going uphill, with the 9.8inch spacing and 50 shanks with mid row coulters. I am renting some more land and my drill is getting too small, so I was hoping to buy a 50 foot unit with 50 shanks on it and go the same speed and do 25% more acres per day. I just don't know it this can be done.

I have neighbors with both a 12 and 10 inch spaced drill with about 3 inches of seed spread per opener. They have had everything from crop disasters in 2002. to bumper crops in 2004, and according to the combine yield monitors, there is no yield difference in super crop or poor crop if weeds are kept under control.

So I am hoping to save some money and only have to buy a bigger drill and keep my old tractor.

[dfarms11]

we have an 8870 with 39', 12"spacing. I know we could handle more width, but I don't know if we could handle 50'.I know on dry ground it might just pull it, but if it got a little wet I think it would be a little much.

[dhewlitt]

When thinkin of trying to cover more acres we found the best results was with pulling more product and stopping less. you can always stop for 2 mins to check the drill every hour or two and fill every four to six hours.
We carry enough product for 6 hours per stop!
We seed 7500 acres with one 45' drill at 5 MPH.

[poorboy]

dhewlitt,

I am interested in a little more info on how you use your system to cover 7500 acres with 45 of drill. Depending on your seed rate and fertilizer rates, that is a lot of acres for one 45 foot drill. How many acres do seed to a tank full that you go for 6 hours to a fill and what size of air tank are you towing and are you towing a big nh3 tank or liquid fertilizer wagon also? How many hours a day do you operate the drill and how many days does it take to seed 7500 acres. You are more efficent than me and I am hoping to learn from you.

I typically seed 4800 acres of wheat, canola, barley and peas, starting about april 25 and I like to be done seeding by may 20. I seed about 18 hour days and use just the one airtank and apply 120 lbs seed and 225 lbs of dry fertilizer mixture. Ground speed is usually about 5 mph. An average field size for me is about 160 acres, but almost none of my fields are nice square quarter sections.

[dhewlitt]

A little slow reply.
We run 24 hrs a day (or try to) carry appropriate seed for 160 acres and liquid fertilier to match, it takes us about 25 mins to fill/grease/fuel, so about 7.5 hrs per 1/4, 3 quarters per day, ussually a seed switch or two so somedays are less, but about 20 days to seed.