Bourgault 5710 MRB/Caster/Shank Adjustment for Better Trash Flow

[bigtimeoperator]

I have a 2006 Bourgault 5710 that is 54ft with 9.8" spacing. There are about 4-5 areas on the drill where plugging with trash can be a big problem in the tough conditions. I'm worried that the taller than normal pea and durum stubble from last years crop will cause us some grief in 2012. I've been told by my service department that there is a "kit" that moves some of the MRB's up front, moves some shanks, and moves the front caster wheels ahead to make the drill flow trash through better. Has anybody done something like this to their 5710? Was it difficult? Did it sacrifice seed placement? Did it solve the problem areas on the drill that are prone to plugging with trash? I know the new Paralinks and 5810's flow trash through much better than the one I have, but last year I had a Paralink in the same field as my 5710 and there was no difference in emergence, maturity or yield (this was on durum, wheat, and red lentils) so I can't justify replacing with a drill that costs 2X what mine is worth.

[canfarmer]

Just double check your drill doesn't already have those mods done to it Which I would think it does if it is a 2006. I know they changed the layout along the way on the 5710s with MRBs but thought it was earlier than that

Do must already have caster wheel extensions on your drill? Correct?

[bigtimeoperator]

No castor extensions on my unit. When I back the drill up a couple MRB's catch on the castors when they rotate around. Have sliced the sidewalls a few times..... Anybody moved some castors/MRB's/shanks on these drills???

[redgreen]

Originally Posted by bigtimeoperator

No castor extensions on my unit. When I back the drill up a couple MRB's catch on the castors when they rotate around. Have sliced the sidewalls a few times..... Anybody moved some castors/MRB's/shanks on these drills???

Friend of mine has a 59' 5710 and had some trash clearance problems. I know he thought of moving around some banders and shanks but he wasn't too sure if it was going to help much. The mainframe area is pretty tight for space as it is. He ended up dropped a few banders off and putting sideband openers on the affected shanks. From what he was telling me there was little if any difference in the crop where this was done and trash flow was greatly improved. I believe he has the castor extensions and such, but I will double check that.

[deeretech99]

yes i have done sevral units with a good improvement but not completley fixed

[farmerboy3]

my neighbour had problems pluggin up with his 5710 then he started harrowing after harvest every fall and he doesn't have a problem any more

[rook]

We have a 2001 drill and have done some modifications around the castor wheels but I didn't know there was a kit to do this. We moved one bander back into the frame and moved a shank up front and lengthened some of the frame pieces that the MRBs bolt to. It was a lot of trial and error over a number of seasons but it has improved flow. I didn't know you could lengthen castor wheels - I would think you would have to be careful to maintain drill level when starting to do that.

[NickS]

We ordered our drill with the caster extensions when we bought it as that was recomended by the salesman. Glad we did. We have little plugging and our 5710 with mid rows have less of an issue with this than some of the newer contour following side band drills.

You will notice that both the new shank mid row 5810 and the 3310 all have all mid row banders on the very front to alleviate this problem even further and make servicing easier.

After 5 seasons of the drill I have I also see no reason from an agronomy point of view to make the much larger investment on newer contour following drills. There remain limts to even thier controurability in some conditions. This is witnessed in the bourgault lineup by the new options available on the 3310. I like the simplicity and single point depth control offered on the 5710/5810.