I think the 8360R would have no problem pulling that assuming you do not have mt everest style hills there in Australia.

 

DB Deere bars are built by Bauer.

Home - Bauer Built Mfg

Wilrich also builds big toolbars.

Wil-Rich 10K Folding Tool Bar Overview

 

Get hold of someone at the factory. They are quite open to discussion and special orders or at least they were a couple years ago.

 

Just thought that a bar built in the US might be cheaper than getting one made in Australia. Around $160000 for a front fold bar not including openers and air kit. Labour is a big issue in oz and doing more with one bigger machine might be easier than running 2 provided we dont wrap the big one around a tree!

 

ausmac can't help with bar but just curious what sort of units were you thinking of using? I have tried a few single disc versions but haven't really found one I like 100% yet.

 

John i was thinking of a single disc opener like Excell. We currently have JD 1890 40 ft which has done over 60000 acres (10 each year) it has been a pretty good machine, in most conditions emergence has been excellent. The switch from tines in 2005 has resulted in more moisture retention, significant fuel savings and more done in a day. Despite having many frustrating times with discs in wet stubbles and black soil ( probably not as black and sticky and good as gundy) i think the discs are the way to go. The excell unit is pretty much the same as the JD but has a better gauge wheel and looks better built and is a grand cheaper.

We currently run a 12 metre (40ft) controlled traffic system on 3 metre centres and 24 metre will fit in. The old end tow 80 footers were hopeless if you had to travel and you needed a steiger tiger to pull them although i think a wide single bar disc seeder if set up right with a tracked tractor may get close to double the Ha/hour than our current machine with only a small increase in fuel consumption. The idea is still on the drawing board. Like all farmers trying to improve efficency.

 

Oh I have my share of hard ground! We messed around with the barton openers back in the day and gave Austil a fair run too but just tore too much hair out trying to plant at night into sticky ground! When everything was going they do a great job here, but waiting for that time was the hard part! I have heard the excel's are pretty good.

I like the look of the DB planters. Would love to get a DB 80 for sorghum but just don't really grow enough to ever justify one. I do like your idea though if you can make the openers work.

With your tram tracking do you try and fit the harvester in as well? Lots of CT up here but still many arguments between 2 and 3 metre and trying to fit the header in, and then do you also modify the chaser bin to unload on 12mt centres and on and on...

We work on 2's here and 4's here because of sorghum but its not perfect. I haven't been able to bring myself to run a MFWD on singles and 3 metre centres yet.

 

John we fit the harvester in. We set up a rough 2 metre system in the early 2000s with a 40ft flexicoil and 80ft boomspray but couldnt afford autosteer and settled for lightbar GPS ( outback S that cost over 10 grand which i sold recently for 200 bucks). As far as compaction goes this system didnt do much but improved spraying and overlap. We looked into 3 metre but the only way to it back then was with a 30ft front as most fronts were 36ft and 40 footers were pretty much unheard of nearly 10 years ago, and setting up 3 metre for the tractor was only possible with singles on our steiger, cotton reels on a FWA or a tracked cat challenger. When John Deere came out with factory spacers for an 8520 we traded a STX 375 for a new 8520 on 3 metre centres with 18.4 tyres , RTK greenstar autosteer. We also got traded our 8 year old (in 2005) flexicoil tined seeder and aircart for a JD 1890 disc seeder and 9000 litre simplicity air cart on 3 metre centres. Our hardi spray had adjustable axle from 2-3 metres so we used the 8520 for spraying.

Six seasons on i think the decision to go to 3 metre rather than stick with 2 metre has been the way to go. It took a few years to get headers with 12 metre fronts so for the first few years the harvester didnt match. I got hold of a used 42ft midwest front for our 9660 and our contracter got a 40ft JD front. It just makes harvesting so easy and efficient, both machines have autosteer and you always have a full front, and you never finish a paddock with a 6ft strip. Our chaser bin is on 3 metre centres, we currently move over to pick up on the go and move back onto the tramlines. Last year the system worked excellent i think we had more traction and got bogged less and caused less damage ( easily repaired) to the paddock if the headers were not on the tracks. We have improved emergence and we dont have any dust issues spraying over summer as there is a thick layer of chaff on the tramlines.
The only issues that i have found (which can be easily fixed and apply to 2 metre) is deep rutted tracks may need to be renovated and residue build up in the centre of the tramline can effect emergence in higher yielding years other than that the system is brilliant.

 

Ausmac been reading the thread. Do you find that you need less HP at seeding with the tram tracks? If you go to a 24M seeding rig would you still leave the 3m tracks at 12M for harvest.

Madsnake

 

Madsnake you can get away with less HP with tram tracks. Our 8520 came with a set of duals which we have never used. There is more pulling power when on the tracks, you can go off the tracks or on headlands when its wet and the wheel slip goes up. Spraying in crop is when the tram tracks really shine last year we had up 7 passes in crop and it was very wet and as long as you stayed on the tracks you can get the job done. I think if we go 24 we will leave bare tramlines at seeding and might also remove openers on the outer wings to leave bare lines so it will look like it has been seeded with a 12m machine. I like to leave the tracks bare in case the GPS dies and you can use them as a guide and not much grows in dirt that is like concrete.

 

Thanks for that mate. Don't see tramtracks here in the mallee but can see there merit. RTK steering on machines at all diffrent widths is C***up in a lot of ways and you see it every were here.

Madsnake

 

Why wont it work in the Malllee? Is that the Vic Mallee? There are plenty of farmers doing CTF in Victoria.

 

Vic mallee mate and I can see them working, the bigs hold back would be older generation.

I think there is alote in vic once you get south into heavey soils.

Madsnake

 

Hi Ausmac, I'm guessing the price in Aus might be the boss engineering front fold drill?
I run a 1890 deere and am happy with it so far, just be aware that Excell's single disc seems to need more maintenance than the JD, more greasing and I know a guy that has one and he thinks after 4 seasons she may be worn out, bushes bearings, etc. But I'm not sure what his maintenacne is like.

I have heard of guys putting the boss spoked wheels on the Deere 90 series openers too.
Saw the NDF 80' machine at Ag Quip, wow $$$$$$

Good Luck,

Russell

 

I think the excell openers are imported from brazil. There are quite a few operating in our area. We have done 6 seasons (4000-5000 ha) each year and you have to keep the maintenance up to disc machines. For the record JD 1890 good points, hub bearings are strong and still original, simple to set up, generally good crop emergence, was significantly cheaper than other machines. The bad points, gauge wheels are rubbish, closing wheel springs break, closing wheel bushes need upgrading. We have plenty of things to upgrade on the farm so unless JD comes out with a new machine i think will go to an aussie built machine.

 

Ausmac,
You should look at this company based out of Iowa. website is www.A-M-E.co
You can see the frames on the website. They have 2 models. The grey toolbar and the black toolbar in the pictures. The black one is like the Bauer.

They are close to Bauer MFG and they are now producing a toolbar that is exact same just minor changes. I tried to order a DB80 from Bauer but they are to busy producing for John Deere. I stopped by and talked to them. They build the toolbars specifically for overseas markets so they have configuration for 30 inch or 70cm spacing. They sell complete planters or just toolbars.

 

Ausmac did you end up setting up 24m rig? Im keen on doing the same thing with single discs on 400mm, i think i may of found a bar around moree to copy and have a go at building one.

 

Not yet. We ended up setting up another 1890 but still won't shake the idea. I'm only interested on a disc machine on wide spacing. pJ are you looking at forward fold or end tow. I think you can buy multiplanter frames at a reasonable price but it would be only end tow. If I could setup a 24 m machine that could be pulled over 10km with 8345RT your get a heap of acres done . I also have an idea of unbolting wings so you can go back to 40 ft if needed.

 

Im only interested in front fold ausmac, telescopic drawbar etc, would still need to drop off air cart to be under 25m for transport i think, bit of thinking to go into it yet but im keen to give one a go, i think ill buy a 1890 for the next couple yrs and make a start on building a frame for a 24m unit

 

If length is an issue, why not trying to find an integrated bar and mounting a cart to it?

Up to 60ft SeedWarrior | Soilwarrior

60ft on tracks
Wil-Rich 10K Folding Tool Bar Overview

 

If length is an issue, why not trying to find an integrated bar and mounting a cart to it?

Up to 60ft SeedWarrior | Soilwarrior

60ft on tracks
Wil-Rich 10K Folding Tool Bar Overview

I was actually debating looking for a FC1720 cart with 3pth to mount our planter on. Then I could have the option for granular inoc down the furrow (soys), granular fert in furrow or granular fert in a sideband. There's not too many of them around though and they are starting to get in pretty rough shape.

Andrew

 

I thought about mounting air seeder on top of unit,towards the rear so not to much weight thrown forward onto tractor,less length of hose to distibute seed ie less delay at headlands etc, less hyd hose etc, less over all length, but cause im prob going to use jd single disc units not a parrelogram unit im not sure whether as the seed box weight changes (empties) whether seeding depth would alter seeding depth or not?

 

Ausmac,

There's a used DB90 (but currently run at 80') for sale up here. 20" spacings, everything that spits and sh*ts. Only used to plant sorghum. But its about $350,000!!

 

Hey ausmac I sent you a pm about these bars did you see it by any chance?

 

My mate is the Australian Distributer for A.M.Eco, he has a 80ft , 63row bar leaving IOWA in a couple of weeks heading to the Liverpool plains. This bar has electric drive meters, hyd down force, air operated row cleaners, central fill, units can be adjusted to any row spacing, keeton seed firmers etc etc.
If you want to know more shoot me a pm...Cheers

 

I also forgot to mention he is the major Precision Planting dealer in Australia and has lots of smick parts to enhance maxi mergers etc. He is a farmer himself so you are dealing with a grass roots person who understands exactly what you are after when it comes to seeders and precision equipment.

His website is www.precisionseedingsolutions.com.au

Cheers