Cultipacker: single vs. double

[orangepower]

I'm hopefully gonna plant some alfalfa next spring. Not sure yet if we will broadcast the seeds or use a drill (depends on which machine I find at a good price). I've been looking at some cultipackers. Doubles seem to be pretty expensive. Found a couple single rollers that are in my price range. My question is will the single roll packer be sufficient to pack the seeds down? Thanks for your time.
 

[RayP(MI)]

Single should work well. We used a single for years here, when I was a kid. Last few years I"ve been planting without any cultipacking at all, with good results. Acquired a single this fall, and am looking forward to fewer rocks sticking up, smoother fields, etc. next season.
 

[kevinecwi]

Single has worked good here the last 40 years.
 

[wijim]

I know you know, the alfalfa seed goes in the grass seed box on the grain drill. Just saying. Everyone around here uses single rollers. Jim
 

[orangepower]

Right. Need a drill with the small seed box. Seed just drops out on ground.
 

[maxwell99]

i have an old Brillion double row,

it works good, grass will sure come up better when rolled

would not want to be without one.

neighbors have borrowed it, picked it up with a boom pole and carried it many miles.

always gets a good report.

 

[RayP(MI)]

Note - I plant alfalfa with a grain drill, along with oats. Oats are a nurse crop, keeps the weeds down until the alfalfa gets established.
 

[Fordfarmer]

I have a Brillion SS12, used to have a SS10, both double rollers, with their own seed boxes. Seed is dropped between the rollers, so only the rear roller pushes the seed in. If you're putting it on with a drill, a single would work just fine. Grass/alfalfa seed doens't need to be deep.
 

[James Howell]

This information on Planting Methods for Alfalfa recommends planting depth should be about ¹/₄ inch.

A single roller cultipacker should work just fine for planting alfalfa seed.



We use a double roller 8ft Brillion Sure-Stand Seeder for planting our grass seed.
 

[Allis Dave]

There is no majic to a double cultipacker. A double is just the same as running a single over the field two times. Way back tractors weren't big enough to pull doubles. If the ground was really soft grandpa used to run the double across the field 2-4 times to get a good firm seed bed. You just keep packing until you feel you have a good bed to drill into.
 

[Farmallb]

Mention was made of rolling a field several times till gramps felt the field was fine for drilling.
Ive always wondered about packing a field prior to planting corn. Whats you guys thoughts on that? I have an old 3 section brillion packer that has the disc and spike wheels opposite each other.
 

[maxwell99]

i think that would be too much.
I have a small 2 row jd planter and it has press wheels, field may look rough, but the row where the corn is planted is smooth, corn always comes right up.

 

[tbish]

u can broadcast it if u choose run the cultipacker over the field first sow ur seed then cultipacker again i done it alot this way get good results both ways work fine