jd 8300 drill

[gosteelers]

Which is better for planting beans, a jd 8300 drill or a 7000 planter. I have a drill for planting food plots and was thinking about planting my own crops next year so I'd be getting a small jd7000 planter for corn. My thinking was that I'd be doing a lot of stopping and refilling if I did beans with the small planter, but not many people use drills anymore and I wondered if it's because planters yield that much better or if they're just too small for these big farmers? I kind of rambled with this question, I guess what I'm getting at is do yields drop considerably with a drill, or is it practicle for a small (200 acre) farmer to use?

 

[Tx Jim]

Planter is always more precise seed placement than a grain drill.

 

[NY 986]

Random thoughts. A corn planter would allow you to do corn plus beans. The best use of a drill would be for beans as it provides poor spacing for corn. Emergence in heavy ground can be an issue for beans that are drilled while the planter will space the seed close enough together that the seedlings together can much easier push the soil crust apart. Planters equipped with radial meters are far more precise in population placed per acre than a drill. Seen many a drill go through a field and wind up bags short in finishing because the drill flutes can not meter in terms of seed size. Older drills have trouble holding depth in less than perfect tillage conditions. Seed box extensions are available for most makes of corn planter.

 

[amnion]

The JD 8300 grain drill can make a fantastic bean seeder. There were two types of meters for that drill, the ordinary fluted style, and a much more accurate and reliable meter for larger seeds called a double-run. I have seen farmers come out way ahead with drilled beans versus not. The faster canopy can be a significant advantage against weed pressure and limited rainfall.

 

[JMS/.MN]

Drilled beans in low wet ground also lead to more white mold. It is nice tho when you can run about 35 acres between fills. I"ve used both, even in the same year, but I pull a HM rubber tire packer behind the drill. Now I use a roller after planting with the 7000- pushes rocks down for a smooth field.

 

[Anonymous-0]

The recent phenomenal increase in soybean seed cost has growers cutting populations and a planter increases the probability each seed will placed correctly. Also on good ground and lower latitudes growers aren't seeing any yield difference in 30 inch and drilled beans. However soybeans aren't nearly as fussy as corn on planting depth and spacing and remember that germination is usually around 90%, so does exact placing of a seed that wouldn't germinate mean anything anyway? It has already been mentioned that the double run is better than fluted feed which is certainly true. As well as less accurate seed metering, the fluted feed also can damage more seeds which reduces germination. Also it is true that big farmers can get bigger planters than drills. If farming good ground, not in a more northern state and the drill is fluted feed, I would certainly consider using a planter. Personally I use a double run JD drill set for 15 inch rows.

 

[gosteelers]

Thanks for the replies. Looks like most of you were in favor of doing the beans with the planter. Like I said, I was going to get the planter anyway, just wondering if I should trade the drill in when I do it. If it makes any difference, my drill has double disc openers, packing wheels and depth guages. Doing some calculating in my head (always dangerous and drives my wife nuts) I'd be stopping to refill the planter (6 row) with beans about every hour and a half? where the drill would only stop about every 5-6 hours? Another question, are weeds a big problem in 30 inch beans vs 7.5 inch? The reason I ask is that after planting, I would only have about one day a week to work, and if the weather's bad or whatever I wouldn't even be able to to that. I'd need as quick of a canopy as possible. Or would I be better off with a preplant herbicide and a 30 inch planter? I really appreciate the replies. I would just ask my locals but half of them seem like they would just rather rent my place and don't really answer questions, the other half are so big that they can't comprehend someone not using the latest and greatest $100,000+ planter.

 

[NY 986]

I've done round-up ready beans since 1998 and this is the first year I had to respray a large section of the bean ground with 30 inch rows. Most years work out that the beans are usually 20 to 24 inches tall when I figure the weeds need to be addressed. It should be noted I don't like significant weed pressure in beans so I don't wait too long. I would say most years here the beans are at full canopy in mid-July.
Is it necessary to get rid of the drill? It would be good to try both and see if one system is clearly better than another under YOUR conditions. Unless you think you would be giving up too much money to custom spray I would plan for that to counter the concern of not being available to spray. I've seen weeds overtake a drilled field just as readily as a 30" field if you are not timely. The darn lambsquarters here can grow 2 feet in a few days no problem if the weather is conducive.
White mold is a very serious concern and as dry as it was prior to September we went to being wet for September. A real concern that white mold would appear. White mold can really reduce yield and I've seen fields that came up against hedges where the first few passes saw nearly half the amount of unaffected seeds as the ones more out in the field. Wide spread white mold can turn a field with normally 50 bushel per acre yield into half or less.

 

[Aaron in IL]

I don't know where you are located, but if you ever want to put wheat out, you will definatley want the drill.

 

[Anonymous-0]

Wouldn't plant beans today either with a drill or planter without a preplant or early postplant herbicide. Would work a few years ago to use a burn down and then comeback later with a second dose of RU. But this has been resulting in resistant weeds and not recomended.