Do You Need An Expensive No-Till Drill to Plant Your Foodplots? (Part 2 of 2)

Рет қаралды 35,749

Күн бұрын

After many experiments and testing, this video shows my conclusion about using an affordable, plain ole' grain drill vs. an expensive no-till drill to convert food plots to no-till planting.
Here is the payoff we all look for from our food plots, buck down! • Mark's 2020 Bow Season...
Here is how to buy a used grain drill: • Grain Drill: How They...
Here is the part 1 video: • Do You Need an Expensi...
Here is why you should consider no-till foodplotting: • Why Convert to No-Till...
Here is another video of someone using a grain drill for no till, with their results very well documented, so stay to the end to see how well things germinated: • IH 510 Grain Drill Foo...

Пікірлер: 62

@sandyrousseau6655 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks Mark, I’m in central Michigan and want to thank you for helping me out with this process. Congratulations on your harvest from last season.

@theback40 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks Sandy! I'm getting close to making a decision on a grain drill for this season...

@mattm7319 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for sharing the experiments with us! Great project!

@theback40 3 жыл бұрын

Glad you enjoyed it!

@EdensRemorse 2 жыл бұрын

After being inspired by this video almost a year ago, I'll be picking up a Deere Van Brunt 117 this weekend to try and emulate what you've succeeded with. The only major alteration will be using a sickle bar to knock down the 8' tall Johnsongrass prior to drilling- hopefully turning it into a nice mat of mulch (kind of like your cultipacker appears to have done). Thank you so much for publishing what you've done!

@theback40 2 жыл бұрын

Those VanBrunt's are sooo cool! Being able to repurpose a machine like this to today's techniques is rewarding. Let us all know how the sickle works on the monster grass, or I mean Johnsongrass. I really hope this works out for you. Thank you for the kind comment, too. Keep us all updated how it works out, you could insprie someone else to do the same.

@jahchaser 3 жыл бұрын

Like your willingness to share your experiments. You keyed in a great thing, the tall 6’ grass was shading the ground from seed germination so you didn’t need much round-up because they were being suppressed due to lack of sunlight. One thought, if you roller crimp that same grass instead of mowing it you will kill the stems and that will die and produce a ton of future fertilizer and build soil as it breaks down. If you purchase a no till drill with front coulters it will help cut through that laid over vegetation or you can also no- till right over the standing vegetation then let crop germinate and crimp roll when new growth is 3-4” tall.

@theback40 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the comment Timothy! I agree on the roller crimper, but for now, I am trying to use the equipment I already have purchased to keep my cost down. Wife wants a bathroom remodel, I want a roller crimper, guess who wins!

@dilpreetsingh737 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you for sharing your experience.

@theback40 3 жыл бұрын

Hey Dilpreet, thanks for the feedback!

@vd1322 3 жыл бұрын

You are really a great man and selfless person, God bless you.

@theback40 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you, that is a very humbling comment. May God bless you too.

@michaelanthonyoutdoors 7 ай бұрын

Lots of great insight here! I’m going to rent a no-till next year. Super cheap from my local county soil conservation district, and they happen to be right down the road. Broadcasting wasn’t that great for me either and needed lots of spraying which I definitely don’t want to keep doing. Thanks again!

@theback40 7 ай бұрын

Hey Michael, thank you. Sounds like we are on the same path! Best of luck to you this season.

@jamesdouglas6846 3 жыл бұрын

You are doing all the work for me. Thanks so much!

@theback40 3 жыл бұрын

LOL James! Hopefully I am saving you some time and angst. I'm looking forward to spring breaking here in Michigan so I can start the hunt for a grain drill again.

@jamesdouglas6846 3 жыл бұрын

@@theback40 I am waiting to return from Afghanistan to shop for mine but your video showed up just when I was asking myself why I needed such an expensive No-Till when I live in the Piedmont/Sandhills of NC. I can scratch lines out with a leaf rake 1/4 inch deep. I am pretty sure that I am going to save a huge chunk of money considering the prices I have found run from $5,500 to over $12,000. Thanks Again!

@alanhillis67 3 жыл бұрын

thanks for this info. Good stuff. I am going thru this process now.

@theback40 3 жыл бұрын

Hey Alan, thanks for the feedback. I am excited to learn more about the no-till process and how it works. The improvement in the quality of my foodplots so far has been amazing, which has motivated me to keep going and to find the best process. I want to share my experiments and what I have learned with everyone else so they can shorten their learning curve and figure out the best way for their situation. Enjoy the process of learning, remember, this is supposed to be fun!

@charlesswain8799 3 жыл бұрын

Good information. Thanks

@theback40 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks Charles!

@bradbrockhaus633 Жыл бұрын

you make some excellent videos...I definitely learn

@theback40 Жыл бұрын

Thanks Brad! Just trying to share knowledge and experience with the habitat community. All the best to you.

@johnnyholland8765 3 жыл бұрын

Everything you are doing in that plot is creating some organic matter too. As all that "stuff" dies and starts to decompose and break down it also creates a matting that holds moisture and shades the ground helping to stop weeds from coming through. If it were mine at some point I would try and mulch it. On some of the older drills you can actually increase the downward pressure with the springs. Single disc cut in better than double disc because with double disc it takes more down force. Also if it does not have drag chains behind the openers you can make a simple drag with an old fence post. Just a little extra something to close the furrows. You are doing good.....

@theback40 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks Johnny! I was initially thinking a double disk would be better because it would open the furrow wider, however, I was wrong. After borrowing a single disk drill, it was clear this was the way to go for the exact reason you mentioned, more of the downward pressure focused on the one disk. Just waiting for the snow to melt up here now to get people selling their drills again, hope to have one by planting season.

@michaelsawyer7029 Жыл бұрын

Thx mark, I’m binge watching all your videos and subscribed, I asked you a couple questions on your video when you teach about your buddies grain drill, I would like you to read my questions and answer them please so I don’t have to type them out again, thx for the videos, keep them coming

@theback40 Жыл бұрын

Hey Michael, will do. Going through all the comments right now. And welcome too!

@jinglongzhang7046 3 жыл бұрын

looking forard to see which brand grain drill you choose on the market😊

@theback40 3 жыл бұрын

Me too! Winter here in Michigan right now, so not many listed for sale. Won't be until spring...

@benjamintenorio3694 2 жыл бұрын

Mark gracias from Mexico 🇲🇽 im learning with your videos

@theback40 2 жыл бұрын

Hey Benjamin, great to hear from you from Mexico! Hope all is well down there, wishing you all the best.

@benjamintenorio3694 2 жыл бұрын

@@theback40 yes sr thank you again im going to do some test for Alfalf

@theback40 2 жыл бұрын

@@benjamintenorio3694 Sounds good! Let us know how it goes.

@fitnesslikeaburch5810 3 жыл бұрын

What mix did you have planted before you started the experiment? Thanks for sharing your knowledge

@theback40 3 жыл бұрын

Good question. Check out greencoverseed.com, and the click into their smartmix calculator. I put together a custom mix of clover, sorgham, millet, rye, radish, sugar beets, sunflower, and buckwheat. They have a really nice website with a zillion different seed varieties that you can put together to reach your foodplot goals, plus a lot of info if you want to dig in and learn.

@certifiedhoarder 2 жыл бұрын

If you build a roller crimper attachment for the loader you can terminate and drill in one pass. steel tube with knives on it

@theback40 2 жыл бұрын

That would be super efficient! Working toward that over time... Thanks for the comment, and all the best to you.

@user-ep7mj2ed3o Жыл бұрын

Thanks!

@theback40 Жыл бұрын

You're welcome! Hope it helped...

@Flatlander3060 2 жыл бұрын

How do you find your tractor did pulling the drill? Lots of power/traction or just enough when no tilling? Also it’s helpful when you have the model of your equipment in the video details.

@theback40 2 жыл бұрын

Hey Calvin, a million thank you's for the suggestion, I never even thought of including the specs of the tractor or any other equipment I use but it is important!!! Pulling the drill was like pulling a cultipacker, almost no resistance, had plenty of power and traction to spare. The tractor is a John Deere 3046, 46hp diesel. It also very easily lifted the drill on the three point hitch.

@garrymitcham7693 Жыл бұрын

I followed your lead. I just bought an old case grain drill for $65. Needs lots of work, but I'm going to try to get it functioning. Broadcast didn't work well for me, and I cannot afford a no till drill.

@theback40 Жыл бұрын

Hey Garry, congrats! For $65, it is worth the time and effort if you have the skills to fix it up and get it working again. And the stories that drill could probably tell you lol....... You'll be quite satisfied with the germination rate once you get the drill working. All the best to you, keep us updated on your project.

@garrymitcham7693 Жыл бұрын

@theback40 thanks. It's an old Case, no data plate, and I can't find d any information on it.

@theback40 Жыл бұрын

@@garrymitcham7693 Maybe this will help? kzfaq.info/get/bejne/ec-kftl_psuck3k.html

@jamesallen5936 2 жыл бұрын

In sandy soil you may be able to get away with a used conventional drill. Here in the hard clay soils in NE Missouri a no-till drill will be the best option for a total no-till system. Lots of NRCS centers have one you can rent for a reasonable fee. Buying them new is pretty pricey. Farmed for over 40 years and a passionate deer hunter. Broadcasting and the cheaper used drill may work here if you get that perfect rain. Those can be few and far between in August and September.

@theback40 2 жыл бұрын

Agreed James, well said. No way a conventional drill will work in those heavy soils, heck, an official no till drill will be challenged on summer dried clay. But in this sand here on my place it seems to be succeeding so far. Good luck this season!

@Oakwood1809 Жыл бұрын

My favorite part of the video is when you said “I thought I saw a deer, but I didn’t.”

@theback40 Жыл бұрын

Hey Daniel, I do a lot of that! All the best to you.

@tonysaladino1062 Жыл бұрын

Is there a way you could add a hitch, capable of pulling the grain drill behind your mower? That would get you down to one pass.

@theback40 Жыл бұрын

Hey Tony, nope, not on my set up since the drill is a 3-pt hitch. BUT, if you had a pull drill, you probably could. However, I would much rather have the mower AFTER the drill (which I know can't be done), because it is more effective to drill into standing vegetation than mowed since the random thatch patters from a mower make it difficult to drill through. All the best to you.

@tonysaladino1062 Жыл бұрын

@@theback40 great! That sounds like a single pass is possible. Switch them up.

@jasonw9423 2 жыл бұрын

Yes

@theback40 2 жыл бұрын

Agreed if you have normal to heavy soil. For sandy soil, it's still to be determined. We should have a definitive answer by the end of this year.

@kylecalvert1121 2 ай бұрын

What size tractor do you use?

@theback40 2 ай бұрын

Hey Kyle, 46HP diesel, more than enough for pulling a drill or lifting an 800 pound drill on the 3pt hitch. All the best to you.

@webincomeincome8767 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the videos and I learned a few things from them. In my opinion roundup is NOT good for you nor the environment so I personally want to stay away from it. The researchers and others use a crimper to kill previous cover crops and it seems to work great.

@theback40 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the comment. Crimpers look like a great way to kill off plots, but I just wanted to invest in a way to PLANT the crops without tillage first. The crimper, or some form of this, will be next. I already own a cultipacker, might see if I can figure out a way to use this instead of buying a crimper???????

@coryferguson 2 жыл бұрын

Why do you have a tractor with a cab that size?? 🤣🤣 city slicker?

@theback40 2 жыл бұрын

Hey Cory, I wish that was my excuse.....well...maybe not. I have terrible allergies and mowing the property with my first tractor without a cab was a recipe for a sinus infection and a few months of misery. But I have to admit that having heat and air conditioning is pretty nice, so maybe I have become a city slicker? All the best to you.

@coryferguson 2 жыл бұрын

🤣🤣 best reply ever. 👌 Yeah a.c. spoils you. I forget the size of my Ferguson but I used it for 7 years with a 5ft disc and a 10ft wheat drill. I just got my do it all-er lol John deere 7600 I think I gone from 35hp to 200hp. I bought a 32ft wheat drill and a 20ft disc with it too. I don't know which I like more, planting 40 acres feeling like I'm going 100 mph 🤣 or no sun burns. Anyways sorry if I offended you in any way. Never met someone with a small tractor with a cab so I had to ask the question lol. Have a good one.

@theback40 2 жыл бұрын

@@coryferguson ZERO offense taken! That was a serious upgrade for you, and a big quality of life improvement. Planting season is fast approaching, enjoy your green toy.