Buying a broadcast seeder

[EddinKY]

Broadcast seeder choice?
I’m looking for some practical, and experienced advice about buying a small broadcast seeder to over-seed 40 acres of hay and pasture. Seeds will be orchard grass and timothy in hay, and orchard grass and clover in pastures. In the past I have just mixed seed into the cone fertilizer spreader for pastures, but that is very hit or miss. I now have the fertilizer custom spread on the hay fields, so seed mixing doesn’t work.
I don’t mind making several passes over the field, but spread width is important.
Questions: brands... what you have owned and were reliable? Herd vs. Seed Easy (Garber).
Are any of the smaller ATV seeders reliable? A 100 lb capacity is plenty.
3 point or 2” receiver? (I don’t own an ATV) and fields are not conducive to using a pickup truck.
PTO or electric? I don’t want a ground drive model.
Thanks for your input.

 

[DJ54]

I love my old Garber Seed Easy I do most seeding with. I only do 6 acres so it's perfect for me. It fits on any tractor with a drawbar and PTO. A straight piece of radiator hose is the PTO shaft cut to fit. I only use it on either of my Super C Farmalls so no worry of needing another "shaft" for a different tractor. It only holds about a bushel of seed so that's something to consider, but read they make a larger model although I've never seen one.

It will spread around 20' wide on a perfect little or no wind day. I frost seed most of my grass taking advantage of freeze thaw cycles here the last 2 weeks of Feb./ first two weeks of March honeycombing the ground to pull the seed in. It works very well here if you have the proper weather.

For Fall planting of Timothy I use my Toro Slit Seeder. Bought it at a school surplus sale for $100 so little investment. I use it to get positive ground contact to get it started in early Fall. These can be rented for around $175 - $200 a day. They are only 4' wide, but can seed at 6-7 mph. I've had good stands of Timothy mixed in using it. Only bad thing they are limited on seed size, whereas I can sow Oats or Rye on the garden using the Seed Easy.

The spread rate decal is still underneath the lid on the Seed Easy which comes in handy. I only reseed every 3-4 years so I have a tendency to remember the exact rate. Being it's only 6 acres I have a tendency to seed a little light and if there is any seed left in the hopper go crossways on sections of the fields that were a little light on grass.

I also like the fact the Seed Easy is light, and I can hang it on the wall of the machinery shed until I need it again.

I've never used a Herd, they look like nice spreaders.

 

[paulsharvey]

Might not be available; but have you called your Ag extension office locally. Some of them will have a 6ft direct drill, with dual seed boxes, and fertilizer box, where you can calibrate your seed/fertilizer spread rate.

My understanding is, you pay by the day, and a set rate per acre, but its pretty affordable; if you have a tractor of sufficient size to pull it.