Home Made Slit Seeder

[BobInMN]

I'd really like to have my own slit seeder for over seeding my property. The problem is that I'm to cheap to buy a facotry built one. I was thinking of trying to make my own. I was thinking of using old 10" saw blades mounted on a shaft to make the slits. Do you think this would work or is just a waste of time? Another thing I was thinking of was buying an old grain drill and adapting it to a 3pt and moving the disks closer together.

 

[RonR]

Bob, think you are going to have to go more heavy duty that saw blades!

I was at a farm show today and saw a Brillion (sp) overseeder. It looked like a HEAVY rototiller, only with straight blades spaced about every 3-4 inches instead of tines, plus a drop seeder that was ground powered, plus a roller to pack the seed in.

I've also thought about building a seeder, but I plan to start with a rototiller frame, install some straight knives, and go from there. Mine would be more like a verticutter.... (I hope).

Think bigger buddy! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Ron

 

[BobInMN]

Thanks for the reply Ron. I use to work at a rental place and we had a Brillion seeder, so I know what you are talking about. The brilion used weight to push the seed into the ground. I was thinking of trying to have these saw blades spinning off of some kind of PTO setup to open a slit for the seed. Then having something following behind that to close the slit. Hope this makes sense.

 

[cowboydoc]

The overseeders are designed to be used at a depth of 1/2". If you take a good drag harrow and harrow the ground, then come back over it with a 3 pt. seed spreader and then go back and harrow again I believe you would have just as good of a job done as if you had used a homemade seeder. This is especially true if you have an area that you just turned over. In this case I believe a harrow and 3 pt. spreader works better.

 

[jimgerken]

Hi BobinMN, I live near Rochester Mn. In the next couple weeks my Dad and I are going to be overseeding pasture and airstrip turf with a rented overseeder. I have not seen the machine yet, but I am interested. Before Dad found this guy with the rental overseeder, I was planning how I was going to do the airstrip seeding. I have a small slitting type lawn aerator. It has about fifteen 10" diameter "star" shaped flat metal wheels that cut slits into the turf if you put enough weight on the frame to push it into the ground. So I was going to go over it at least twice with this slitter, each direction. Then broadcast seed with my pulltype fertilizer spreader (a lawn could be done with a walk-behind though). Then I planned to drag with a harrow with tines adjusted almost down flat, dragging both directions. Finally I had planned on rolling with roller. Now since Dad is renting this specialty machine, I will see what kind of "damage" it does and hopefully it is minimal, and I will probably use it for the airstrip. If it looks abusive, I can go back to plan "A" (above description). I don't know where you are from, but I can let you know when we are seeding if you want to view this equipment.

 

[kensfarm]

I just overseeded a hay field using an old Oliver Superior Grain Drill.. besides the fertilizer & grain boxes.. it also has a grass seeder box.. only paid $300 from a farmer down the street.. then I used an old cultipacker to run over the field.. it was half burried in the dirt.. but it was free!

 

[Slamfire]

Works for me Doc, but then I'm not tryin' to show a profit like a real farmer. One pass over a big field instead of three must save some big fuel money, especially this year. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif