Add On Air Seeder Turns Cultivator Into Drill

Add on air seeder turns cultivator into drill CULTIVATORS Cultivators (58C) 15-6-29 If you're looking for an affordable no-till drill, you'll want to take a close look at Hiniker's new "cultivator-drill" combination that lets you solid seed crops and control weeds at the same time, while saving you as much as half the cost of a new no-till drill. The Mankato, Minn., company is selling a conversion package that lets you mount its hoe drill seed hopper, air delivery system, seed metering system, frame and caster wheels above and behind its model 5000 row crop cultivator. The cultivator's V-shaped shares are equipped with 27-in. long wings that leave only a 2 to 3-in. gap between tips. A poly insert that bolts inside each sweep is equipped with four seed delivery "tunnels" spaced about 2 in. apart. As the shares lift the soil, the seed is scattered and then covered with soil and residue. "It does two jobs at once, killing weeds and seeding," says Jim Johnson, product manager. "Our 6-row cultivator, without rotary hoe wheels, sells for $7,500 and is as wide as a 15-ft. drill. The add-on air seeder will sell for about $7,000. A conventional 15-ft. no-till drill sells for $20,000 to $25,000 and can only be used to seed. This drill-cultivator combination works great for drilling no-till soybeans, wheat, barley, oats, etc., and works equally well in conventional tillage conditions. The cultivator shares control weeds 4 in. tall or less. In many cases they completely eliminate the need for a preplant burndown herbicide. Residue remains on the surface for better erosion control." According to Johnson, the problem with no-till coulters on most drills is that they force crop residue down into the seed slots, resulting in depth control problems and inadequate seed-to-soil contact. "Our system doesn't use fluted coulters so it eliminates problems with residue. The specially designed shares feature a sharp angle to increase soil lift without leaving slabs. Seed shoots rapidly out of the distributor tunnels and is left in a random pattern that we think may increase crop yields." The seeder attaches to the rear of the cultivator with a pair of quick tach levers. To detach the seeder in order to use the cultivator for row crop cultivating, you simply release the levers, remove one bolt from each cultivator shank, and install smaller cultivator shares. Hiniker's seeder has metering units for either a 6 or 8-row cultivator. A hydraulic motor drives the blower and a ground drive wheel controls the seed metering systems. A 6-row cultivator has the same width as a 15-ft. drill and an 8 row model has the same width as a 20 ft. drill. "We are exploring mounting larger seed units behind our 12-and 16-row cultivators to come up with 30 and 40-ft. no-till drills," notes Johnson. For more information, contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Hiniker Co., Airport Road, Box 3407, Mankato, Minn. 56002-3407 (ph 507 625-6621).

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