3320 Bourgault Paralink

[farmaholic]

What has other peoples experience been
regarding this (and other) independent
shank drills been? Got into some tall
straight cut flax stubble (with what
ever straw went through the combine
piled and burned) and some places in pea
stubble where the vines were left long
because they were lodged that the drill
would sometimes plug. The flax stubble
really surprised me. That being said,
it was amazing the wheat straw this
thing combed through. First year with
this drill and can see how straw
management will be paramount.

[Farmfleury]

I have been thinking of buying one and
demoed one this spring. Not as
impressed as I would have thought.
People around here with them had trouble
in pea stubble and even found that it
hat lumpy balls left on previous wheat
fields. It seems to me that the midrow
banders are the problem and the tine
furrow closer on the coulters catches
and makes a mess of any straw. The
individual seed depth of every shank is
good but in the field I seeded to Canola
We could not see any or much difference
in the seed depth with two or three
number changes in the depth control.

[fjlip]

My crops with a 15 year old 5710 at 1/4 the cost are just as good as the neighbors precision drills. See no advantage to all that complicated, expensive, heavy iron. Spent the $$ on other stuff.

[Farmfleury]

Starting to think the same way. The more
stuff dragging thru the straw the more
problems people have. I would be curious
to here from anyone who has one of these
drills. What do they think of them and do
they like them or if the extra money spent
on them is worth it. They are a lot more
money and a lot more maintenance, so they
should be a lot better? But are they?

[tman]

Research is always done on crop inputs and new
varieties... But has anyone done any research
trials comparing these drills to basic ones.
Bourgault would just end up suing anyone who
showed they didn't pay anyways.

[Tucker]

My seedhawk has allowed me to go from 5lbs/a to 3 seeding canola with a
better plant count. My wheat planted at a consistent 3/4" depth is up
faster. Those are enough reasons for me to stay with an independant
opener drill.

[farmaholic]

I must admit our canola came up best it
ever did, more uniform and more plants
than the old c-shank. We double shot
before and we did pay attention to seeding
speed and air velocity and still had poor
placement and fert burn. Undeniably these
independent shank drills will "loonie and
toonie" us to death in the future, maybe
I won't keep it tooooo long.