Page 13 - dale drills

“...the Dale drill ticked all the boxes.” DAN WORMELL
DAN WORMELL
P R WORMELL FARMS, ESSEX
Dan bought an 8m Eco L at the beginning of 2015. His old drill could often get stuck in his heavy, clay soil, making it difficult to drill later in the season.
“Whatever we bought needed to provide us with a bigger window so that we had the confidence to leave drilling until as late as possible to help us control ryegrass,” he said. “We looked at quite a few options but the Dale drill ticked all the boxes. There is very good clearance between the tines, so the trash moves effectively through the coulters stopping it from clogging up, even in wet soil.”
Widening cultivation methods to include direct drilling has also helped Dan to save money. “Roughly, the old system would cost us around £33/ha,” he said. “We’re now running at £15/ha. At a time when commodity prices are so volatile, it’s been a real help.
“It’s very economical – and not just because we don’t always have to prepare a seedbed. The 8m working width obviously means we can get more done, but there’s also a split hopper so that we can apply seed and fertiliser together. Work which would normally take three or four days can be done in half the time.”
BEN SMITH
BEN SMITH & SON, OXFORDSHIRE DAVID BURDEN
Ben Smith employs a direct drilling and 40m CTF system across his F20R0I0NhIeNctGarHes.AM MANOR ENTERPRISES, KENT
Specialist contractor David Burden runs a bespoke direct drilling service Eager to trim costs where possible Mr Smith purchased a 13.5m centred on reduced tillage.
working width Eco-XL in 2018. ‘We don’t want to compromise on
yields, but we also need to run a lean operation with labour and Based in Kent he operates a 3m Eco S and has been impressed by the
equipment, so we can make the most of the economies of scale’. drill’s flexibility, low power requirement and minimal soil movement.
“I chose the Dale design chiefly because of its versatility,”
‘It has been a challenge to get a no-till drill built for us to slot into
he said. “Because of its inter-row clearance, it will go in virtually all our system. British Manufacturer Dale Drills has stepped up to the
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soil, and can easily be switched from drilling cereals
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oEncop-lXoLughhaesdp,rcouvltidiveadte,d‘Woer uhnamveovceadpagcroituyntdo.fine-tune our timing
and work much more closely around our preferred drilling dates’. “With growing interest in companion cropping, I also wanted to plant
vetch between OSR rows, and Dale was the only manufacturer who The benefits of the Eco-XL’s steel depth setting press wheels have
could offer a split hopper design.”
also proved appealing, ‘Contour following is great, and we’ve had
no downtime from punctures, which could have been two or three The drill is operated with a secondhand 2008 JCB Fastrac 2170. A
a day on flints.’
combined unladen weight of only 10t adds to the system’s ability to
work in a range of conditions, using only 7.0 litres/hr diesel at
2.5ha/hr.
“I chose the Dale design chiefly
because of its versatility” DAVID BURDEN
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