The first part of our comprehensive drill comparison looks at seed rate adjustment systems and seed placement accuracy. Here we test 3m drills from Amazone, Pöttinger, Howard, Lemken and French maker Sulky
During the autumn of 2001, we tested five mounted drills in the field and in the test laboratory. We made a full and detailed assessment of the following machines:
■ Amazone D 9-30 Special
■ Howard NS 1030 V23ERM
■ Lemken Eurodrill-S 300
■ Pöttinger (Landsberg) Vitasem 300
■ Sulky Master
All test candidates were fitted with tramline control, disc coulters, disc markers, filling platform with steps and full road lighting kit. Hopper capacity, tyres, coulter pressure adjustment system and further details were standard specification. Note: The Pöttinger Vitasem model is identical to the more UK-familiar Rabe Multidrill.
Seed hopper and seed metering system
Claimed hopper volumes range from 405 litres (Howard), 440 litres (Sulky) up to 510 litres (Pöttinger), with Pöttinger offering an optional 700-litre tank and Amazone and Lemken big 850-litre and 860-litre options (capacities are manufacturers’ info). All the drills came with reasonable filling platforms, providing an easy access to the hoppers, with seed filling heights ranging from 1.18m (Howard) up to 1.30m (Pöttinger, Lemken). See further details in the ‘Technical data in comparison’ table.
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