How To Easily and Accurately Calibrate a Grain Drill

[@ildairyfarmer2436]

I just bought a new 1590 drill, thanks for putting this video up. This is going to be very helpful

[@joelharnish7429]

If you remove the cover from the right end of the drill and make a hand crank to fit in the rectangle hole you can turn the metering shaft while stationary and can calibrate before going to the field.

[@Thomasfarmstn]

Matt thanks for the video. I was off from factory settings on wheat last Fall. This will help me out. Also Loup makes a monitoring system for these drill. Not too expensive.

[@griggsfarmsllc]

Yeah I don’t think the factory settings are even a good starting point. I’ve never found them to be close. You might want to reset your feed cups so they’re all even. Close your gates all the way and loosen the bolts on the seed cups to make sure the fluted part is even with the seed cup. If you haven’t done that before I’ll almost guarantee there’s 5-10 lbs/acre difference between different rows.

[@sgto_o7118]

dude, this was freaking great. Love the ruler moment, that is MY life at the farm

[@jamesmorrison1884]

Very nice thanks. Have a good night.

[@lancedever5633]

Well I’ll be! Someone who calibrates in grams! When I was a field man I started calibrating in grams because of the accuracy. That was in the 90’s. I was out this spring and a field man was doing it in ounces and most people still do. I told the Great Plains rep they need to send scales that do grams with their new BD drills for this reason. Great job at explaining how to do it.

[@carrollsanders9376]

Why not just measure the seed and use a computer program?

[@JackdeDuCoeur]

Nice work!

[@chrisbruffett3270]

Thanks Matt. Can’t wait to try this out on wheat in a couple weeks. Setting our Great Plains no till drill is always a challenge, hopefully this will be the answer.

[@griggsfarmsllc]

Just beware I’m not sure if this formula works if you’re on a different row spacing than 7.5”. I haven’t been able to reverse engineer the formula to figure out how the 153.65 number comes into play yet.

[@chrisbruffett3270]

@@griggsfarmsllc That’s what I’m running, 7.5”.

[@chrisbruffett3270]

@@griggsfarmsllc Does drill width matter or just row spacing? Is that where the 153.65 comes in play? I run a 24’ drill.

[@griggsfarmsllc]

@@chrisbruffett3270 drill width does not matter

[@redbovine]

I do custom seeding with a JD1560 drill. I bought a set of scales for the grain tank. They bolt directly on, only had to lengthen the chain and clutch rod. I can fill it full and measure how much comes out over an acre then adjust. I can usually get it right within 3 acres. With custom work speed is the key. Scales came from Scaletech as a kit.

[@griggsfarmsllc]

We’ve got scales on our seed tender which helps us confirm our calibration.

[@danielbrown8602]

I thought I saw some wobble in that center wheel on your drill. Might want to look it over.

[@darrellnichols6179]

Curious as to how weighting in grams equates to pounds ? I would think you would have to weigh in ounces. Or does the constant multiplier number do that conversion?

[@griggsfarmsllc]

I’m sure the constant is what does the converting from metric to English. Weighing in grams gives a lot higher accuracy because it takes 28.3 grams to make one ounce

[@coreytrout3857]

Thank you for showing this I will do it your way from now on, darn charts aren't dependable at all

[@toddm3226]

Great video. I might have missed it in the video but what is the 153.65 number in you’re formula. Keep up the great work.

[@griggsfarmsllc]

I’m not exactly sure. I’m not the one that came up with the formula. I’m sure it probably has something to do with a conversion considering the equation uses both metric and English measurements. Could also have something to do with row spacing too.

[@sgto_o7118]

one question on the formula, is that what is being put out per tube, or per drill? Didn't see anything that said anything about number of rows running, which I would think needs to be factored in with a 6' food plot drill versus a 24' ag farmer drill?

[@griggsfarmsllc]

As long as drill is on 7.5” spacing drill width doesn’t matter. You measure at the seed tube. You are measuring how many pounds per acre comes out of an individual seed tube. As long as the rest of the seed tubes are putting out the same amount the result will be accurate. The formula takes into account the area that that one single unit covered, not the entire width of the drill

[@sgto_o7118]

@@griggsfarmsllc So as my 72" Tar River with 10 tubes as an example, the equation should be: ((weight captured 1 tube/distance travelled) x 153.65) x 10 tubes = lbs/acre (in a perfect equal system), correct?

[@griggsfarmsllc]

@@sgto_o7118 no. You don’t multiply the final number by 10 tubes

[@sgto_o7118]

@@griggsfarmsllc thanks for the reply, Ok, I'm confused then, so your equation calculates per tube, but I don't account for the number of tubes? Just clarifying, as I would think the number of tubes has to have some sort of baring on it all, with my drill having 10 tubes, and others having more? I think I'm missing something here

[@griggsfarmsllc]

@@sgto_o7118 I don’t know how to make it any simpler. You are measuring the output of one unit. You’re also measuring the distance that one unit covers. The formula calculates the rate based on the output of that ONE unit and also the area that that ONE unit covers, not the entire drill. If you’re measuring plant stand in corn, you measure off the distance of 1/1000th of an acre for ONE row and count the number of plants in that row only and multiply by 1000 to find out how many plants/acre you have. You don’t take into account how many rows your planter is. The same principle applies here.

[@HaroldFitz]

Is the formula the same for a 10' drill? Thanks

[@griggsfarmsllc]

Width of drill does not matter as long as the row spacing is 7.5”

[@wallyyuriy8912]

On my 15ft 1590, I calculated the circumference of the drive wheel. 36 revolutions works out to 1/10 of an acre

[@againstthegrainfarms]

Have you ever checked each hole?

[@rogerparks9049]

Does that formula work for the grass seed box too?

[@griggsfarmsllc]

I assume it would

[@zachlettunich8860]

but where does the 153.65 come from ?

[@griggsfarmsllc]

I couldn’t tell you. I didn’t come up with the formula. Probably in the conversion from metric to standard units

[@zachlettunich8860]

​@@griggsfarmsllc gonna try this with sudan but my tye drill is on 8" spacing. gonna shoot for 100 lbs per acre and see how it turns out

[@todd1808]

👍👍👍

[@jonathanaguirre2969]

Will this work on 6" spacing

[@griggsfarmsllc]

Not sure. I didn’t come up with the formula

[@zachlettunich8860]

it worked even on an 8 inch tye drill down to 1 pound!

[@griggsfarmsllc]

Awesome!

[@tractorfarmerkhmer9805]

👍👍❤️

[@nilesthoma4880]

What is formula if 10" spacing.....or 12" Not every drill is 7"

[@griggsfarmsllc]

I don’t know. I’m not the one that came up with the formula

[@danielbrown8602]

Who's socks were they? 😬

[@griggsfarmsllc]

🤔

[@danielbrown8602]

@@griggsfarmsllc Looks like a possibility of a sponsorship from Tide or Fabreeze.

[@r.scotthill3082]

I'm planting oats. Have you ever tried getting oats out of a sock?

[@griggsfarmsllc]

Yes