Re: Something new to rc
 

A few loads of flax out today... one more to do Monday. Because I cleaned flax before binning it last fall to get rid of the high moisture FM, the trk & trl is like half full volume wise & weighing up 28mt... last couple loads I've been down to 25 -26mt... last load I gots to try to guess 21mt or I'll be bringing some back to put in the bin... a lot of extra time & effort & clean up :rolleyes:

The upside knowing how well my flax is weighing up is that my dismal guess of 6,5bu yield from the last fall is very likely over 10bu now, more money :) now if the price would just go up 20% to reach last yr's highs...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...pspj8q7mxh.jpg

Country elevator 6 miles away yet, half way there...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...pszce3rnus.jpg

Re: Something new to rc
 

Nice pictures! Hard to imagine that the Elevator is 6 miles away.
Hopefully the weather will cooperate this year! Its been a odd Spring so far in this area.

Re: Something new to rc
 

The zoom was maxxed on the Iphone. Yeah, the weather... I'm due for a lottery yr for a change. :)

The local New Holland dealership, an impressive icon being mated to a brand new Morris drill, the 600/50 Big Bud looks kinda small :eek:... last week the Bud was in the shop parked next to a 700hp Ford 4wd on tracks & the Bud dwarfed it!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...ps1c2sgetg.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...psyqhd7rxk.jpg

The mechanic is about 5'7"

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...ps5zugu9fd.jpg

The drill is 71ft on 12" spacing

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...pskx04xvcp.jpg

Going to town tomorrow to pick up my new seed cart, this one is 30% bigger than the old one. And variable rate toowhich will be nice to fine tune seeding rates from the cab. :)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...pshhtnruuv.jpg

Re: Something new to rc
 

71 ft drill, can't take to long to cover an acre with that.
Big Bud still are impressive. I like the Belarus/Kirovet models as well, very square and basic in design.
The new cart looks sophisticated and easier to pull with the 4 wheel setup. :)

Re: Something new to rc
 

71ft on the mile will seed about 8.6ac, me @60ft is about 7.3ac.

I was hoping yesterday it would quick switch, but of course not :rolleyes: need a different hitch on back of drill... and my plastic auger is too short too... summer time mod. :(

My 25ga hyd tank for the trk & pup showed up today, get that in place & see what hoses need lengthening.

Here's the two carts side by side, left one is 580bu capacity, right 430bu... the arrangement of the 3 individual compartments for capacity is better on the newer cart so I can maximize my acres per fill to its full potential. The smaller cart had its smallest tank in the middle, the larger cart has it in front. The middle tank is paired with either the front or rear tank, can't be metered alone.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...pscfhi9u54.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...ps66c9x1e6.jpg

Re: Something new to rc
 

Loaded up tonite for turnkey in the morning... it hasn't been this early since 2012, and that was a lottery yr of great crops & great prices... here's hoping for a repeat. :)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...psp19kbamh.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...psdxmnlahp.jpg

Re: Something new to rc
 

Nice pictures Joe, got one of it all stretched out, in the field?

Re: Something new to rc
 

Panoramic from the cab on the fly

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...ps1ql4y9sy.jpg

...not so good :rolleyes:

...anyways, new cart worked good today, a couple of hiccups to work through the 1st couple hrs, the 30% increase in capacity is awesome! :cool: and the adjusting seed rates from the cab is pretty sweet too. :)

Red lentils done, moving onto yellow peas tomorrow, that'll take a few days.

Re: Something new to rc
 

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...psc3tryxmj.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...psivctzbbc.jpg

Re: Something new to rc
 

Great pictures, thanks Joe!

Re: Something new to rc
 

Looks like you got yourself a pretty slck set up Joe.

Re: Something new to rc
 

nice pics!

Soooo many lines! I suspect means more control in the application too.

Sounds like we are all having an early start. Over here the province is already in a no fire permitted state because its so dry.

Re: Something new to rc
 

Thanks guys. :)

Acadieman, the drill is a double shoot, two 1" lines going to each shank/seed boot. One line fertilizer, exits seed boot in the middle of the seed row, the 2nd line is seed coming out either side of fertilizer (paired row) half an inch above. The seed boots are spaced 12" apart.

I had a good week here, sowed 900 acre by Friday 2pm... I need to spray burn off (glyphosate) to continue seeding durum, but yesterday & today it's too gusty for that! :mad: Fricking weather. :rolleyes: Talking rain/snow here Sunday/Monday... it'll be Wednesday below the weather cooperates again... so much for getting started early :rolleyes:

Hiredman is on the landroller right now, packing down the small rocks & flattening the dirt lumps left by the drill pass... pulse crops are either very close to the ground or right on the ground, the surface has gotta be as smooth & flat as possible to get 'er all in the bin. :) ...and hopefully not pick a rock into the combine, that would be bad & expensive. :(

Re: Something new to rc
 

Aint this HILARIOUS :eek:

last night
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...psnlxpfxxt.jpg
today
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...pswrexpkbv.jpg

...last week mid 20's, sunshine changing to 0's & snow for most of this week. :rolleyes:

Re: Something new to rc
 

Totally agree Joe. This is getting ridiculous! Started snowing here this morning till after lunch. About as much as you got. I got all my yard raking finally done and was actually thinking about setting things up in the park:eek: till the wife told me the forcast.:mad:

I'm sure you can still have a 2012 type year or does this really screw things up?

Re: Something new to rc
 

I cant see the pictures, but the upside of having the snow will be some extra moisture to help get a (hopefully) great yield.

Re: Something new to rc
 

Just makes you want to reach out & punch a tree hugger, eh Mario?! :D ...lying azz morons with their fossil fuel global warming bullshyt -> it's as big of a joke as the Y2K scandal 15yrs ago. :rolleyes:

No, cold snowy weather won't hurt any week old seeded crop at this point, some of what was planted last week has probably germinated, but it's not above ground yet. I seed pulses 1st, then do my weed burn off 7-10days later. Chemical options for spraying in-crop pulses are so limited & timing crop growth extremely crucial that this has been the best option for maximum weed control measures that by the time it's necessary to do in-crop spray control the next flush of weeds is very small & easy to wipe out... then hopefully with the right timing of sunshine & moisture the crop advances quick enough to canopy the ground & block the sunshine for the 3rd flush in later June... that's the plan anyway. My only worry atm is how long will this cold dreary weather carry on vs how quickly the seed germinates & tries to poke through the surface... Wednesday I'll be walking the muddy fields & digging by hand in the seed rows to see how much the seeds have grown & make a new plan when to spray... cold weather should slow down activity enough so hopefully the fields dry out enough that I don't have to rut the shyt out of it with the sprayer...

Right now it's snowing pretty heavy...

RT9, something's wrong with photobucket... some of pic appear - some don't. Rebooting computer didn't help either... maybe tomorrow they'll work. :rolleyes:

Re: Something new to rc
 

I have a load of wet batch concrete on my truck, raining, the paving has stalled!
Cheers!

Re: Something new to rc
 

So as long as it keeps raining the cement won't set up in the box? Is the hardener added by the paver machine?

Re: Something new to rc
 

Concrete will setup under water . It's a chemical reaction with water added to the cement .

Re: Something new to rc
 

Thanks for the explanation Lil Giants. I'm always impressed by the techniques and new technology used.

tough break on the weather! Hope it clears up soon. Temps are hovering between -3 to +10 here which is typical Maritime climate. Newfoundland got 50cm or snow last week, they can have it. :D

Re: Something new to rc
 

True, but is the chemical makeup altered per applicable use? How long does the wet batch sit on his trk before he HAS to dump it out? Why stop paving when it's raining when the cement will eventually setup anyway?

Re: Something new to rc
 

YEP! Still cold, cloudy & drizzling here, about 1,5 inch moisture accumulation during the last 4 days... a deep slow soaker... snow is all gone... I can't get down the grid road now without my chevy in 4wd... it's freaking wet!!! :(

Gonna go have a look here right now to see how far advanced last week's seeded lentils & peas are...

Re: Something new to rc
 

It's mixed up dry, compared to what comes out of a transit mixer, for general use. I don't know why they kept batching trucks? Can't second guess what they are thinking !
Cheers!

Re: Something new to rc
 

Crop checking Wed & Thurs, cooler single digit temps & the soil cool damp, the lentil seed had a root jetting down an inch and another coiled around the seed. Today with warm sunshine, that upper root is starting to go skyward, just a few mm below the soil. Blasted off one tank of spray just before dark & the 2nd one early tomorrow morning. With a magnifying glass, I might be able to see the lentil poke through the ground Sunday afternoon :thinking: The ground tonite was wet enough that I wasn't making much dust @22mph, but not throwing any mud either... sweeeeet!

Probably Sunday I do 3 tanks of burnoff for the peas, they were seeded a little deeper, grow a little slower.

Normally cleaning out the seed cart, I would auger back into the trk, but metal screw augers are not too friendly to yellow peas, there's always a small percentage of crack every time it goes through metal screw... so I eliminated one unload by dumping directly into bin with the aid of a short hyd belt conveyer. ;)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...psdxibvrqb.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...pstfxgiwti.jpg

Then reloaded trk with a different blend of granular fertilizer & the pup with durum... cart is turnkey tomorrow.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...psevmgb47i.jpg

Hammer down for the next week... everything goes well, should plant +300ac daily, plus spray 400ac per day... be done durum by next Friday. Then it's a section of brown mustard & 75ac green feed....:)

Re: Something new to rc
 

Started seeding April 19th... I think it was April 22 my a/c in seed tractor was blowing warm air & by very good luck I caught the roaming mechanic go by house & had it recharged within the hr :D... then the next week it snows, about 5days off... fire up again & go 10 long days straight, sure thankful I got my a/c charged when I did b/c mid week temps were 30's for highs... now this morning is wet wet wet & 9:20 it starts to snow

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...psndymkikp.jpg

Getting worse at 12pm

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...pspyoi3stv.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...psgdandgtb.jpg

Out looking at my pea crop yesterday, looking real good at 2" growth... next couple nights forecasted low's -2 :rolleyes:

Some pics from last week's activities

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...psxvzmoz5i.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...pswyqcqpye.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...psaexzhzpv.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...psii9navbf.jpg

Neighbor across the fence on Friday afternoon with his 600hp JD track & 70' Seedmaster air drill.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...pstfhjyx4t.jpg

I'm down to 180ac of brown mustard to seed yet, and another half section that was still a swamp yesterday... don't know when I'm going to get in to do anything with that... if I don't get it seeded to durum before June 1st, then it'll be planted sometime this summer when it does dry out with a tri-blend of grass seed... get 5 hay crops from it, then maybe a few yrs of cattle grazing it too should do wonders to rejuvenate the land to near its original glory again for growing grain crops.

Re: Something new to rc
 

Neat stuff Joe, thanks for posting. How far are you from the fires?

Re: Something new to rc
 

Re: Something new to rc
 

Thanks for the link, it's a ways away. Never realized how far north it was.

Re: Something new to rc
 

Awesome pictures Joe, it seems you are quite the snow magnet. How many acres do you have left to plant?

Re: Something new to rc
 

I'm certainly a magnet for unusually cold weather during spring/summer/fall since 2007... 2012 is the only yr I didn't get a late May - early June frost to screw up my hay crop, close to 3t/ac vs .5 to .8t/ac 5yrs prior to & since, last yr was zero - didn't make a bale!...2010 was early Sept frost... 2011 was mid Sept... big price losses in cereal grains... 2013 there was a 3rd week of August frost that decimated my brown mustard crop a few weeks before harvest, one field on higher level ground does 28bu/ac & a different one in lower ground & triple in size does 8bu/ac... last yr was 4 hail storms from mid June to mid July, it's been from one extreme to the next the last decade with 2012 being the only bright spot with high quality - big bushels - high prices simultaneously. :rolleyes:

Left to seed - 180ac brown mustard that I'll get to when the sun shines again, maybe on the wkend, 75ac slough that's self draining & should be able do right away that'll be sowed to oats for green feed again, and 270ac durum that's crazy wet atm...

This latest system that came through, my rain gauge is 6/10's of an inch plus whatever snow the gauge doesn't catch... 20 miles to west ppl talking 2 to 4 inches & same to the east, I'm thankful I didn't get bombed with that much moisture in a couple day period. :)

Maybe tomorrow I can get around on my quad & I take some pics of my crops as they're just in their infancy. :)

Re: Something new to rc
 

Joe, did you get everything planted? It seems they are just starting around here.

Re: Something new to rc
 

I was unofficially done on May 16th with 3100ac planted, that last 270ac field never did have a chance to dry out as it's been raining a few tenths every other day since... there's quite a few farmers in my area not done yet. I got that last field sprayed with glyphosate on May 19th & very nearly sewer'd it a couple times... get it seeded to winter wheat this fall is my only option now. :thinking:

Here's some pics of crop from a week ago...

Durum at 2 leaf, in the ground about 2 weeks

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...pso0ch3mtt.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...psi6ppmfmn.jpg

Red lentils

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...psnunjmdyt.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...psd2kzcuww.jpg

Yellow peas

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...ps73gykriw.jpg

Yellow peas again, pics I took yesterday

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...psi8o7vxbc.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...psheivk0xr.jpg

I'm quite pleased with the weed control I got with post seeding burn off on peas & lentils... looking at other guy's fields who burnt off before seeding, they've got quite mess with fields too wet to get into! :eek: But as of today, now I'm on the brink of getting behind too with so much wet weather lately, the crops need sunshine so I can get busy spraying in crop for weed control... the next week forecast looks to be dry, but could be windy :rolleyes:

Re: Something new to rc
 

Nice pictures Joe!!!

Re: Something new to rc
 

Thanx T-9

A couple of snaps while spraying my lentils Monday

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...psohnf1nd2.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...psybyh9obu.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...psm8bjz95z.jpg

Enjoying a nice light rain all day, not a huge amount but still a good soaker :) Probably too wet to spray tomorrow, but hopefully finish up durum on Monday & maybe all the brown mustard Tuesday, although the last 160ac was seeded a week later.

After enjoying an El Nino winter, weather predictions then were for drier than normal, but sometime early April the weather patterns switch back to La Nina & I've been getting some good moisture nearly weekly since the snow melted, not bombed - just nice light rains. :) Today's all day rain might add to half inch by morning. Perfect! :) Crops are looking fantastic! :cool:

Re: Something new to rc
 

Good deal Joe. Crops look good. I have yet to see anything coming up around here.

Re: Something new to rc
 

Started cutting yellow peas Saturday afternoon (hiredhand took these pics today)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...psod3epenn.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...ps2xgipejw.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...psmbuyrhfw.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...psr49pkiqk.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...psa98hch2t.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...pslggmaiaa.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...ps41hb2uda.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...psvztdsgyf.jpg

Pea crop looks pretty good throughout

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...psamuwgqcz.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...psa8mnk3lx.jpg

Yield monitor reading about 30% high, this is the highest spike I've seen (85bu/ac), monitor usually shows between 85 - 100 (55 - 70)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...pswmtipa7d.jpg

But, 3 nights in row had to shut down early b/c of DEF error codes appearing resulting in reduced power :rolleyes: Mechanic comes out in the morning to do a software reset... I hope this doesn't turn into a daily routine for entire harvest :( :thinking: Last yr didn't have not one hiccup, but then not much crop either getting less half the hrs. Year before when it was brand new DEF errors maybe half dozen times for the season.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...psjz7yaioo.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...psovbjksoe.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...psyvaakhxg.jpg

Tonite I got this window & it really cut my power, engine slowed to 1800rpm, rotor dropped from 800rpm to 700rpm... after I shut off separator, then engine wouldn't rev above 1250 :( ...mechanic came out before dark & did a reset, by the time that was done it was already getting cool & tough and sun just went down... hopefully good to go in the morning... maybe tomorrow will be a full day. :rolleyes:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...psvbye8gzy.jpg

These pollution systems on ag equipment is BULLSHYT!!!! Burn more fuel - get less power - f/ked up days with error codes that nobody can answer why

5yr warranty on the DEF, then I be forced to trade up newer or pay to play with old junk... :rolleyes:

Re: Something new to rc
 

Always impressed watching you work Joe and the machinery you use. Real bummer about the tractor throwing codes, guessing you can't reset it yourself ?

Re: Something new to rc
 

Yes, it does take a lot of specialized equipment to grain farm, and I really just have the basic without much perks.... my farm is getting too small ($$$$$$) to keep up with the latest greatest technology that caters to farms 3 - 5 times bigger than me.

The DEF software reset, the mechanic does it with his specialized laptop, and in some cases, like when he changed a DEF module Sunday afternoon, he needed a password to get into software download, and that came from some one in the southern USA... we sat there about an hour twiddling our thumbs waiting for that to happen, probably would've happened quicker if it were any day but Sunday :rolleyes:

Managed to go all day yesterday without problem, but today @4pm I get a red window "STOP - clean grain elevator rpm too slow"... get to looking to see where lies the problem & realize an 8 foot x 2" shaft snapped in half... not really a big deal to change, but it's something unusual to break & the local dealership's quick search before closing revealed maybe the closest part either being in Nebraska or Indiana :eek: I hope they find something closer tomorrow morning & maybe get my combine back before 5pm... :rolleyes:

If not, find out what it costs to rent one if it's gonna take a week to fix mine.

Peas are ready now... a week from now & peas get too ripe, they will start shelling in the field if it's windy & will shell really bad while trying to cut them. A week from now could add up to 10% loss, maybe more - 200ac x 70bu/ac avg yield x $9 = $12 500 in losses approx, not to mention all that might volunteer next yr & be considered a weed in my durum in 2017's crop yr.

So, maybe by 9am my dealership will know what's what & I can make a decision what to do next to get back in the field asap... no matter what it's gonna be a pricy hiccup. :(

Re: Something new to rc
 

Except for the first code, that's the same stuff i get when the def supply line gets plugged. There is an inline filter up top that can be checked. I had to put filters on the def tank vent lines to keep dust out. That was recommended to me by a Pro Harvest mechanic a couple years ago.