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market-farming - RE: [Market-farming] WANTED: used tine weeder (Lely or other)

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  • From: "David Inglis" <mhcsa AT bcn.net>
  • To: <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: RE: [Market-farming] WANTED: used tine weeder (Lely or other)
  • Date: Mon, 3 Feb 2003 23:00:53 -0500

Title: Message
-----Original Message-----
From: market-farming-admin AT lists.ibiblio.org [mailto:market-farming-admin AT lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of Goodaim AT aol.com
Sent: Monday, February 03, 2003 5:04 PM
To: market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org
Subject: Re: [Market-farming] WANTED: used tine weeder (Lely or other)

David,
       As a former CRAFT apprentice I saw your Williams system few years ago. We now also have a Williams system and I was interested in the Bezzerides guidance system you were using. Does this system require that you grow on raised beds or would you be able to use a Williams on flat land without eating up lots of space for guidance. We are happy with the Williams overall, used mostly as a lely or with knives and no guidance on 1 and 2 row crops, but we would like to be able to more effectively and easily cultivate our three row crops. What type of system do you use and how does it lock on to your beds.
Thanks,
John
Charlestown Cooperative Farm
Hi John,
I am always glad to see a C.R.A.F.T. graduate firmly established on their own, that's why we started the program in the first place. I don't take Apprenti. any more but the C.R.A.F.T. program is still going strong.
I am still happily using the Bezzerides  [ http://www.bezzerides.com/ ]guidance system with the Williams. I pretty much use it on everything at one stage or another.
My weeder set up is the Williams on the back of a Kubota 245H and one row bezz. Torsion or Spring Hoe set up on the belly; that way I can get really tight on one row at 5 + MPH and make two passes at the bed to cover two rows. Much fast than that and the Williams will bounce as you have probably found out.
The Williams with the Bezz. guidance on  steers itself so I never look back and I set the knives to run within 2" of the row. If I was working on a larger scale I would mount the the  bezz weeders on the Williams but this works for me.
You don't need raised beds to run the guidance system but they might make it easier. i.e. you could eliminate the furrowers.
 I use two wheel sets, one on the front and one on the back. I tried it at first with one set on the front but the tool is too long to keep 'on row'. The front set has the furrower  so it makes its own 'ditch' to run in, the second set runs in the same furrow. The furrow coincides with the edge of the bed so it takes almost no extra room from the bed which is why I chose this system over the one offered by Market Farm which eats up a whole lot of land, even if it is cheaper. The  check chains on the 3 point sway bars are slack so the tool can run where it needs too. Mounting the wheels on the Williams tool bars can be a trick but if you think it through you can place them so they don't get in the way of anything else.
If you want to run the Williams really tight you will need to transfer a pair of the guide wheels to your seeder [when seeding] so that the seed rows are in an exact relationship to the guide furrows. It can be done after seeding or transplant but has to be set up very carefully. Like most precision tools it took me a season to get on top of, but once its working 'you can't beat it with a stick.'
I know this is hard to visualize so if you want pics when the snow melts contact me off list.
All the best.
David Inglis
Mahaiwe Harvest C.S.A.
 



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