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  • From: "frank ventura" <frank.dragonflyfarms AT gmail.com>
  • To: "'Market Farming'" <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Williams tool system
  • Date: Sat, 6 Feb 2010 11:17:53 -0500

Thanks Dave.

 

I just sold my Williams as my bed size is now wider and need a wider rake.  I am ordering a new one shortly.  Is it safe to say the guide wheel system would replace or serve the function of the gauge wheels also?

 

Hopefully I get it right with this purchase.  I have made too many purchases that I outgrew already. ;)

 

Thanks,

Frank Ventura

Dragonfly Farms

www.dragonfly-farms.com

 

 

 

 

From: market-farming-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org [mailto:market-farming-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of David Inglis
Sent: Friday, February 05, 2010 8:56 PM
To: 'Market Farming'
Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Williams tool system

 

 

 

-----Original Message-----
From: market-farming-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org [mailto:market-farming-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of frank ventura
Sent: Friday, February 05, 2010 8:00 PM
To: 'Market Farming'
Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Williams tool system

 

Dave,

 

Can you explain a little on how the guidance system works in your setup?

The unit must run with the check chains/stabilizer bars on the lower links set loose so the unit can move sideways. Once the beds are set up you can drive way off track and the guide wheels will still follow the edge of the bed. I use the tines but mostly I have a combination of side knives and sweeps i.e. the Williams becomes a tool carrier. I have a clamp in every  I want so that all I have to do is drop the right ones for the rows I want then go. I keep a spanner on the frame. I do not move clamps.

 

  Are the guide wheels riding on the edges of raised beds?  Yes. It is more like the path is sunken than the bed is raised because of my soil type. I clean out/weed the path on every pass I make through the field with two Bezz spyders  http://www.bezzerides.com/SpyderWeeders

with the back of the syder facing forward and the notches pointing  down at the back of the spyder [this is less  aggressive than pointing up]set to gently ridge up the edge of the bed, one on each side. This keeps the bed defined. [look at their site and videos]

 

Are you marking the planting rows with the Williams also? No. But my seeders and transplanter run in the same furrow/wheel path that the guidance system does so it’s very close and I am working on getting them to track tighter too. What I would like to see, and may yet build, is a version of the Williams with the spring tines on a removable frame that can be replaced with other stuff eg a seeders. More likely is I will build something to have the seeders run on the edge of the bed in the same way but as a separate implement, I am close to that now. This will keep all the rows in an exact relationship to the edge of the bed. There is another way to do it but it is less exact.

 

I have a Williams also and love it for young plantings (blind cultivation) but have not been able to get that close to plants with sweeps/side knives as I suspect I might be able to with a guidance system. The very close work I do with belly mounted tools [basket weeder then Bezz torsion then Bezz spring hoe] so I can look right at it. I set those very aggressive. The Williams does to within 2” but more like 4” of each row

 

Did you buy the guidance system directly from Bezzrides? Yes. Good people. I see they have dealers now. The first set they sent me before billing me; I nearly had a kitten.

Btw as far as I am aware mine is the only set up like this in the country. The web site has changed so I hope that does not mean they sold out. The tools are the same though. One could make up an approximate system using modified depth wheels but their stuff is built the way all American good used to be built but aren’t any more and I am way too busy with other stuff to futz with that. It’s a steep upfront cost but nothing like as expensive as weeding by hand. If you save 50 hours a year of hand weeding it will pay and I probably do that every week. No contest.

Cheers

Dave

 

 

Dave Inglis

www.mahaiweharvest.com

Berkshire County,

Massachusetts

 




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