Every year sitting in the deer stand I have a lot of time to contemplate projects to get done before next season. The first one on the list for this year will be to "cut down" a wheat drill. Now I have an old John Deere 16x8 wheat drill that I use to plant my plots. The total width of the drill is about 12 feet. It's a little tough to get it down the hunting roads and to maneuver around the plots and trees. I'm going to narrow it down to 12 holes which will make it 32 inches narrower. You just have to take everything off the end of the drill and cut the drill box 16 inches on each side and shorten everything else you need to and put it back together. Farmers have been doing this for years to make drills to fit moldboard plows. I need to put all new disks on it, too and when I get it done, I'll have a neat deal. You can even put on fertilizer with a drill, just clean it out real good and maybe brush some dieselin the box when you get done.

I've seen guys do this and sell these drills for a lot of money, but you can pick these old drills up at farm auctions for 40 or 50 dollars.

Sounds like a fun project.

Be advised that new chutes and discs can run the bill up really quick.

Also, if you can,convert it todouble disc openers if it doesn't have them already. You can plant in wetter conditions than with a single disc opener. I also think depth is a little easier to control depth with the double discs.

I'm also a big fan of press wheels. Don't know how much it would take to convert an old chain drag drill to press wheels, but I seem to get a lot more uniform germination with press wheels.

Good luck!

I know the disks will cost some money, but I have to have them. The old ones are worn down and some of the bearings locked up. The soil is big time sandy, so I don't have a problem with penetration.I could be planting in a driving rain, and the soil would not stick to anything.The old drill originally had press wheels and I agree, my drill that plant my crops with has them, but drag chains will work fine for what I'm doing on the deer farm. I usually plant double or more seed rate to try to get ahead of the grasshoppers and those pesky deer. Getting rainfall at the right time is the big issue for me because the soil is so sandy, the water just goes straight down and dries up pretty fast.

LOOK AT WHAT I FOUND ..IT CAN BE DONE ..

Yea, that is sweet. What did that set you back?

There is aplace here that had one that wasn't thatnice and I think they were asking $2500. for it. They had made it out of the DC model which is older than the one you have, but is the big box. I think yours is an 8300.

Mine is about 40 years older than that one. It's one of the old RS models with the small box and high steel wheels. It's one I already had and just wanted to make it handier to use.

You definitely win the prize for the nicest one, though!

YEAH THANKS . IT DID SET ME BACK 2500 PLUS ...IT HAS A PLANTING WITH OF 4FT OAW OF 6 FT .WITH 8 ROWS OF PLANTING .BUT IT WONT GO EVERY WERE .SOME TIMES I HAFT TO BROADCAST SO I DONT JACK IT UP. YEAH IT IS SOMTHING LIKE A 8200- 8400 ..IT CAN BE DONE ON AN OLDER MODEL.I THINK THIS SERIES IS JUST EASYER TO CUT DOWN .THEN YOU CAN PUT 06 PARTS ON IT .IF YOU NEED PARTS I KNOW A GUY .NO JOKE HE HASTOBE ONE OF THE BEST .AND HE HAS THE BIGGEST SELECTION IN THE NATION I SWEAR. THANKS AGAIN.... COMPLIMENTS EASE THE PAIN .