# JD 1590 seeding problems



## FarmerCline (Oct 12, 2011)

I no tilled a field of timothy using the small seed box of my 1590 drill and now that it is starting to germinate I see that I am having the same issue with it that I had with the teff. When going downhill the seed just collects in the seed tubes and then when I get to the bottom of the hill all the seed that collected in the tubes comes out in a big clump. When going up hill I do not have this problem and have a nice stand coming up.

I asked the JD dealer what I could do to solve this problem and they had no clue.....said they had never heard of this problem before. Any ideas on how to remedy this?

Also does anyone know what setting on the main box to use for orchard grass? It is not listed on the chart for the main box and the small seed box does not put out enough.


----------



## 8350HiTech (Jul 26, 2013)

Sounds like the tubes are too long. Make them as short as physically possible.


----------



## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

FarmerCline said:


> I no tilled a field of timothy using the small seed box of my 1590 drill and now that it is starting to germinate I see that I am having the same issue with it that I had with the teff. When going downhill the seed just collects in the seed tubes and then when I get to the bottom of the hill all the seed that collected in the tubes comes out in a big clump. When going up hill I do not have this problem and have a nice stand coming up.
> 
> I asked the JD dealer what I could do to solve this problem and they had no clue.....said they had never heard of this problem before. Any ideas on how to remedy this?
> 
> Also does anyone know what setting on the main box to use for orchard grass? It is not listed on the chart for the main box and the small seed box does not put out enough.


Cline, I would load the drill with seed and go down a hill and stop before getting to the bottom and try to find the problem.....pull a tube off and see if something is going on down inside the seed exit....does the drill have a setting for Fescue(31)?....If so Orchard grass will be slightly less.

Regards, Mike


----------



## endrow (Dec 15, 2011)

did you use talcum powder on the seed I use Kinzie Planter talc does the trick on our 1590 do not use graphite


----------



## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

If it is just a couple tubes u maybe can tie them with twine to keep the sag out of them.Or maybe run more down pressure that will lift your boxes higher and straighten the tubes.

What I do with a 750.Get setting fairly close with the chart.Catch the seed from 1 tube for 1/2 mile.Wiegh it.Takes a small scale. multiply the weight of seed X number of openers will give you pds.Divide by area covered to get pds per acre.

Odd shaped fields use the acre meter on the drill.

I catch from a end opener and then after checking I just overlap a bit so don't have a skip.


----------



## 6125 (Sep 14, 2009)

I cut the hoses on mine so when stretched and fished threw the "holders" they just make it in to the feed cups by about 1/2 inch. Now only time they block up is when they have been sitting and some insect spins a web inside the tubes.

On mine I believe setting #16 puts down about 13 pounds of orchard grass, but i'd have to check to make sure.


----------



## Hayman1 (Jul 6, 2013)

FarmerCline said:


> I no tilled a field of timothy using the small seed box of my 1590 drill and now that it is starting to germinate I see that I am having the same issue with it that I had with the teff. When going downhill the seed just collects in the seed tubes and then when I get to the bottom of the hill all the seed that collected in the tubes comes out in a big clump. When going up hill I do not have this problem and have a nice stand coming up.
> 
> I asked the JD dealer what I could do to solve this problem and they had no clue.....said they had never heard of this problem before. Any ideas on how to remedy this?
> 
> Also does anyone know what setting on the main box to use for orchard grass? It is not listed on the chart for the main box and the small seed box does not put out enough.


Cline- I had the same problem with the GP 7' NT that I used to rent from SStates. Every time at the end of a row turning or hitting a stone in the field and a pile of seed, then a gap while the boot tube segments filled up again. That is why I got the brillion till and seed-no tubes.

Look at the connection at the bottom of your seed box-if you can, get smooth tubing like you would use on a sprayer that will just fit inside of your boot tubes. cut it just short of the length with the drill up so it will telescope inside of the boot tube. The sprayer tubing is straight on the inside so seed won't collect in it.. This should work, it worked for me on a drill I used at work. Do make sure you blow out your tubing before loading seed box since this will clog up with spiders etc faster than the boot tubes.


----------



## FarmerCline (Oct 12, 2011)

Vol said:


> Cline, I would load the drill with seed and go down a hill and stop before getting to the bottom and try to find the problem.....pull a tube off and see if something is going on down inside the seed exit....does the drill have a setting for Fescue(31)?....If so Orchard grass will be slightly less.
> 
> Regards, Mike


 I that did back in the summer when I was seeding teff....what it seems to be is once the hill gets to a certain steepness the part of the tube that curves in front of the main box becomes the lowest area of the tube instead of where it dumps into the tube of the main box to go to the openers.

There is no setting for fescue either.


----------



## FarmerCline (Oct 12, 2011)

endrow said:


> did you use talcum powder on the seed I use Kinzie Planter talc does the trick on our 1590 do not use graphite


 I used baby powder.....I think this is the same as talcum powder.


----------



## 8350HiTech (Jul 26, 2013)

FarmerCline said:


> I that did back in the summer when I was seeding teff....what it seems to be is once the hill gets to a certain steepness the part of the tube that curves in front of the main box becomes the lowest area of the tube instead of where it dumps into the tube of the main box to go to the openers.
> 
> There is no setting for fescue either.


Either
A) You're farming hills inspired by dr Seuss or
B) you still need to shorten those tubes so they are snug as they go around the bottom front of the seed box.


----------



## 8350HiTech (Jul 26, 2013)

I hate it when "B)" gets converted to an emoticon.


----------



## cornshucker (Aug 22, 2011)

Our JD 8200 drill did not have a setting for orchard grass. Went and looked in book for an old Massey drill we used to have and found setting for wheat that was same for the amount of orchard grass we wanted to put out and went back and used the setting for that amount of seed on the JD drill. Got close enough for minor tweaking when got done took a magic marker and wrote setting on inside of seed box. All of the drills that I have used vary a little from the book settings so after I get it like I want I just write the setting on the inside of the seed box lid. This will get you close although seed varies a little from year to year and from batch to batch. If the spout where the tubes are attached to the seed meter are angled back slightly it could be that going down a hill that the angle becomes to great for the seed to fall down.


----------



## FarmerCline (Oct 12, 2011)

8350HiTech said:


> Either
> A) You're farming hills inspired by dr Seuss or
> B) you still need to shorten those tubes so they are snug as they go around the bottom front of the seed box.


 I just got in from shortening the tubes....about an inch was all I could take off.

Some of the fields I'm farming are crazy steep....one particular place you had better be going up or down the hill....the tractor feels like it wants to tip going across. This wasn't the place I was planting however.....it really was not very steep for around here.


----------



## Bonfire (Oct 21, 2012)

As to your seeding rates, here is what my 1590 rates at. This is actual measurements. Bags/pounds of seed vs the acre meter. All big seed box.

Orchardgrass (WP300):

Setting lbs./acre

17 12

20 15

21 18

Fescue (K31):

21 25

23 31.2 (100lbs. on 3.2 acres)

As to the drop tubes, the only thing I've put through my small seed box is Bermuda grass and clover and I've never seen any skips down the hills. I took a picture of my drop tubes. They are tucked up tight against the box. The one sticking out is the one going around the rate adjustment handle.


----------



## endrow (Dec 15, 2011)

We do custom no till drill planting for years if we want to plant 10 -12# of fluffy seed orchard grass etc we would use the big box. The 1590 is a good drill you will work it out .


----------



## endrow (Dec 15, 2011)

FarmerCline said:


> I used baby powder.....I think this is the same as talcum powder.


 yes it is


----------



## SVFHAY (Dec 5, 2008)

My friends Landoll 5210 had this same problem except it did it on the level. Their fix was the same as Haymen described, replace each tube with 2 that telescope together. Works very well.


----------



## NDVA HAYMAN (Nov 24, 2009)

Cline, we disconnect the tubes at the bottom boots and just let them hang. We use the big box. Always get a good stand. Mike


----------



## FarmerCline (Oct 12, 2011)

NDVA HAYMAN said:


> Cline, we disconnect the tubes at the bottom boots and just let them hang. We use the big box. Always get a good stand. Mike


 I have heard of doing this with a conventional drill in tilled ground but would not have thought that it would work for no till. In my mind I would have thought that most of the seed would have ended up on top of the stubble and not in contact with the ground. What type of grass do you sow like this?


----------



## FarmerCline (Oct 12, 2011)

Bonfire said:


> As to your seeding rates, here is what my 1590 rates at. This is actual measurements. Bags/pounds of seed vs the acre meter. All big seed box.
> 
> Orchardgrass (WP300):
> Setting lbs./acre
> ...


 What crop listed on the chart did you use as a starting place to come up with your seeding rates for the orchard and fescue or was it just by trial and error? I was looking at the chart and the only grass crop listed on the chart of the main box was crested wheat grass(what ever that is)and the rates on the chart for it and your fescue rates were quite similar.

I have my seed tubes for the small seed box cut down to where they are sung against the main box like yours in the picture. The only 2 that gave me a bit of a problem of getting snug enough where the 2 by the rate shifter.


----------



## NDVA HAYMAN (Nov 24, 2009)

Cline, we plant OG and Timothy like this. With the soil action from the counters, openers, press wheels and such, the seed is distributed over a wider range of the ground and does not have a problem germinating after some moisture. Mike


----------



## 8350HiTech (Jul 26, 2013)

NDVA HAYMAN said:


> Cline, we plant OG and Timothy like this. With the soil action from the counters, openers, press wheels and such, the seed is distributed over a wider range of the ground and does not have a problem germinating after some moisture. Mike


A Deere with coulters?


----------



## endrow (Dec 15, 2011)

you have to get a driver and then stand on the drill while its going down a steep hill and watch what's going wrong.Do do you need weight on the back are the rear wheels lifting off the ground. you will have to do a little investigating this problem can be solved.Ipaid $40+k for. our 1590 it can be made to plant very accurately there's no way I'm going to just let the tubes dangle and splattered seed on the press wheels.. Cline if it were my drill I would pay a John Deere teck to have come out and help me get it working properly ..You own a good drill it will do the job


----------



## Bonfire (Oct 21, 2012)

FarmerCline said:


> What crop listed on the chart did you use as a starting place to come up with your seeding rates for the orchard and fescue or was it just by trial and error? I was looking at the chart and the only grass crop listed on the chart of the main box was crested wheat grass(what ever that is)and the rates on the chart for it and your fescue rates were quite similar.
> 
> I have my seed tubes for the small seed box cut down to where they are sung against the main box like yours in the picture. The only 2 that gave me a bit of a problem of getting snug enough where the 2 by the rate shifter.


The only thing I've used the seed chart for is wheat, bermuda grass and clover. The only guessing I did with the fescue and OG was selecting the initial setting. The first time I did it, I put one 50 lb bag of seed across the whole box and go plant. I kept checking on it until it went emty. Looked at the acre meter and did the math. Made adjustments and tried it again. It was slow like that but it worked

I have wheat and sudex numbers as well if you would like those.


----------



## FarmerCline (Oct 12, 2011)

endrow said:


> you have to get a driver and then stand on the drill while its going down a steep hill and watch what's going wrong.Do do you need weight on the back are the rear wheels lifting off the ground. you will have to do a little investigating this problem can be solved.Ipaid $40+k for. our 1590 it can be made to plant very accurately there's no way I'm going to just let the tubes dangle and splattered seed on the press wheels.. Cline if it were my drill I would pay a John Deere teck to have come out and help me get it working properly ..You own a good drill it will do the job


 I have already had the John Deere dealer where I bought it out to look at it and they had no clue. I don't really know if there service department it very knowledgeable. The rear wheels are not lifting off the ground. While I agree I have a good drill to be honest soybeans have been the only crop I have planted with it that I have been very pleased with.

Today I went and re drilled the places where the timothy did not come up going down the hills and I checked the tubes a couple times and they didn't seem to be collecting seed so shortening the tubes may have worked.

I have a new problem now. This is the first time I have used the open center kit since They installed it on the drill after I discovered it did not have it even though I paid for it. I followed the instructions in the manual on how to use it on an open center tractor but I could not get it to hold pressure. After I would release the hydraulic lever the pressure would go up to the set amount but then start falling back down.


----------



## FarmerCline (Oct 12, 2011)

Bonfire said:


> The only thing I've used the seed chart for is wheat, bermuda grass and clover. The only guessing I did with the fescue and OG was selecting the initial setting. The first time I did it, I put one 50 lb bag of seed across the whole box and go plant. I kept checking on it until it went emty. Looked at the acre meter and did the math. Made adjustments and tried it again. It was slow like that but it worked
> 
> I have wheat and sudex numbers as well if you would like those.


 That is what I was hoping to avoid having to do myself. Now that I have your settings that will make a whole lot easier for me and won't risk wasting a lot of seed. If you don't mind giving me the wheat and sudex numbers as I may be planting those in the future as well. Particularly on the sudex since there is no setting for it on the chart either.


----------



## endrow (Dec 15, 2011)

FarmerCline said:


> I have already had the John Deere dealer where I bought it out to look at it and they had no clue. I don't really know if there service department it very knowledgeable. The rear wheels are not lifting off the ground. While I agree I have a good drill to be honest soybeans have been the only crop I have planted with it that I have been very pleased with.
> Today I went and re drilled the places where the timothy did not come up going down the hills and I checked the tubes a couple times and they didn't seem to be collecting seed so shortening the tubes may have worked.
> I have a new problem now. This is the first time I have used the open center kit since They installed it on the drill after I discovered it did not have it even though I paid for it. I followed the instructions in the manual on how to use it on an open center tractor but I could not get it to hold pressure. After I would release the hydraulic lever the pressure would go up to the set amount but then start falling back down.


yes with the open center mod every time the pressure drops you just gotta put the lever down


----------



## FarmerCline (Oct 12, 2011)

endrow said:


> yes with the open center mod every time the pressure drops you just gotta put the lever down


 I didn't realize that as it does not say that in the manual. I was under the impression that after I set the desired pressure then raise and lower the openers and hold the lever a few seconds down to charge the system it would be good to go until I raised the openers to turn. How long is it supposed to hold before the pressure starts falling back? As soon as it reaches the pressure setting after after releasing the hydraulic lever it begins to fall back. My thinking is if I don't push the lever down every minute or so I am going to have inconsistent opener penetration because of the uneven pressure and that can't be a good thing.


----------

