1) what do you think is the best no till drill for a 50 horse tractor 2) why 3) what is the going rate for custom drilling. Tia
50 HP is pretty low so you definitely want to stay in the small end. I'm guessing something like a 6' Great Plains or 6' Tye on its on wheels so it carries its on weight would be best. They're surprisingly heavy to pull and if you go with a 3pt with a 50 horse tractor you're gonna need a good bit of weight on the front.
I run a 10' John Deere 1590. My 85HP JD6310 will pull it, but it pushes it around on hills and definitely feels undersized. I usually hook it to the 6150 just so I don't have to worry about mud or hills.
we ran a Great Plains 3pt for years and it was great. Almost no problems, but it was super heavy. I've run a pull GP and a TYE and they're basically the same in that size range.
The John Deere are a big step up because the hydraulics help push the colters in the ground as opposed to using its own weight. But they're also a huge jump in price and weight.
as to going rate, depends on size and location. On my 10' I get $80/hr plus seed (more if I have to haul it any distance), I know guys with larger NTs that get $150-200/hr. But that's in North Georgia. You could probably drive 50 miles and find a totally different price. Also a lot of government natural resource groups have rentals available, but price varies. I've seen them by the acre, hour, and by the day.
