Simplicity and potentially lower running costs – together with an ability to cope with hordes of stones – makes a tine coulter drill an attractive proposition. Peter Hill sets out the options.

Who remembers the International Harvester tine drill? Much appreciated for its ability to tackle stony conditions and put beans in at a decent depth, a new generation of tine seeders aims to emulate its abilities but across wider working widths and with modern control technology.

While ticking all the option boxes can soon bring the asking price to a tidy sum, the outlay needed for one of these implements can be relatively modest – and with the further attraction of relatively low running costs, thanks to relative simplicity and easily replaced soil-engaging parts.

As a back-up to a bigger, more specialist seeder, a tractor-mounted tine coulter machine is handy to have around for small fields and awkward corners.

And because they can also handle trickier soil conditions, tine seeders provide a means of getting a crop in if things become wet and sticky in late autumn and the all-singing, all-dancing multi-element disc drill has to be parked up. An arbitrary ceiling of £45,000 provides a big choice of seeders, from basic models costing less than half that amount to ones with the sort of equipment fitted as standard that are listed as options on others.

Here is what the market has to offer:

Dale Drills – Mounted Tine Drill (MTD)

For sowing into mintill or plough-based seedbeds or direct into well-managed surface trash. Four rows of knife coulters mounted on “S” leaf spring tines spaced 125mm (5in) apart – other spacings optional. Hydraulic seed distribution fan drive; in-hopper distribution head; radar electric Accord metering unit drive. Finishing tool: Flexible tine covering harrow.

MTD mounted

1,200kg hopper seed only
• 3m – £16,000
• 4m – £18,000
• 4.8m – £21,000
• 6m – £24,000
• 8m – £30,000

Kongskilde Vibro-Seeder 600

Vibro Tilth spring tine cultivator-based seeders with “S” tine coulters in four rows for line sowing at 150mm (6in) spacing. Metering roller for each coulter frame-mounted seed distribution head is land-wheel driven via stepless gearbox, with hydraulic or pto drive to distribution fan. Reekie-type vertical or low-angled finishing tine harrows.

Vibro-Seeder mounted with hopper

1,100-litre hopper
• 4m (26 row) – £26,602
• 5m (32 row) – £28,572
• 6m (40 row) – £31,188

Vibro-Seeder mounted, front hopper

1,500- or 1,900-litre hopper
• 4m (26 row) – £27,816
• 5m (32 row) – £31,170
• 6m (40 row) – £33,368

KRM Trisem

Tractor-mounted box drill with optional two-row cultivation toolbar (ripper tines ahead of arrow head tines) preceding three rows of Elite coulters mounted on square-section coulter arms with individual underslung tensioning coil springs. Land wheel drive individual row seed metering; gravity seed distribution to coulters. Finishing tool: Two-row vertical tine covering harrow.

Trisem mounted

• 3m (22-row) – £10,150
• 3.5m (28 row) – £12,150
• 4m (33 row) – £13,595
Note: markers, tramlining and covering harrow standard.

KRM Soladrill 799 (pictured top)

Optional four-stage two-row tine cultivation toolbar integrated or along front of drill precedes staggered row of flexible levelling tines and three or four rows of Elite coulters at 125mm (5in) spacing (coulter details as for Trisem). Seed metering mechanism with braked land wheel drive or optional electric drive; pneumatic in-hopper distribution head and pto- or hydraulic-drive fan. Finishing tool: Two-row vertical tine covering harrow.

Soladrill 799 mounted three-row

1,575 or 1,750-litre hopper*
• 4m (32 row) – £18,225
• 4.5m (36 row) – £18,900
• 4.8m (38 row) – £19,495
• 5m (40 row) – £19,595
• 6m (48 row) – £22,925

Soladrill 799 mounted four-row

1,575 or 1,750-litre hopper*
• 4m (32 row) – £18,750
• 4.5m (36 row) – £19,450
• 4.8m (38 row) – £19,995
• 5m (40 row) – £20,150
• 6m (48 row) – £23,450
Note: Tramlining kit, bout markers, following harrow standard; 1,750-litre hopper standard on 6m +£150 on others; electric metering drive £poa; pre-emergence markers £950.

Soladrill 799 4-Stage Integrated

1,575 or 1,750-litre hopper
• 4m (32 row) – £21,450
• 4.5m (36 row) – £22,375
• 4.8m (38 row) – £23,195
• 5m (40 row) – £23,295
• 6m (48 row) – £27,125

Soladrill 799 4-Stage Front

1,575 or 1,750-litre hopper
• 4m (32 row) – £23,100
• 4.5m (36 row) – £22,195
• 4.8m (38 row) – £22,925
Note: 4-Stage models have two rows of spring-loaded cultivation tines either beneath (Integrated) or in front of the seed hopper, the latter with hydraulic fan drive; other options as above.

KRM Soladrill 1706

Piggy-back drill for power harrow or cultivator with three rows of Elite coulters – details as for Soladrill 799.

Soladrill 1706 piggy-back

1,200 or 1,575-litre hopper
• 3m (24 row) – £13,650
• 4m (32 row) – £16,675
Note: 1,575-litre hopper £385. Other options as above.

KRM Soladrill 1909

Four rows of heavy-duty narrow tines at 166mm (6.5in) spacing, with vertical coil spring pressure and auto-reset protection; designed for direct as well as mulch tillage and plough-based seedbed sowing. Wheel shaft drive to seed metering unit; in-hopper seed distribution head. Finishing tool: flexible tine covering harrow behind open cage roller.

Soladrill 1909 mounted

• 4.8m (29 row) – £30,500
• 5m (31 row) – £30,750
• 6m (37 row) – £32,250

Kuhn Megant

Single row of paddle-type levelling tines precedes four rows of tine coulters at 125mm (5in) to 155mm spacing. Curved spring steel coulter arms clamped to frame with rubber dampers for controlled flexing and 200mm lift clearance. Spider-wheel driven seed metering unit feeds external distribution head; pto-driven hydraulic motor drives fan allowing 750 to 1,000rpm engine speeds.

Megant mounted

1,800kg hopper
• 4m (32 row, 125mm/5in) – £27,150
• 4.5m (32 row, 140mm/5.5in) – £27,150
• 4.8m (36 row, 133mm/5.2in) – £28,785
• 5m (36 row, 139mm/5.5in) – £29,089
• 5.6m (36 row, 155mm/6in) – £31,281
• 6m (40 row, 150mm/6in) – £32,287
Note: Levelling bar 4m + 4.5m £1,856; 4.8m + 5m £2,038; 5.6m + 6m £2,578; half shut-off standard on 4m, 5m, 6m; tramlining kit standard on all models.

Opico Maschio Primavera

Four rows of straight chisel tines on coil spring tensioned coulter arms on three-section frame at 125mm (5in) and 150mm spacing. Electric metering roller drive; two-stage “bypass” pneumatic seed conveying system with in-hopper distribution head; flexible tine covering harrow.

Maschio Primavera

• 4m – TBA
• 4.8m – TBA
• 5m – TBA
• 6m – TBA

SimTech T-Sem

Single row of plain discs work ahead of each spring tine-mounted Aitchison coulter spaced at 150mm (6in). Creates inverted “T”-shaped slot direct into stubbles or can sow into mintill or conventional seedbeds. Tilth firmed by “springflex” roller followed by chain covering harrow. Mechanical-drive individual row metering from full-width Aitchison seed box.

SimTech T-Sem mounted

• 3m (20 row) – £15,750
Note: Roller to replace leading discs on plough seedbed £1,600.

Techmagri Samourai Contour

Three rows of rigid knife coulters at 166mm (6.5in) spacing for mintill or direct seeding carried on straight tubular coulter arms with coil spring or hydraulic pressure control and depth/press wheel. Preceded by flexi-tyre consolidating roller and followed by sweep-type following harrow. Pto- or hydraulically driven fan and Accord land-wheel or electric drive metering rollers feed distribution head inside hopper.

Techmagri Samourai Contour mounted

1,300-litre hopper
• 3m (18 row) – £19,000
• 4m (24 row) – £23,500
• 4m fold (24 row) – £26,000
• 4.8m (29 row) – £31,000
Note: tramlining kit, area measurement etc standard; pre-emergence markers £1,200. Larger trailed models also available.

Weaving Aguirre Tine Drill

Coil-spring tensioned “C” tines in three rows at 125mm (5in) on coulter frame, with screw adjustable parallel linkage mounting to main frame. Seed metering with braked land wheel drive, a distributor head in the hopper, and a pto-driven fan.

Weaving Aguirre mounted

1,700-litre hopper
• 3m (24 row) – £10,561
• 4m (32 row) – £13,730
• 4.8m (38 row) – £15,296
• 5m (40 row) – £15,296
• 6m (48 row) – £17,556
• 6.6m (48 row) – £18,520
• 8m (48 row) – £20,835
(larger trailed model also available)
Note: radar electronic metering £2,925; pre-emergence markers £720 single, £1,145 double; half-drill shut off £1,655.

Kverneland Accord Tine-Seeder

Optional paddle tine clod bar precedes five rows of spring steel “C” tine coulters at 125mm (5in) or 150mm row spacing with leaf-spring pressure control and damage protection, followed by optional press wheels. Accord ground-driven seed metering unit feeds internal distribution head with air from hydraulic-drive fan. Spring-tensioned frame on parallel linkage carries two-row covering harrow.

Accord T-S Evo mounted (125mm/5in)

1,200, 1,700 or 2,200-litre hopper
• 4m (38 row) – £25,240
• 4.8m (38 row) – £27,375
• 5m (40 row) – £27,430
• 6m (48 row) – £30,210
Note: Tramlining systems Basic £1,580, Signus seed return-to-tank £2,470, ESA Isobus electric metering drive £4,370; hydraulic fan drive £1,334; half width shut off £331; 500-litre hopper extension £495. Crossboard paddle tines £2,054-2,734.

Accord T-S Evo mounted (150mm/6in)

1,200, 1,700 or 2,200-litre hopper
• 4m (26 rows) – £24,205
• 4.8m (32 row) – £26,330
• 5m (32 row) – £26,730
• 5.6m (38 row) – £28,170
• 6m (40 row) – £28,930
Note: Options as above.

Willow Carré Pentasem

Pentasol spring tine cultivator-based seeder with adjustable paddle tines positioned ahead of five rows of chisel point coulters attached to “S” spring tines. Radar electric drive metering mechanism; hydraulic fan drive; external seed distribution heads. Finishing tool: Straight tine levelling harrow plus optional solid rubber press wheels.

Carré Pentasem mounted

1,200-litre or 1,500-litre hopper
• 3.5m (28 row) – £16,000
• 4m (32 row) – £17,750
• 4.8m (32 row) – £17,850
• 6m (40 row) – £18,550
Note: RDS Artemis controller and track eradicators standard. Covering harrow £745, £1,150, £1,200, £1,300. Rubber wheel press £1,200 (3.5m). Pre-emergence markers £800. Prices are nett on-farm.