[WyattB]

Borrowed a friend's IH seed drill, steel wheels, two wooden boxes, 11 rows and quite old. The manual gives details about two and three horse hitches but doesn't mention tractors. The deal is that I will make it workable in return for the use of it. It is actually in quite good shape for it's age but the flexible seed chutes are an issue. The older uncle that he inherited it from did not have a full set of chutes for it so I need to adapt some Cockshutt chutes and repair some of the IH chute tops. Does anyone have any helpful hints on how best to make a workable set? If parts were available I might spring for them since the owner is an old friend of mine or I might scrounge farm auctions this summer but for now I need a working seed drill that only has to last for 1 acre of use.

 

[Kiwi071]

We had a Massey Harris drill of the same era,the flexible shutes were not available so my father got rubber hoses that were
large enough to clip onto the drill they were much bigger at the top and as they got down to the coulter much thinner so
they could let the coulter move up and down and when you lifted the coulters at the corners the rubbers would slide down the
coulters,dont know if this will help as it was a farm fix.

 

[WyattB]

Another friend lent me some chutes today that have been replaced with vacuum cleaner hose. I am going to see if I can scrounge enough hose to fix what I have. This older farmer claims the vacuum hoses are superior to the originals on rocky ground.

 

[Kiwi071]

That is a good idea,you always manage to come up with somthing usfull I would think the vacum cleaner hoses would be just
fine.

 

[WyattB]

Saw another ancient IH seed drill today that I have hopes of acquiring and its chutes have cast tops and flexible rubber chutes.The chutes look factory so they may have been refits from something more modern but I have never seen anything but tin chute tops before.

 

[v w]

Would flexible electrical conduit work for the seed tubes? Vern

 

[Bob Kline]

bicycle inter-tubes worked for us back in the 1960's. That was the bigger (balloon) tubes back then, - now the tubes are smaller but still should get that acre seeded. if not, drag a log chain behind hooked from one side to other side, or a heavy plank to cover seed in soil.
Bob

 

[wizzard]

we used to use that universall strait crinkly radiator hoses. theres enuff meat at the ends to run a self taping screw threw

 

[WyattB]

Ended up using a combination of vacuum hose and rubber seed drill hose. Got the acre planted and now it is almost ripe enough to harvest. Most farmers are saying to let it get hit by frost at least once to soften up the stalks but we will see. It seems pretty ripe now and no frost in the 14 day forecast.