How to best store your seed drill during the winter period
MaterMacc's tips for perfect care
The sowing season is coming to an end.
To avoid any nasty surprises when the season starts again, it is advisable to keep your seed drill in top condition and maintain it before it is put to rest for the winter months. With a few simple steps, your seed drill will be back in perfect condition and ready to go! The following tips will save you time in the spring when sowing starts again.
All machines should be rinsed with plenty of water, especially the chemical tanks, and then dried with compressed air.
Special care should be taken to ensure that the seeding units are free of blockages, accumulations of soil, stones or accumulations of roots and grass, which can lead to blockage of the seed channel, malfunction of the opening discs (minimum diameter 370 mm) or blockage of the press wheels.
Carefully check all parts and replace damaged or worn parts if necessary, check the tightness of screws and bolts, check the tire pressure, oil all drive chains, grease the points indicated in the manual and protect all unpainted parts with lubricant.
Finally, it is advisable to cover the appliance after it has been stably stored, in a protected environment, out of the reach of unauthorized persons.
What is the best way to store your precision air seeder?
MaterMacc seed drills are very low-maintenance: only the pivot points of the depth control wheels, the folding arms and the cardan shafts need to be lubricated.
The Easy-Set slide bar, the main actor of the variable row spacing seed drill, can be washed with a suitable high-pressure cleaner if it is covered in dust.
A lubricant can then be applied to keep it clean and smooth for the next spring sowing.
It is recommended to carefully empty the fertilizer tanks via the outlet openings.
It is also advisable to turn the support wheel with the machine raised to completely empty the distributors.
The same should be done for the micro-granulators.
MaterMacc recommends removing the covers of the MagicSem distributor, the heart of the machine and the main factor responsible for the precision and quality of the seeding, and storing it in a closed place protected from rodents: the curtains and brushes that make up the distributor are in fact much appreciated by rats and mice!
If you have the electric MS models, remember that MaterMacc does not work with batteries but with capacitors: This means you don't have to remove any cold-sensitive parts.
A few tips for grain drill models
For optimum storage of MSD and MSD ELEKTRO grain drills, we recommend emptying the hopper and placing a wire mesh sponge in the distributors. This measure prevents rodents from being attracted to the rubber/plastic fins inside the distributor and nibbling on them.
For chippers, maintenance is even easier
In addition to the general recommendations, it is recommended for all weed control machines in the UNICA family to empty and rinse the fertilizer hoppers by emptying the metering units in the same way as for the precision planter.
