Grain drill brain gas ...or maybe not?

[Brokenbear]

I have an 18 hole grain drill ...blow it out with a leaf blower every year after planting season ...BUT as clean as I can get it there are still 3 to 5 cups of beans or whatever distributed in the bottoms of the pay out chambers ...that last few cups just moves around from hole to hole as I blow

This year ...I had a liquid mouse (dead gooey) in a pay hole/chamber ...what a mess ....

So I started thinking about ways to blow out the pay hole/chamber then plug it ...leave the plug in until next planting as a block to mice to 18 entry ports to my drill grain box ...the big problem of course is some treated seed will kill the mouse messing up the box with unwanted residue

My UNTRIED fix ...blow out each pay hole and stuff either a coarse Brillo pad in it OR oil up some coarse steel wool to become the plug ...then place a piece of sheet metal on one end like a ramp and after all holes are plugged blow from the opposite end to fully clear the box of grain

But why reinvent the wheel ...if someone has a simpler solution to leftover grain cleanout OR an "ACME" system to repel mice ...I am all ears as I have tried about every "wive"s tale" I've heard without much success !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Bear

 

[cutman]

I get a small shopvac on an extension cord and vacuum out all the leftover seed. Works really well.

 

[Brokenbear]

Cutman ...do you try to plug the pay holes to deter nesting etc?

 

[cutman]

Nope. If there is no seed left in they don't seem to be interested. I do have a problem with dirt dobbers though. They plug up the bottom of the small seed tubes.

 

[Brokenbear]

• I forgot to say in my post no electricity at the farm ...I suppose using your process I could lug out a generator and shopvac ...I will try one year vacuumed and no plugs and see how it works
• Thanks
• Bear

 

[Mennoniteman]

I guess your grain drill is different than a notill drill? Great plains 15 hole drill, I just open the seed cups and the leftover grain all runs out the bottom, simple one minute job. If it's such a chore to clean out I would take it out in the meadow and run it till it's totally empty, squirt some wd40 and drop some mice pellets around it.

 

[buckdeer1]

I use a generator and shop vac on my vanbrundt drill also

 

[ncnat]

I use a small shop vac with an inverter hooked to the truck or tractor battery.