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Genesis Drill Review

Meyer30

Member
Hey guys, this is my first post here as I thought some people would appreciate a review on the Genesis drill.

I have a small farm in north central Iowa and after years of tilling my food plots, I broke down last winter and purchased a Genesis.

A couple things I've noticed so far:
- It is very well made and put together, I am looking forward to many years of planting with this.
- It is pretty heavy! I have a JD 4044 and it lifts the 3' model well, but I think I would need a bigger tractor for any of the bigger models.
- Dealing with RTP was pretty easy. They shipped it right to my buddy's warehouse and he brought it out to the farm for me.
- Seeding rate gate opening calibration was easy and straight forward. The removable tray is nice so you don't spill seed everywhere.
- I had one plot of clover I terminated with 2,4-d and another plot of sorghum I burned this year. the drill seemed to plant and pack better on the no-tilled clover than the more bare burned sorghum. The drill seemed to sit down a little just a hair lower in the bare dirt. We will see if there is any difference between these two plots this summer.

At first, I was noticing a lot of seed on top of the ground and was getting worried. I figured out the arms of my 3-pt weren't level and the right side of the drill wasn't even in the ground. Once I got that resolved, the drill planted and packed very well.

I will say the my plots are fairly level so I can't say how well it would work over hilly terrain.

The germination has been great so far and my beans are coming up nicely after a week of rain and warmth. I am already excited to get it out again in August to plant cover crops and brassicas. This was my first time using the drill so I'm sure I will learn a lot as I use it more.

If you have any questions on the drill, ask!

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Pretty sweet units IMO. I have the Genesis 5 new this year. The calibration system on the variable drive transmission is outstanding. When calibrating beans it is very sensitive and accurate. Just outstanding in that regard with no gears to deal with. So far I've planted beans and sorghum.

The only downfall I have found is that it does not do well when traversing hills sideways (top side seed doesnt get bedded well). So have to be smart about what direction you plant which isn't a big deal. Rough ground will also result us some small skips.... for a foodplotter, non-issue.

Looking forward to testing it on smaller seeds like clover, brassicas, etc. All reviews, it works fine. New this year they are offering a small seed box as an option if desired.

I plant a ton of smaller plots so the 3 point is a major time saver with getting turned around. Love it.
 
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This is our second season with Genesis 5. Love it for all the reasons mentioned above. Some pics from wrapping up our spring planting yesterday...
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My daughter volunteered to help calibrate

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Planting Land and Legacy’s heritage mix with some added buckwheat and leftover RR beans we had lying around.

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We snap a pic of the acre meter after we finish every field to log.

Also, no pics, but last week, we used it to drill some corn at 23” rows in a plot by stuffing rags in dropshoots. We’ll see how they come up.


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Have wanted to get (3) series but with my 30 horse tractor not sure I can handle it.. so did not . Tractor is rated for the weight by spec but hate to purchase t, hen cant use . what a time saver ..
 
I have a 3’ genesis and used it for first time this year no tilling beans into old growth fields. I am wanting to do some CP25 native grass/wildflower mix. Has anybody tried the genesis with this type of seed mix? I have read that the genesis works well with switch but not with the light fluffy seeds like big blue and/or indian grass. Not sure if the fluffy seeds would feed through though being mixed? This is a high dollar seed mix so dont want to screw it up! Interested in your thoughts and experiences.
 
I have a 3’ genesis and used it for first time this year no tilling beans into old growth fields. I am wanting to do some CP25 native grass/wildflower mix. Has anybody tried the genesis with this type of seed mix? I have read that the genesis works well with switch but not with the light fluffy seeds like big blue and/or indian grass. Not sure if the fluffy seeds would feed through though being mixed? This is a high dollar seed mix so dont want to screw it up! Interested in your thoughts and experiences.
Will not work at all. Only a drill with a native seed box with auger will work for planting fluffies.
 
This is our second season with Genesis 5. Love it for all the reasons mentioned above. Some pics from wrapping up our spring planting yesterday...
0922351acca42f8ad561b58d89474925.jpg

My daughter volunteered to help calibrate

608f697ee1550496832f69f695591858.jpg

Planting Land and Legacy’s heritage mix with some added buckwheat and leftover RR beans we had lying around.

2263b562c2bedcc488fe99903030a2ed.jpg

We snap a pic of the acre meter after we finish every field to log.

Also, no pics, but last week, we used it to drill some corn at 23” rows in a plot by stuffing rags in dropshoots. We’ll see how they come up.


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Whats the verdict on corn so far?
 
Corn came up fine. Blocking with rags worked fine for row spacing. Will try to get some pics next time I’m at the farm.


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Have wanted to get (3) series but with my 30 horse tractor not sure I can handle it.. so did not . Tractor is rated for the weight by spec but hate to purchase t, hen cant use . what a time saver ..

I bet it could handle the 3' pull behind version just fine, just not the 3 point. Benefit is more even planting on hillier ground with a pull behind over a 3 point, but less maneuverable obviously.
 
I'm considering a Genesis 8 and I have a couple questions.
Is the small seeds box worth adding or does the main box handle the small seeds well?
How are they saving the weight on the light versions? There is a 1200 lb difference between the HD 8 and the light 8 but the price is exactly the same. 1200 lbs on an 8' implement seems pretty significant to me, what am I losing?
 
We have an 8’ Genesis for past 2 seasons. We don’t have a second box we just mix the seeds, and seems to work fine.

For the weight, pretty sure the lighter version has a hollow square beam that the boxes attach. The heavier one, the beam is solid. Recommend getting as heavy as your tractor can handle. We haven’t regretted getting the heavy one for breaking through thatch.


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I'm considering a Genesis 8 and I have a couple questions.
Is the small seeds box worth adding or does the main box handle the small seeds well?
How are they saving the weight on the light versions? There is a 1200 lb difference between the HD 8 and the light 8 but the price is exactly the same. 1200 lbs on an 8' implement seems pretty significant to me, what am I losing?
Get as heavy as your tractor can handle IMO.
 
I am really thinking about getting a 5 light . I have a Kubota L4060 (40HP) Rated at 2800LBS pick up . Light I believe is 1600LBS . I really wonder if plants the DLBTREE mix well. If your trying to get Rye /Oats / Peas half inch in the ground I feel would be deep for the clover / Radish . I'm tired of plowing , tilling , seeding , packing . It's a lot of time when I have limited time . Do any of you have the no till coulters as well ? I know that is options , I also seen they sell collars for small seed to get planting depth above a half inch for small seeds .. $17K is a Chunk ... Hate to Ride a Wheeeelieeeeeee..
 
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