Muddy packer wheels are a sure way to vary seed depth, and Devloo Roto Scrapers are designed to keep the mud off. First developed for use on the Devloo farm, the scrapers have become popular add-ons, especially for canola growers and anyone with heavy ground.
“When mud sticks to packer wheels, it lifts the openers out of the ground,” explains Mark Devloo. “Seed is placed too shallow or even on the surface. Shallow seed suffers more mortality and requires putting on more. If the fertilizer is left on the surface, more of it outgasses to the atmosphere, with less available to the seedling. We need to maintain consistent seed and fertilizer placement to get good emergence.”
Devloo notes that they tried several different types of scrapers before they developed their rotating design and easy-to-install brackets.
“Stationary scrapers can plug up and create enough friction to stop the packer wheels from turning,” says Devloo. “This can create ruts, drag piles, and require the tractor to use more fuel.”
“Our rotating scrapers clean the wheels with less friction, drag, and wear than stationary scrapers,” he adds. “Our scrapers have five times the contact surface of a stationary scraper. As they spin, they’re constantly moving the contact surface to a new contact point, reducing heat build-up and wear.”
The scrapers are offset 1/8-in. to 1/2-in., ensuring they only spin if mud begins to build up. They’re laser cut from 1023 carbon steel, and the brackets are fabricated with high tensile #80 steel. All scrapers are equipped with a double roller 5203 bearing, and all the hardware is zinc-plated.
Demand first grew from exposure at trade shows and through limited advertising. Word of mouth is attracting new customers and not just in Canada and the U.S.
“We’re selling the scrapers in Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Russia, Kazakhstan, and elsewhere,” says Devloo. “Farmers see other farmers using them and see how well they work.”
Devloo estimates each scraper takes around 10 min. to install. “Prices vary depending on the air seeder model, but most can be set up for less than $200 (CAD),” he says. “Just let us know the model, year, width, and spacing of the packer wheels.”
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Devloo Roto Mud Scrapers, Box 272, Somerset, Manitoba, Canada R0G 2L0 (ph 204-825-7655; rotomudscrapers@live.ca; www.rotomudscrapers.com).