The O’Donnell family has farmed in the area since the 1700s, with Patrick’s father making the move from mixed farming to full tillage in the early 1990s. Over the years, Patrick has used a range of drills, but it was a neighbour’s Kverneland U-Drill that prompted the switch from his previous setup.
“A neighbour of mine had the U-Drill, and I went to see it working. I spent a couple of hours up on the tank watching it go. I was impressed — it’s that bit more aggressive, and the cover harrow is top class and the discs do a great job preparing the ground ahead of the coulters”
Efficiency in One Pass
The Kverneland U-Drill performs five operations in a single pass — levelling, seedbed preparation, reconsolidation, seeding, and covering. For Patrick, this has simplified fieldwork and reduced costs.
“We’re min-tilling everything, so it’s great to be able to just go in and cover. It saves a lot of diesel — you’re just covering the ground once and that’s it.”
Operating the 6m u-drill, Patrick typically works at around 12 km/h. While the drill can operate at up to 18 km/h, he finds that 12 offers the best balance between efficiency and control.
“You can go 14 if you want, but 12 is comfortable — if you hit a stone, you won’t do much damage at that speed,”
The drill’s large 900mm offset tyre packer reduces the tractive power required and spreads weight evenly to avoid soil compaction — something Patrick says he’s noticed in practice. It also provides precise depth control for the coulters and ensures optimum seed-to-soil contact for excellent capillary action. As the drill moves, the loosened soil is re-compacted by the large tyre packer, creating ideal conditions for even germination.
“It doesn’t take a lot of pulling. You’d notice the difference on diesel compared to before.”
Patrick operates the U-Drill on a Massey Ferguson 8S.285, which is more than enough to handle the 6-metre combination with ease.
Even Emergence and Precision Placement
At the heart of the U-Drill’s performance is the Kverneland CD coulter system, which applies up to 100kg of pressure to ensure accurate and consistent seed placement, even in challenging conditions.
Patrick runs the drill at a 12.5cm row spacing — one of two options available — and says the emergence has been excellent.
“It’s top class — far superior to what we had before. The corn comes up beautifully after it. We’ve definitely noticed an improvement in evenness.”
Even across uneven ground or variable soils, he says the coulter and cover harrow combination keeps things consistent.
“If there’s a little dip or trough, the coulter goes right down into it and the harrow covers the seed nicely after. The establishment is really even.”
Simple, Reliable Setup
He runs the U-Drill through ISOBUS on the tractor and finds calibration quick and accurate.
“It’s not my favourite job,” he laughs, “but it’s a good system and it’s precise.”
The U-Drill offers hydraulic in-cab control of both seeding depth and coulter pressure — making quick crop-specific adjustments easy and accurate.
“You can set it for different crops – barley, beans – whatever you need. It’s handy to be able to control the depth and pressure hydraulically from the cab. It’s fast and accurate.”
The U-Drill also features automatic headland management, which coordinates lifting, lowering, and seeding operations at field boundaries through a single hydraulic control — keeping operation smooth and efficient, even at higher working speeds.
Backup and Support
The drill was purchased through Abbey Retail in Clerihan, Clonmel, and Patrick is quick to praise their backup.
“Part of the reason I bought it from Abbey is the people — sales, mechanics, stores — they’re all excellent to deal with.”
He’s equally complimentary about the Kverneland brand as a whole.
“You mention ploughs around here, and it’s Kverneland. We’ve had them for years — the quality speaks for itself. The drill has been very reliable. The quality is right up there with any other Kverneland machinery — we’ve a Kverneland plough over 25 years old and it’s still going.”
Final Thoughts
Asked what stands out most about the U-Drill, Patrick doesn’t hesitate.
“Evenness of establishment — the way the corn comes up after it, that’s what really stands out. It’s a lovely drill to operate, and I’d absolutely recommend it.”
For more info contact Leonard Hovenden , Arable Product Manager : +353871475137
