International 510/5100 Grain Drill

Might have the opportunity to buy one. I found it in a fence row but it doesn't look like it's been there that long (but maybe I'm just looking at all the wrong things). Looks like it's still in fairly good shape. Boxes arn't rusted out, has a front grass seed box. If I remember correctly the lid is white, the rest is red, and it has the International logo on the side. Didn't take a good look at the discs. Not sure if it has double disc openers or not.

Anyone know how you can tell the difference between these two models? Pros/Cons? Parts still available? Maybe a ballpark price on one in fair condition? Worth the trouble or am I just going to be doing more work on it then fixing it? I understand it's older and will most likely need some work, but if I need to use it I want to be able to pull it out of the barn after I fix it up and just use it other then routine maintenance.

Any information you guys could give me would be great. I'm not experienced in buying implements (newer mechanical implements like this) so I need all the advice and knowledge I can get so I don't blow my money on a pile of scrap or whatever it turns out to be. What should I look for? I'm assuming its going to need some bearings in the discs...what else should I look for? Also, what all could this drill be used for? Soybeans, wheat, alfalfa, rye, grasses etc.?

(Edit) Also, how big of a tractor would you need to pull something like this?

As I'm looking at pictures on tractorhouse I'm almost positive it's a 510.

Thanks guys!!!


Edited by morton(pa) - 05 May 2012 at 9:40pm

The IH drills are very good drills.  In my part of the world, double disc openers are notorious for bearing trouble if you are drilling fertilizer.  This applies to both JD and IH which are the common brands in my area.  I have a JD 8350 with single disc openers that my father bought new in 1986.  I like the fact that I can see if the seed runs (cups) on the JD are plugged from the tractor seat.  This is not the case with an IH drill and is the main reason we went with JD.  We are very pleased with this JD drill.

I have a CASE IH 5100 "Soybean Special" grain drill. No grass seeder attachment though. Mine is a 21 hole drill with 7" spacing. I plant soybeans and wheat with it. I also planted oil seed radish with it once for using the radish as green manure / plow down. I like the drill, but it does have one downfall at least for my local area- The discs do not raise up very high, and that is a problem on these good-for-sh_t Michigan roads where I live. I happen to be in an area of a lot of high crowned roads, and the discs in the center area of the drill will drag on the road. I just have to go slow and be careful on the road. I bought mined used 10 years ago. It was (and still is) in immaculate shape, always shedded. Cost me $2,000.00 back then. Thought I got a good deal at the time.

I pull mine with either my IH 1086 or IH 1456, and this is overkill for the drill, but only because I do not have a smaller tractor. You should be able to get along fine with a much smaller tractor. What size tractor are you thinking of using on such a drill?

Try to obtain the operator's manual for it if you are buying it, and hopefully the spare sprockets that would have originally come with it so you change your shaft speeds for different crops, etc. The 5100 drill is basically a good sound drill in my opinion. Just need to use it properly as it was intended, keep them in good working order. To date, I've never had a problem obtaining parts for mine. I haven't needed much for it though, and have never broken anything major or weird on it. So far so good.





Edited by Redpower1456 - 06 May 2012 at 12:26am

Shameless,

Mine has double discs.