pivot?

[littlejoe]

I know very little about pivots, have decided I want one.

I was thinking valley or zimmatic, my nephew has a hydraulic one. He really likes it, says no start and stop, not much electricity to mess with, not many problems and can fix hydraulics.

I see T-L makes hydraulic one in hastings neb.

I've got 3 phase going right by by one side of proposed circle.

about 90 degrees around circle from there is where I'd like to gravity water thru buried pipe to center, this would let me continue on in two directions with waste/excess water and I could flood irrigate corners.

There is a zimmatic and valley dealer within reasonable distance, both seem to have good reputation for quality.

I do not know how the T-L compares, I think there is a dealer in Chinook----almost 200 miles.

I would much appreciate any input---thanks in advance~~

 

[Denny]

Valley are popular here buddy of mine has 3-phase on his a 1/4 section pivot cost him around $3000 in electric on his corn and it's pretty sandy. Last couple years he has'nt had to run it much.

 

[3 M L & C]

My favorite would be reinke followed by valley then zimatic. We have all three and the zimatic is like trying to read Japanese to fix anything in the panel box. Valley are a little heavier than reinke and will leave a little more of a track. Both reinke and valley are very similar to work on. I don't know anyone that has a t-l that doesn't hate the thing. Not very many of those around here. Running them on electricity is really nice also. Unless you have problems with power going out a lot.

 

[loomixguy]

Both Reinke and T&L are made within 45 miles of where I live. The farmers that I consider very successful are using one of those 2 brands. There are a few orphan brands here & there, but primarily those two. Guess it's a matter of pick your poison.

 

[jodywy]

few here , no pump gravity flow for the water... 2 wipers next to me are not going to be used much next summer. I got 4 prior water rights to fill before the even start to pump out of the creek.

 

[jigs]

ran both elect and T-L... hands down, T-L is my favorite. easier to find a leak of oil than a broken wire. in my opinion, a diesel motor to run it is way cheaper than the electric motors.

the advantages of the hydraulic are enough to keep me from buying an electric pivot. plus in high winds, the electric ones flip easier...seen the results many times....

 

[tenbach79]

Buying over $3.00 diesel fuel to run a irrigation motor is cheaper than electric? Plus all the oil and filters to change oil in the motor. Been some T-L around here and they where a joke. Most guys around here that had natural gas or diesel has change to electric.

 

[jigs]

we have one of the highest elect coops in Kansas.

 

[honyak]

Had a guy work on pivots for me until he was 87 a Korean war Marine. This guy started working on pivots when pivots started working. I was looking at putting a pivot on a Sideroll and asked him what he thought about T-L . He said "if you ever buy a pos T-L you better lose my number!".

 

[Brad S]

My dad's first pivots were valley. We'd replace the tower drives and micro switch boxes with zimmatic parts because they were better. So after 30 years we replaced the valleys with zimms, and the zimms were cheaper. Now the valley micro switches are nearly the same as a zimm - I think the zimm tower drives are still heavier and more reliable, but not by the difference they used to be.

They all have improved water delivery with drops and nozzles.

Computers are now an issue, what and how much interface do you want with your pivot and phone and PC ? Prolly going to have to visit with each supplier on that one. This area has matured enough that everyone has almost caught up to valley.

If you have heavy water, the zink coating is an issue. Some areas don't ever seem to rust out a pivot, but where there are more salts in the water, the galvanizing process makes a big difference. I used to think zimm was the best here, but I don't know now. Investigate with your local pivot guys.

 

[3 M L & C]

we have one of the highest elect coops in Kansas.

I beg to differ jigs. I have meters from 4 companies and Rolling hills is 3rd on the list of price. You should have a meter from prairie land if you think yours is bad.

 

[jigs]

prairie land runs through a hunk of Rolling Hills.... and it is way cheaper than Rolling hills. maybe the town gets a funky tax break or something. I sure hope you are voting AGAINST the new building and that crooked SOB that manages Rolling Hills

 

[3 M L & C]

Our house is one of the farthest sw that prairie land has. It cost us the most by far. Then the farm parents house and quite a few sprinklers are on Midwest which is next but by far the best service. we have a little place where my wife is from that's on rolling hills next then I have a meter for a building and water well that I think is the very farthest nw meter that western electric has. It's by far the cheapest but out of power the most.

 

[J.Johnson]

We call T-L pivots "tough luck" pivots. They are fine until the get old and start leaking oil. Lots of leaks. Also, once they get out of line they are a booger to get back in line. The guys that do it for a living make it look easy but it is difficult. We have actually converted a few old T-Ls to electric with Valley components. Any new pivots are Valleys.

 

[sandhiller]

I like zimmatics. Agree that working in the panel is a pain, but seldom have problems in there anyhow.

Put some renke drive train under a 30+ year old zimmatic when my nephew worked for that dealer, and got me a good price. I have had some trouble with that.

a local bto told me they had more trouble with renke pivots. They like valleys. It may have some to do with the dealer near where lots of their pivots are.

Renke is less apt to total a complete span when you hook a tower with farm equipment, because of the way the towers are designed.

Valleys have a shorter wheelbase and a higher arch. It appears to me, that they definitely blow over worse in bad winds. Cost more, parts cost more. Wheels seem to lean more, which seems to me like causes worse wheel tracks.

I previously ran a hydraulic drive pivot and it doesn't take much of a leak to loose 5 gallon of hydraulic oil a day. It isn't that easy to find a small leak. You wouldn't get me to consider a hydraulic drive pivot.

electric problems are not that hard to find & work on.

What ever kind you get, don't get a long span. Wheel tracks are lots worse because of weight and they also seem to have the wheels leaning more. If possible, don't go over 40 ft overhang on last tower because of potential for wind damage.

If you can put in a longer pivot, and no end gun, that would be a plus. Hang over the fence & put shut offs on over hang. Less wind drift of water.


I am running zimmatics made in the early 1970's and the one i put in last year was a zimmatic. That shows me vote.

 

[jedstivers]

I'm running Reinke, T&L, and Valley. I like T&L because I can work on them, if it more than 1/4 don't get them though.
I like Rinke better than Valley but it's prol because of the dealers.
Last year I converted 5 from Diesle to electric. The T&L cost more to do this and cost more to run because you have a 15hp motor running the pump.
Don't get a computer on it, keep as simple as can be. Also you can buy lots of used pivots out of AR now because people are leveling and furrow irrigating. They looked rusted but it's the iron in the water. They look like that after the first circle.