A Few Words
About Us
Welcome
Where did the Vortek Seeder Start?
We are a manufacturing, repair and custom fabricating company in Honey Brook, Pa. on the outskirts of the agricultural community of Lancaster County, Pa. Lancaster County has a rich, diverse, agricultural infrastructure like no other place on earth. There is small scale produce farming done with horses, to large farms with huge equipment & modern machinery farming thousands of acres, and all sizes in between. There are large Industrial parks with factories building modern machinery and there are small shops committed to serving the small produce farmer with horse drawn equipment.
One of the most widely known factories in Lancaster County is CNH in New Holland Pa, formerly known as New Holland machine. All New Holland balers are manufactured there. Then there are farm machinery dealers who sell Case, John Deere, Massey Ferguson, Fendt, New Holland, Deutz, Vermeer and a host of other brand name equipment, all in a thirty-mile radius. There are many farmers in Pennsylvania and surrounding states who come to Lancaster County to do business. If it can’t be found in Lancaster County, it probably can’t be found. And if it can’t be made in Lancaster County, it probably can’t be made.
Where It All Started in Honey Brook, PA
How did the Vortek air seeder start?
In the summer of 2016, a local tractor farmer came to us with a twenty-five-foot field cultivator. He wanted us to convert it into a vertical tillage disc with adjustable gang down pressure. We took the wings off and retrofitted it with new wings fitted with disc gangs according to his specs. When we were all done, we had a custom made twenty-foot vertical tillage machine with rolling baskets in the back.
The farmer was pleased with the machine and used it to work in cover crop that he spread with a spreader the first year. He liked how it worked, but he wished he wouldn’t have to make the extra spreader pass.
The following year he came to us with the idea of building an air cart to tow behind the disc and save him the extra spreader pass. We spent much time researching different distribution systems until we found the tower & manifold system we now use. This system works very well and has less than 10% variation between each drop tube.
Why would I buy a Vortek air seeder versus a drill?
High-Speed and Cost-Effective
The Vortek air seeder is a high-speed machine and can be coupled to many different tillage tools for a fraction of the cost of a new drill. It is one of the fastest, one pass seeding implements on the market. It is versatile. It can be hooked onto many different widths of discs up to forty feet wide. The simple cart hookup lets you unhook the cart in minutes if you want to disc without seeding.
Simplified Maintenance
The Vortek seeding system has few moving parts. It takes one hydraulic tractor remote for power. It has one fan and one auger for seed metering. There are no moving parts once the seed hits the air stream and blows out the front at the deflectors. The whole system works with fertilizer as well. Contact us today.
Sturdy and Reliable
The six-inch trunk line with the two-inch seed hoses will almost never plug, even if bits of straw and chaff get into the tubes. This allows you to seed at high speeds with high volumes of seed on wide machines.
Efficient Control
The six-inch trunk line with the two-inch seed hoses will almost never plug, even if bits of straw and chaff get into the tubes. This allows you to seed at high speeds with high volumes of seed on wide machines.
Wind-Resistant Design
Wind has little effect on the spread pattern. The row of deflectors are only eighteen to twenty four inches off the ground, therefore the wind won’t mess as much with the spread pattern like a common, ninety foot spreader.
Who will benefit from using the Vortek air seeder?
As the project moved on and we built the first prototype in 2017, we got the idea there would be many other farmers who could benefit from this two jobs, one pass, cover crop seeder. We found another local farmer who farms 1600 acres and cover crops as much as he can each year. There is always a bottleneck for farmers to get cover crops in the ground in a timely manner after harvest.
This farmer was no exception. He was already spreading all his covers, including wheat, and working it in with a Salford, vertical tillage disc. He agreed to let us mount a distribution kit on his Salford and test it for us. He tested the unit for two seasons. He liked how much time it saved him by high-speed vertical tilling and planting in one pass. He bought the distribution kit and our first generation Vortek air cart.
What we’ve found in all the demos and the units we’ve sold is, that once a farmer hits the three-hundred-acre mark to seed, the cost of a Vortek air seeder starts to make sense. It depends on how much the farmer wants to seed, the size of the farm, and the value of the crop. Each farm is different, and we can help you determine if the Vortek air seeder is a fit for your farm with your existing equipment.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an air seeder?
An air seeder is a seeding machine that uses a pressurized air stream to distribute seeds evenly across a field. Air seeders can be used to plant a wide variety of seeds, including small grains, legumes, cover crops, and grasses. Air seeders are also much easier to use on rough terrain.
How do air seeders work?
Air seeders use a fan to blow seeds through a tube and onto the ground. Air seeders can also be equipped with fertilizer applicators, which can apply fertilizer to the soil at the same time as the seeds are planted. The Vortek Air Seeder, for example, includes this dual capability making one-pass tillage and planting or fertilizing a reality.
What are the benefits of using an air seeder?
Air seeders offer a number of benefits over traditional planters, including:
- Increased accuracy: Air seeders are able to place seeds at a precise depth and spacing, which can lead to improved germination and yields.
- Reduced tillage: Air seeders can be used to plant seeds into standing residue, which can help to reduce soil erosion and improve soil health.
- Increased efficiency: Air seeders can cover large areas of land quickly, which can save farmers time and money.
- Improved seed to soil contact: Air seeders place seeds in direct contact with the soil, which can improve germination and reduce seed mortality.
- Ability to plant a variety of seeds: Air seeders can be used to plant a wide variety of seeds, including small grains, legumes, cover crops, and grasses.
Check out our side by side comparison of the Vortek Air Seeder with a John Deere Drill.
What types of seeds can I plant with an air seeder?
Air Seeders, such as the Vortek Air Seeder, can plant many types of seeds. Here are a few examples:
- Small grains: Wheat, barley, oats, rye
- Legumes: Soybeans, alfalfa, clover
- Cover crops: Rye, oats, radishes, crimson clover
- Grasses: Timothy grass, orchard grass, fescue
- Oilseeds: Canola, rapeseed, sunflower
For exact specifications, please consult the manufacturer recommendations.
How do I choose the right air seeder for my needs?
When choosing an air seeder, there are a number of factors to consider, including:
- The size of your farm: If you have a large farm, you will need an air seeder that can cover a lot of ground quickly.
- The types of crops you grow: If you grow a variety of crops, you will need an air seeder that is versatile enough to plant all of them.
- Your budget: Air seeders can range in price from a few thousand dollars to tens of thousands of dollars. It is important to choose an air seeder that fits your budget and needs.
- The features you need: Some air seeders come equipped with a variety of different features, such as seed depth and spacing control, variable rate seeding, and row guidance. Consider which features are important to you and choose an air seeder that has them.
The Vortek Air Seeder is versatile and affordable. See how Vortek can meet your air seeding needs by giving us a call today.
What is the Vortek Air Seeder?
The Vortek Air Seeder is a versatile air seeder that can be used to plant cover crops, and fertilize. It is designed to be efficient and easy to use, and it can be used on a variety of terrain. You can read more about it on our Homepage.
What are the benefits of using a Vortek Air Seeder?
The Vortek Air Seeder offers a number of benefits, including:
- Efficiency: The Vortek Air Seeder makes tilling and planting in one-pass a possibility, and it can be used for fertilizer application. If you want to plant large acreages quickly, the Vortek Air Seeder does that.
- Versatility: The Vortek Air Seeder can be used to plant a variety of seed sizes and types, and it can be used to fertilize. It comes compatible to ISOBUS systems for precision control, or manual rate control options if you like hands-on.
- Ease of Use: The Vortek Air Seeder is easy to operate and maintain. It has a bolt-on distribution kit that can be easily disconnected to revert to an unhindered tillage implement. It comes standard with a 22″ – 22″ opening in the tank for easy access, filling and cleaning.
- Durability: The Vortek Air Seeder is built to last, and it can withstand the most demanding conditions.
Where can I buy a Vortek Air Seeder?
Contact us for a quote today. Or submit the quote form and we will get back to you.
Is the Vortek Air Seeder Compatible with No-Till Farming?
Yes, the Vortek Air Seeder is compatible with no-till farming methods. In fact, it is one of the best seeders available for no-till farming.
The Vortek Air Seeder is able to plant seeds in heavy residue conditions with minimal disturbance of the soil. This is important for no-till farming, as it helps to prevent soil erosion and improve soil health.
If you are interested in learning more about the Vortek Air Seeder and its benefits when paired with no-till farming methods, please contact us.
Who should consider the Vortek Air Seeder?
If you are a farmer with over 300 acres and who uses Cover Crops, then the Vortek Air Seeder is for you. With its “Two Jobs, One Pass” methodology it greatly reduces the time you will spend in the fields seeding and fertilizing. For more information please check out our homepage.
What is Vertical Tillage?
Vertical tillage is a type of conservation agriculture practice that aims to improve soil health, increase water infiltration, and decrease soil erosion and compaction. It is different from traditional tillage methods, which can disrupt the soil and damage its structure. Vertical tillage, on the other hand, works the soil vertically, with minimal soil disturbance. This helps to preserve the soil’s natural structure and promote the growth of beneficial soil organisms.