Best No Till Food Plot Drill

Pick the Drill That Matches Your Ground, Not Your Ego.

The best no till food plot drill for most deer hunters is a used Great Plains 706NT or 3P606NT if you can pull it, and a Land Pride 3P1006NT if you need something lighter and simpler.

If you are planting small plots on rough public land and you tow with an ATV or a small tractor, a Kasco no-till is the realistic option, even though it hurts your wallet.

I have planted plots on my little 65-acre lease in Pike County, Illinois, and I have also tried to scratch plots into rocky junk in the Missouri Ozarks.

I learned the hard way that the drill is only half the battle, because bad seed depth will make you think you bought junk seed.

The First Decision. Are You Planting “Real Acres” Or Just Hunting Plots.

Before you shop, decide if you are planting 1 to 3 acre kill plots or 10 to 40 acres of feed.

If you are planting more than 10 acres a year, you want an ag-built drill, not a “plot” drill.

Here is what I do on my Pike County lease when I want brassicas behind beans at the end of August.

I plan for one weekend to spray and one weekend to drill, because rushing it ruins stands and seed depth.

On public land in the Missouri Ozarks, I do not even pretend I can haul big iron back in there.

If you are hunting steep, tight access, forget about a 10-foot drill and focus on either broadcasting plus a cultipacker or a small 6-foot unit you can actually get to the spot.

When I am trying to time deer movement, I check feeding times first, because I want the plot to pull daylight movement, not just grow pretty.

My Opinionated Ranking. What I Would Buy With My Own Money.

I have burned money on gear that did not work before I learned what matters, and food plot tools are the same story.

I wasted money on “magic” scent stuff too, like $400 on ozone scent control that made zero difference, so now I buy tools that leave tracks in dirt.

Here is my short list based on seeing what actually plants seed at the right depth in rough ground.

These are not the only good drills, but they are the ones I would chase first.

Best overall used buy. Great Plains 706NT or 3P606NT.

They are heavy, they cut residue, and they place seed like a real farm drill.

Best lighter drill. Land Pride 3P1006NT.

It is simpler, parts are common, and it pulls easier behind smaller tractors.

Best “small access” drill. Kasco No-Till Drill.

It is built for food plotter reality, but you will pay for that convenience.

Best bargain if you find one. Truax FLEX II no-till.

It is not cheap new, but used ones pop up and they do a nice job on clover and small seed.

Tradeoff You Must Accept. Weight Versus Access.

No-till drilling is a penetration game.

If the drill is too light, it rides on top of dry ground and you just fed birds.

If the drill is heavy enough to cut, you need enough tractor, enough brakes, and enough access.

Back in November 2019 in Pike County, Illinois, I killed my biggest buck, a 156-inch typical, the morning after a cold front.

That buck was using a standing bean edge and a brassica strip I had planted right, and I swear the only reason that strip worked was seed depth and timing.

Here is what I do to pick the right “weight class” of drill.

I look at my steepest hill, my softest creek crossing, and my smallest gate, not my flattest field.

How I Size A No Till Drill. Tractor Horsepower And Reality.

A lot of guys shop by width first, and that is backwards.

Shop by what you can pull on a slope at 5 mph without spinning out.

Here is what I do before I ever call a seller.

I write down my tractor horsepower, my tire type, and whether I have loaded rears or a front loader for ballast.

If you only have a 35 to 45 horsepower tractor, a heavy 10-foot ag drill is going to push you downhill like a sled.

If you have 60 to 90 horsepower and you are mostly flat, now you can hunt for those heavier Great Plains units.

My buddy swears by “bigger is always better,” but I have found that a drill you cannot safely tow is the worst drill you can own.

Mistake To Avoid. Buying A Drill With Worn Openers And Thinking It Is Fine.

The seller will say, “It planted last year,” and that means nothing.

I learned the hard way that worn discs and worn seed tubes make skips and doubles you will not notice until it rains and only half your plot germinates.

Here is what I do when I look at a used no-till drill.

I get on my knees and measure disc diameter, because a half-inch of wear matters.

I grab each opener arm and shake it, because sloppy bushings make terrible furrows.

I look for bent press wheels and cracked caster forks, because those are hard-use clues.

I also check the seed box lid seals, because mice and rain turn seed into concrete.

Another Tradeoff. Single Box Convenience Versus Better Seed Control.

A single box drill is simple, but it can stink at mixes.

Large seed like peas or beans wants different meters than tiny clover.

Here is what I do if I am drilling blends like cereal rye plus crimson clover.

I prefer a drill with a small seed box, because I can set rates without praying the mix stays mixed.

If you are planting in Southern Iowa style ag edges and you like rye, oats, radish, and clover together, a small seed box saves you headaches.

This connects to what I wrote about best food plot for deer, because seed selection matters less if your depth and rate are wrong.

My Quick Rule of Thumb

If your drill will not consistently cut 1.5 inches into dry ground, do not buy it, unless you only plant after a soaking rain.

If you see hairpinning in soybean stubble, expect poor germination and patchy rows within 10 days.

If conditions change to hard, baked soil, switch to adding weight or wait for rain instead of cranking the depth handle and hoping.

What “No Till” Really Means In Deer Country. Residue Is The Test.

Your drill is not being tested in fluffy dirt.

It is being tested in dead thatch, bean stubble, and sprayed weeds that lay over and wad up.

In the Missouri Ozarks, I fight leaf litter and roots more than crop residue.

In Pike County, Illinois, I fight standing residue and hardpan spots where equipment ran for years.

If you are hunting thick cover and the only opening is a small logging deck, forget about perfect rows and focus on getting seed covered and protected from birds.

When I am planning where a plot even makes sense, I lean on my own notes plus what I wrote about deer habitat, because a pretty plot in the wrong spot is just a green distraction.

The 3 Drills I See Most Often. What Breaks And What Holds Up.

I am not a dealer and I am not sponsored.

I am just telling you what I see, what I hear, and what I would trust in November.

Great Plains 706NT Or 3P606NT. Heavy And Honest.

These drills are common enough that parts and know-how exist.

The weight is your friend for cutting residue, and the downside is you better have tractor and terrain that can handle it.

Here is what I do if I find one for sale within 250 miles.

I ask for a picture of the openers, the small seed box, and the tire sidewalls, because old tires on a heavy drill can pop at the worst time.

Back in 2016 when I was hunting Buffalo County, Wisconsin, I watched a guy plant rye into heavy residue with a Great Plains and it looked like a farm field.

That was the day I stopped believing “all drills are the same.”

Land Pride 3P1006NT. A Practical Middle Ground.

This is the drill I point a lot of normal working guys toward.

It is not feather light, but it is not a farm-anchor either.

I have found Land Pride stuff to be “boring reliable” if you keep grease in it.

My buddy swears by an older John Deere drill, but I have found the Land Pride units are easier to live with if you do not have a dealer on every corner.

Kasco No-Till Drill. The Small-Access Specialist.

This drill shows up with guys who have tight trails, small tractors, or ATVs.

The upside is you can get it places a 10-foot drill will never go.

The downside is cost per foot of drill, because convenience is expensive.

Here is what I do if I am thinking Kasco.

I price it, then I also price hiring a neighbor to drill with a bigger unit, because sometimes paying $250 once is smarter than owning a $12,000 tool.

Don’t Screw Up The Easy Part. Seed Depth Beats Brand Name.

A fancy drill set wrong will fail.

A decent drill set right will feed deer and hold them on your place in daylight.

Here is what I do every single time I drill.

I dig behind the drill in three spots after 50 yards, and I check depth with my finger, not my eyes.

I keep a little hand rake in the toolbox for this, because I am not guessing anymore.

I learned the hard way that small seed planted too deep is a silent failure.

It comes up thin, then you blame drought, and the real problem was you buried clover at 1 inch.

If you are planting brassicas, I aim shallow, about 1/4 inch, and I would rather see a little seed on top than lose the whole stand.

If you are planting cereal rye, you can get away deeper, and it still sprouts like it hates losing.

When I need a refresher on what the deer will actually do once the plot is growing, I think about what I wrote on are deer smart, because they pattern food faster than most guys admit.

How I Handle Weeds In No Till. Spray Timing Is The Real Secret.

No-till is not “no work.”

It is just moving the work to spraying and timing.

Here is what I do on my Pike County lease for a fall plot.

I spray glyphosate, then I wait 7 to 14 days until stuff is dead and laying down.

Then I drill right through it, because green plants wrap openers and hairpin like crazy.

Back in 2007, I gut shot a doe and pushed her too early and never found her, and I still think about it.

That same impatience shows up in food plots, because I want it done now, and “now” usually costs you.

If you are hunting early season and you need a plot ready by September 15, forget about last-minute spraying and focus on spraying in August so you are drilling into dead weeds.

This connects to what I wrote about where deer go when it rains, because wet patterns change, and a plot that turns to mud will get hit at night.

Where Guys Mess Up On Public Land. Don’t Plant A Billboard Plot.

On public ground, the biggest risk is not your drill.

The biggest risk is other hunters finding your work.

My best public land spot is Mark Twain National Forest, and it takes work but the deer are there.

Here is what I do when I plant anything near public access.

I keep it small, I keep it hidden, and I pick a spot that only makes sense if you already know it is there.

If you plant a 2-acre green square where everyone can glass it from the road, you just built a community plot.

When I want to think through how deer move around that kind of pressure, I go back to do deer move in the wind, because wind plus people changes everything.

Money Talk. Used Drill Versus Paying A Farmer.

This is the part guys hate hearing.

If you only plant 2 acres a year, buying a no-till drill can be a dumb flex.

Here is what I do to decide.

I price my seed, my spray, and my fuel, then I call two neighbors and ask what they charge per acre to drill.

If the custom drill bill is under $500 a year, it is hard to justify owning iron that needs tires, bearings, and storage.

If you are planting 15 acres a year and you want to plant whenever the rain hits, ownership starts to make sense.

And if you are like me and you enjoy doing it yourself, that matters too, because I process my own deer in the garage and I like control.

If you want to plan your food around what deer need through season, it helps to read how much meat from a deer, because it reminds you what you are feeding and why.

FAQ

What no till food plot drill is best if I only have a 40 horsepower tractor?

I would look hard at a Land Pride 3P1006NT or a smaller 6-foot unit, because a heavy farm drill will push you around on hills.

Here is what I do before buying, I borrow a buddy’s heavier implement and see if my tractor can stop it going downhill.

Should I buy a no-till drill or just broadcast seed and drag it?

If your soil is soft and you can cultipack, broadcasting can work fine for rye and oats, and I still do it on rough Ozarks spots.

If you want consistent brassicas and clover stands, I would rather drill, because depth control is the difference.

How do I tell if a used no-till drill is worn out?

Check disc diameter, check for slop in the opener arms, and look at press wheels for cracks and bends.

I learned the hard way that “it planted last year” can still mean it planted a bad stand last year.

Can I plant clover and cereal rye in the same pass with a no-till drill?

Yes, but it is easier if the drill has a small seed box so you can meter clover separate from rye.

If it is a single box drill, I keep the mix simple and I accept the rate will not be perfect.

What is the biggest mistake people make with a no-till drill on food plots?

They rush the spray timing and drill into green weeds, then blame the drill for hairpinning and poor germination.

If you see green mats wrapping openers, stop and fix it, because it will not fix itself.

Do deer really use food plots in daylight, or just at night?

They will use them in daylight if the plot is close to cover and the pressure is low, and I have watched it happen in Pike County after cold fronts.

If the plot is out in the open and every neighbor can glass it, expect mostly night use.

What I Want You To Take Away Before You Spend A Dime.

Buy the drill that you can actually pull, actually fit through your gates, and actually set seed depth with.

The best no till food plot drill is the one that makes a stand in your dirt, not the one that wins a parking lot argument.

Back in November 1998 in Iron County, Missouri, I killed my first deer, an 8-point buck, with a borrowed rifle.

I was broke then, and I still hunt like a broke guy now, which means I hate wasting money on tools that do not grow food.

The Last Decision. Buy Once, Or Rent Help And Hunt More.

This is the real fork in the road.

You either buy a drill and accept storage, maintenance, and repairs, or you pay a farmer and focus on scouting and stands.

Here is what I do when I am trying to be honest with myself.

I ask how many acres I will truly plant this year, not what I dream about in July.

If I am only planting 1 to 3 acres on my Pike County, Illinois lease, I can justify hiring it out, because $250 to $400 is cheaper than owning headaches.

If I am planting multiple spots plus replanting after a bad rain, owning starts to make sense, because timing matters more than almost anything.

Mistake To Avoid. Thinking A Drill Fixes Bad Plot Location.

A drill will not make deer feel safe.

A drill will only put seed in dirt, and the deer decide if they want to show up in daylight.

Here is what I do before I ever plant.

I stand where the plot will be, then I look for the closest thick cover within 80 yards, because that is where daylight entry usually comes from.

If the plot is wide open and the only cover is 300 yards away, I do not care how perfect the rows are, because it is going to be a night buffet.

When I am thinking about bedding and security cover, I check what I wrote about deer habitat, because the plot is just one piece.

When I want to sanity check if deer will even risk moving early, I look at feeding times and plan my hunts around that window.

Tradeoff To Consider. Perfect Seed Placement Versus Simple Plants That Forgive You.

Some seeds punish you for being sloppy.

Some seeds grow even when you do not deserve it.

Here is what I do if I am new to no-till and I want a win fast.

I plant cereal rye and maybe oats first, because they handle imperfect depth and still come up decent.

I learned the hard way that clover is not forgiving if you bury it.

I wasted a whole half-acre stand once by getting impatient and running the drill too deep, and I watched it come up thin like a bad haircut.

If you are hunting the Missouri Ozarks with shallow dirt and leaf litter, forget about fancy mixes at first and focus on rye, because rye will grow on stubborn ground.

This connects to what I wrote about best food plot for deer, because “best” changes based on how well you can plant it.

What I Actually Maintain On A No-Till Drill So It Works Every Fall.

I process my own deer in the garage, taught by my uncle who was a butcher, so I am not scared of grease and wrenches.

But I also do not like fixing things in the dark the night before rain.

Here is what I do the week before planting.

I grease every zerks, even the ones that look clean, because dry bushings turn into sloppy openers.

I check tire pressure with a real gauge, because a low tire changes depth across the whole drill.

I spin each press wheel and listen, because a crunchy bearing will fail at the worst time.

I run a half bucket of cheap seed through it as a test, because finding a plugged tube in the field is a punch in the gut.

I also keep spare seed tubes and hose clamps in the tractor toolbox, because small parts ruin big weekends.

The Setting That Matters Most. Depth Control You Can Repeat.

You do not need perfect calibration to the decimal.

You need repeatable depth that matches the seed.

Here is what I do every time, no matter the drill brand.

I set depth shallow, plant 50 yards, then I dig three rows and check the seed with my fingers.

If I find clover deeper than 1/4 inch, I stop right there and fix it.

If I am planting peas or beans, I want them around 1 to 1.5 inches, and I want firm press wheel contact.

I learned the hard way that cranking down depth to “make sure it is covered” usually makes sure it never comes up.

If you need a refresher on where deer are likely to stage before stepping out to eat, it helps to read are deer smart, because they will pattern your plot and your access fast.

My Final Opinion. A Drill Is A Tool, Not A Trophy.

I have hunted 30-plus days a year for two decades.

I have lost deer I should have found, and I have found deer I thought were gone, and that keeps me humble.

The same thing is true with food plots.

You can do everything “right” and still catch a dry September, and you can do something “wrong” and get saved by a 1.2-inch rain.

But a good drill stacks odds in your favor, and odds are what I chase.

My biggest buck, that 156-inch Pike County typical in November 2019, was standing there because food and cover met at the right time after a cold front.

I cannot promise you a buck like that.

I can promise that if you pick the drill that matches your ground, set depth like you mean it, and do not rush the spray window, you will grow more groceries and hunt more daylight deer.

If you want to keep learning the deer side of this, it helps to read deer mating habits so you know when plots matter most, and do deer move in the wind so you do not hunt the wrong days.

And if you are trying to put meat in the freezer off these plots, I still point new guys to where to shoot a deer to drop it in its tracks, because clean kills matter more than any piece of equipment.