Scraper Issue with the CrossSlot Drill

         The consumables on a CrossSlot opener include a scraper for each side of the disc.  The purpose of this scraper is to prevent seed from catching on the disc and being drawn back to the surface.  We have not been able to use the scraper because of it's tendency to catch residue and foul the opener.  We have a lot of surface residue, and we farm across slopes of ≤ 40% which exacerbates the problem.
         We have always used the cast chrome blades because they are significantly cheaper than the blades with carbide inserts.
         The fix:  --  Using Blades with Carbide Inserts. 
        Because of our past experience with one cast chrome blade with carbide inserts, we put new blades with carbide inserts on all the openers at the beginning of 2018 season.  We also put all the scrapers back on the seed side of the openers.
        The spring planting is done, -- SUCCESS!   We had less operating down time, with better seed placement using these new blades.  This spring the seeding condition was grueling.   We seeded into all combinations of wet to too wet soils and varying amounts of surface residue.  Kye avoided, where possible, seeding through standing water.  Did we eliminate all plugging of openers? --NO!, --but there was never any consideration of removing the scrapers.  The pace of work picked up compared to the past.   Our seed placement and emergence shows improvement to the point we need to consider dropping seeding rates.  
        This is an expensive opener to maintain compared to our hoe drills in the past, but it's versatility, and ability to seed/emerge a crop in any residue and field condition, is outstanding.  If one figures all the costs that goes into field preparation to emerge a successful stand, the CrossSlot is the least expensive, and the lowest disturbance no-till drill commercially available today.

<---This pic shows the CS opener with the notched disc, the spring plate, the left blade with the carbide inserts, and the scraper.  This blade has run one season showing little to no wear.  By looking closely you can see a short black object hanging down in front of the blade.  There is a hole just below the spring plate that allows material (residue) to enter the void designed for the seed.  This material has the potential of stopping the seed drop.  Several years ago a local custom operator (Jon Olson) spotted the problem and developed a plastic shield to cover that opening.  It works great and we are using the shield.

<---This pic shows two sets of cast chrome blades (w/o carbide inserts) positioned bottom to bottom.  On the left is a new pair, and on the right is a used pair.  The leading edge for both pair is on your left.  Notice the wear on the bottom leading edge of the used blade.  We have found that this wear gradually gets to the point where dirt is allowed to enter the void designed for the seed drop.  It's easy to see this condition when you remove the blade.  There will be a plug of dirt that falls out, or is molded to the blade.  The void designed  in the blade is open on the back (trailing) edge, so the condition won't necessarily stop seed flow, --you will however, have poor seed positioning, leaving the seed near or on the soil surface.

<--- This pic shows the cast chrome blade with two carbide inserts.  One on the lower portion of the leading edge (to your right) and one on the front portion of the leading edge on the bottom wing.  The bottom insert stops the wear on the short wing preventing dirt from entering the void designed for the seed drop.
       Notice the geometry is different from the cast chrome blade without the inserts.  We don't fully understand what is happening here, but, between the geometry difference, and the carbide protected wear surfaces along the leading edge and the bottom wing area, we are now able to seed and use the scrapers as intended.
       One blade with carbide inserts has run on this drill since 2014 and is the only blade that ran the whole time with the scraper.  We have been told that we will have grooving and excessive disc wear using the carbide.  We have not seen that yet.  We have replaced all the disc's due to wear that thinned the blade which caused cracking and breakage from the stress of weight, and hillside operation.