How to Rent Our Equipment
Rental Process
Equipment rentals are scheduled on a first-come, first-served basis, ensuring that as many people as possible can benefit from these resources. To rent, please contact our office during business hours (Monday – Friday, 8:00 AM – 4:30 PM) to check availability and sign a rental contract. We will coordinate pickup and return times with you during business hours.
Pickup and Return
When picking up the equipment, we will provide safety instructions, demonstrate its proper use, and verify that everything is in good working order. We ask that all equipment be returned clean—free of mud and with seed hoppers vacuumed clear of seed. Proper cleaning prevents clogs and maintains the equipment’s functionality.
For more information or to make a reservation, please call our office (320-983-2160). We look forward to supporting your conservation efforts!
The Truax FLXII-816 is excellent for no-till planting, Conservation Reserve Program establishment, buffer strips, and other large-scale applications. It is available for use within a limited range in Mille Lacs, Benton, and Kanabec Counties.
A 60hp tractor or bigger is needed to pull the Truax. The Truax is 13′ wide and plants at 10′ wide.
To facilitate multiple types of planting, the Truax is equipped with three hoppers:
- “Cool season/grain” for small grains such as wheat, rye, barley, oats, rice, and soybeans.
- “Small seed grass” for dense seed such as clovers, millet, ryegrass, orchardgrass alfalfa, birdsfoot trefoil, canarygrass, and crested wheat.
- “Native Grasses” for lighter grasses such as brome, switchgrass, bluestem, and sideoats gama.
RENTAL FEE: $21.00/acre; $210.00 minimum charge
DEPOSIT: $500.00 held until Truax is returned
CLEANING FEE: $30.00 If seeder is returned not cleaned out.
LATE FEE: $50.00/day after 3 days, unless mutually agreed with District.
No-Till Drill Interseeders
Our interseeders are designed for planting native grasses to enhance wildlife habitat, rejuvenate hay fields and pastures, and plant cover crops in cash crop fields without the need for tillage. These seeders are equipped with three hoppers (small seed, large seed, and native grass) that can be individually set for precise seeding rates. Please note: These seeders are not designed for planting seed mixes.
Maintenance and Safety
To ensure safe and efficient operation, our interseeders undergo rigorous maintenance, including greasing every 50 to 100 acres and thorough inspections after each use. Critical components such as double disc openers, coulters, tires, hydraulic hoses, and seed boxes are inspected, and any worn or damaged parts are promptly replaced. Safety checks, including lights and other vital features, are conducted with every rental.
(Donations from Benton and Kanabec SWCDs have made the Truax available to landowners in those counties at the same rate)
Reference Documents:
The Tye Interseeder is a smaller piece of equipment useful for tight spaces or for those with a smaller tractor. The SWCD has been able to continue to make the interseeder available in the community largely due to assistance from those renting it. It is not a new machine and field repairs are sometimes necessary. If there is a maintenance issue, please bring it to the attention of SWCD staff immediately.
A 30hp tractor or bigger is need to pull the Tye. The Tye is 8′ wide and plants at 6′ wide.
Three Available Hoppers:
- The large Hopper or grain hopper of the Tye Pasture Pleaser is equipped with an internally fluted, adjustable seeder. This seed will accurately meter out small grains such as wheat, rye, barley, oats, rice, and soybeans.
- The small or “grass seed” hopper is in actuality a legume box, equipped with an externally fluted, adjustable seeder. This seeder allows accurate and positive seed flow of small dense seed such as clovers, millet, ryegrass, orchard grass, alfalfa, birdsfoot trefoil, canary grass, and crested wheat.
- Native Grass/The bluestem box hopper is for light, fluffy or trashy seed that is not able to be metered through the other two available boxes. Native grasses such as brome, bluestem, little bluestem, and sideoats grama or mixes of these types are spread on top of the ground, behind the double disc, in front of the press wheel.
RENTAL FEE: $15/acre; $150.00 minimum charge
Available for use within a limited range in Mille Lacs, Benton, and Kanabec Counties.
CLEANING FEE: $30.00 If seeder is returned not cleaned out.
LATE FEE: $50.00/day after 3 days, unless mutually agreed with District.
Reference Documents:
No-Till Drill Interseeders
Our interseeders are designed for planting native grasses to enhance wildlife habitat, rejuvenate hay fields and pastures, and plant cover crops in cash crop fields without the need for tillage. These seeders are equipped with three hoppers (small seed, large seed, and native grass) that can be individually set for precise seeding rates. Please note: These seeders are not designed for planting seed mixes.
Maintenance and Safety
To ensure safe and efficient operation, our interseeders undergo rigorous maintenance, including greasing every 50 to 100 acres and thorough inspections after each use. Critical components such as double disc openers, coulters, tires, hydraulic hoses, and seed boxes are inspected, and any worn or damaged parts are promptly replaced. Safety checks, including lights and other vital features, are conducted with every rental.
Our tree planter is meant to be pulled behind a tractor. It operates on a pin hitch with a marine battery used to lift and lower the plow blade. One, or better yet two, people ride the planter behind the tractor and place the trees into the ground. It has comfortable seats and safety belts.
The tree planter creates a slit in the soil. A seedling tree (generally max size of 24″ including roots) is placed in the slit and packing wheels on the planter close the slit and firm the soil around the tree. The tree planter is a great tool when you are planting a large quantity of trees in straight rows.
RENTAL FEE: $55.00 per day and is available for a maximum of 3 days in a row.
CLEANING FEE: $30.00 If tree planter is not cleaned up upon return.
LATE FEE: $55.00 per late day, unless otherwise negotiated with the District.
Please contact Molly at 320-983-2160 or molly.clyne@millelacsswcd.org well in advance of your planting date for more information or to reserve the tree planter.
Reference Documents:
We have four tree bars available to borrow. These are NOT rental items.
DEPOSIT REQUIRED: $100.00 that is given back upon the return of the tree bar(s).
LATE RETURN FEE: $14.00/day
Tree bars are ideal for small tree plantings. If you are planting a large amount of trees, take a look at our tree planter.
Call Molly at 320-983-2160 for additional information or to get pick-up scheduled. View the agreement below to understand your responsibilities in borrowing this equipment.
A weed wrench is a tool that allows you to pull out a plant that would be otherwise more difficult to remove. It grips a targeted plant and has minimal soil disturbance.
This tool is great for removing invasive species like buckthorn.
DEPOSIT REQUIRED: $100.00 that is given back upon the return of the tree bar(s).
LATE RETURN FEE: $14.00/day
Call 320-982-2160 and ask for Molly to reserve it.