seeder recommendations

[Andy Carson]

I really like these row cleaners Tim. There are several videos of them in action on youtube, demonstrating how they deal with trash. Some of the fields on the videos look like mine did last year, so I think this is the right tool. So, I suppose I am making something different again… Good thing I like making things!

[Tim Harrigan]

I can tell you get bored easily.:D

[Andy Carson]

I just love to juxtaposition of pulling a high tech planter with carefully engineered and scientifically tested features designed to very modern performance standards with my single horse. I haven’t figured out whether this is an “f-you” or a “thank-you” to big ag, but it makes me smile either way… 🙂

[Mike Rock]

Looking at the Needham site something was nagging me about the shape of the cleaner wheels. Then at the bottom of the album on the Yetter site I saw it, the rotary hoe.
I have some of those lying about. Now to mount two of those at an angle, so they mesh a bit. I can use a potato planter bearing set for the opening discs, wide angle. Should clean trash just fine, thank you!

Mount these on the old IH corn planter and have my own minimum till planter for corn and sorghum and beans. Cool!

Mike

[dominiquer60]

If you ever end up with a Jang, it would be a Thank You to the Korean government for developing small farm equipment out of necessity. I can just picture you with a horse drawn no till Meter macc vacuum seeder:) that is a an f-you!

[Mac]

Hey, I forgot to mention this: Covington Planters, they’re made in GA, and are some of the best. My dad bought one two years ago, and we’ve planted corn, cotton and some sorghum with it, both with the team and his tractor. Its a dandy little rig if you ask me. Just google Covington Planters and you’ll see them.
mac

[Tim Harrigan]

@Countymouse 23433 wrote:

… Some of the fields on the videos look like mine did last year, so I think this is the right tool…

Andy, my guess is you will have disked the corn in the fall and then again in the spring before planting to loosen the soil to improve planter opener performance. I think the row cleaners without the cutting coulter will be fine for that. I have seen these do a really nice job in some pretty heavy corn residue. I have the most experience with the Martin cleaners but I know a lot of guys who use and like the Yetter. It will be interesting.

[Andy Carson]

Mac,
I did enjoy the Covington planter video i found on youtube, it does look like a nice machine and I like seed metering system and the audible click. Ever since we have been discussing the residue issue, I had been thinking about modifying a fairly heavy duty planting unit. Watching the video reminded me of the simple fact that I am going to have to lift this planter into a transport position somehow. I am not a weakling, but I am still not excited about lifting and manuvering a no-till style planter in the field even with levers and wheels to help me… I think I am now most interested in a “medium” weight planter with disc openers and a set of row cleaners as Tim suggested. I think the choice of the planter is largly dependant upon what I come across. Maybe something like a John Deere model 71 flex planter? These seem pretty common, light enough I can move them with a wheelbarrow type setup, and I think heavy enough to not break. Adding weight is easier than subtracting it…

Any idea how much weight (or downforce) these row cleaners need on them to work well? I saw that even though some row cleaners float with a unknown downward force from a spring, but there is still a market for wheel weights with the floating cleaners. The wheel weights are pretty light though, so I am guessing they don’t need more than 50-100 lbs on them??? That is do-able from a design standpoint.

[Simple Living]

Here is the answer to your troubles. With a 3pt hitch on a forecart and maybe the trash wheels, you would be all set!! Foot note, I have no idea if this would work or not!!

Gordon

http://cgi.ebay.com/Allis-Chalmers-1-row-planter-double-disc-corn-3-pt-/150541412164?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item230cf7a744

[Tim Harrigan]

@Countymouse 23470 wrote:

Mac,

Any idea how much weight (or downforce) these row cleaners need on them to work well? I saw that even though some row cleaners float with a unknown downward force from a spring, but there is still a market for wheel weights with the floating cleaners. The wheel weights are pretty light though, so I am guessing they don’t need more than 50-100 lbs on them??? That is do-able from a design standpoint.

Andy, I am not seeing any down pressure springs on the floating row cleaners. I am a little more familiar with the fixed type and they are on heavier planter units so it might take some experimentation. I would start with just the wheel weights and see how it goes. You do not want to dig a trench, just skim the top and sweep the trash away. If you are on lightly tilled ground it will not take much. It might be more important to add a little down pressure to the planter unit to keep it stable and prevent bouncing and shallow seed placement.

[Andy Carson]

Tim, I looked at a few more pictures of the floating types and you are right, they don’t have springs. I saw something that looked like a spring in one photo. It will definately take some experimenting, I just wanted to make sure this is at least mathematically in the realm of something one man and one horse can do. It sounds like it is.

[Mac]

To be honest, I have no earthly idea what kind of weight they need. Daddy bought that one for his use moreso than mine, because he don’t believe in working horses when he has two Deutz tractors in the front yard. :confused: But, when I used it, I set it as far down in the ground as I could, and never had any real problems. But it all really goes back to soil prep. I turned my ground early, then disced it twice and drug it once. You may have more trouble if you intend to go thru your crop residue. I wish I could be of more help, but my personal favorite planter, in the whole of the world, is my old McCormick two row planter. I have had it ever since I first started farming, which has been a while back, and have never had any problems. Forgive me for forgetting, but what are you going to plant anyway? This would naturally affect planter choice.
Mac
P.S. Sorry I can’t be of more help on the modern stuff, but I have never been fortunate enough to own any myself. All my equipment was horse-drawn from the start.
M

[Tim Harrigan]

Andy, I am still not clear on that planter. I think of a lister as a hilling device so I am not clear on how that planter is supposed to work and I can not see it very well in the picture. Even if you go with the row cleaner I think it would be best to find a planter with a disk-type opener that will roll over any residue that is missed. The row cleaner will not be perfect and it does not take much sometimes to plug up.

[Andy Carson]

Yeah, I’m definately using a different seeder than the hrose drawn one in the photo. Definately one with disc openers and probably a single unit of a type designed for a tractor. I will be making sure it has row cleaners too. I’ll keep you posted.

[Andy Carson]

I have a line on a used Buffalo slot seeder that is local and the price seems nice. It doesn’t have row cleaner so I have to rig some up, but most of the planters I have been looking into don’t have row cleaners on them. My main issue with this is the planter doesn’t have disc openers. It is, however, set up to do no-till and has been used for this quite a bit. I would have thought that no-till planters would prefer using disc openers because of residue. Is there some way that this type of planter shoe deals with residue that is not obvious? I kinda looks like it it set up to simply plow through it or push it to the side. I don’t think this is my favorite mechanism… I have included a picture of this style of slot planter shoe.

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