I just picked up this corn planter and was wondering what model it is? I stopped at my local john deere dealer, but all the people with any knowledge were gone. They let my look through their books and I think it might be a 246. Can anyone confirm this by the pictures? Also is it difficult to find parts or a manual? I don't know anything about corn planters, but wanted one to plant some sweet corn. I will probably get a fertilzer spreader instead of fixing the fertilizer system. I'm sure that would be costly.
Planters John deere corn planter - what model?
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twarr1
Bronze Member
I'm not familiar with this model, but there are many very knowledgeable memnbers and I'm sure someone can ID your planter.
I'm just finishing up a rebuild of a John Deere 23R corn and cotton planter. Deere's parts site was very helpful...
John Deere - Parts Catalog
I've found that most of the parts are still available for old JD planters, if you can find someone willing to trace through the part number changes that have occured through the years.
I'm just finishing up a rebuild of a John Deere 23R corn and cotton planter. Deere's parts site was very helpful...
John Deere - Parts Catalog
I've found that most of the parts are still available for old JD planters, if you can find someone willing to trace through the part number changes that have occured through the years.
twarr1
Bronze Member
....by the way, some of the parts from Deere for my planter were very reasonable, some were a little expensive and a few were unbelieveably, extrordinarily expensive.
Farmwithjunk
Super Member
246/247......
That is a model 246. I have used one for the last 20 years or so for small foodplots (1-2) acres in size and a couple acres of sweetcorn every year. Mine still has functioning fertilizer applicators which make it far superior to the cut down, 2-row model 71's that are so common these days for planting/fertilizing small areas. To get the same effect from broadcast fertilizer you have to apply nearly twice as much, which aint cheap. Unfortunately, it is difficult to locate fertilizer parts for these. Many but not all are the same as the pull-type model 290's which are a little easier to find because they were produced in greater numbers. I thought I could use the lower disk-wheel assembly from a 290 on my 246 but found out they were not the same so I had to fabricate the assembly when I rebuilt mine this spring. The planter shoes were the same however between the two models and those I took off the 290 were in great shape. It looks like the shoes on yours are worn down pretty good, but i bet you could get new ones from a JD dealer. The seed plates on your 246 are the same as those on 71's and can still be purchased new.
Farmwithjunk
Super Member
A little bit more info....You'll need to determine whether that's a hill drop planter or drill type planter. The drill type is a 246, the hill drop is a 247. Put a few seeds in the seed cans, raise the planter and slowly spin the press wheel(s). Do seeds drop individually, one at a time, or several (3 or 4) at once? (several at once would be a hill drop...247) Visually, the difference is VERY difficult to determine. The difference will effect what parts you'll need (from Deere) In the late 50's, hill drop planters were still very popular. A large portion of the 246/247's were equipped as 247's, especially so in the south.
Those were the best 2-row planter Deere offered in their day. (50's and early 60's) THey have to be kept at reasonably slow planting speeds compared to later "unit planters" (such as #70's, #71's ect) Also, shoe type openers work OK in some conditions and not so ok in others. Later planters used disc openers more commonly. Disc openers were available for the 246/247's, but not all that common. I started off years ago with a 246 equipped with disc openers, row markers, fertilizer box, and insecticide applicators. The poor thing was a miriad of chains, sprockets, and idler pulleys! In the mid 70's I made the switch to the #71's to reduce set-up time, increase planting speed, and increase my crop yields.
The #71's will plant circles around most plate type planters, so many prefer them. (Better, more accurate seed placement, higher planting speeds, better in rough conditions, ect...) They weren't commonly equipped with fertilizer attachments. The solution for them is to install a liquid fert. application system. I did so on my 4-row #71 rig. Cheaper than dry fertilizer in the long run, easier to deal with, and the fertilizer unit itself will be FAR less trouble to maintain. You could very easily install a simular system if parts availability isn't up to par on the 246/247 dry system.
With the exception of some VERY early Deere plate planters, all Deeres will use what is known as a "type B" plate. They're all over EBAY. You can also find them NEW at Lincoln Ag. Older OEM Deere plates are usually cast iron. Newer ones supplied by seed corn companies and now from Lincoln Ag are all "Lustran" plastic. Either will work just fine.
Those were the best 2-row planter Deere offered in their day. (50's and early 60's) THey have to be kept at reasonably slow planting speeds compared to later "unit planters" (such as #70's, #71's ect) Also, shoe type openers work OK in some conditions and not so ok in others. Later planters used disc openers more commonly. Disc openers were available for the 246/247's, but not all that common. I started off years ago with a 246 equipped with disc openers, row markers, fertilizer box, and insecticide applicators. The poor thing was a miriad of chains, sprockets, and idler pulleys! In the mid 70's I made the switch to the #71's to reduce set-up time, increase planting speed, and increase my crop yields.
The #71's will plant circles around most plate type planters, so many prefer them. (Better, more accurate seed placement, higher planting speeds, better in rough conditions, ect...) They weren't commonly equipped with fertilizer attachments. The solution for them is to install a liquid fert. application system. I did so on my 4-row #71 rig. Cheaper than dry fertilizer in the long run, easier to deal with, and the fertilizer unit itself will be FAR less trouble to maintain. You could very easily install a simular system if parts availability isn't up to par on the 246/247 dry system.
With the exception of some VERY early Deere plate planters, all Deeres will use what is known as a "type B" plate. They're all over EBAY. You can also find them NEW at Lincoln Ag. Older OEM Deere plates are usually cast iron. Newer ones supplied by seed corn companies and now from Lincoln Ag are all "Lustran" plastic. Either will work just fine.
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Usually it is not worth dealing with liquid fertilizer for the small acreages that a 2-row planter works best for. This, in my opinion, makes a dry fertilizer-equipped 246 better than a 71 for foodplots, sweetcorn patches and such. A 71 will give you better seed placement, depth control etc, but you can do ok in those areas with a 246. A 71 would certainly be considerably better than the 246 in that picture however because that one dont have working fertilizer attachments. It probably would not be very difficult to locate the required parts to get starter fertilizer down with that 246. It looks like it is just missing the spinner and bucket on one side, but the base in addition to those parts on the other. The lower assemblies with disk wheels (different on 246's and 290's) look like they are both there. All the parts you are missing are shared with the 290/490 pull-type models and you may be able to locate them. FWJ, did you use your restored, older MF planter with dry fert attachment this year, or did you use the 71 with liquid? How did it work? My corn came up a lot better this year since I replaced the shoes on my 246. Because of that, tons of rain this year, and higher fert application due to cheaper prices this spring, my corn yield looks like it will be about the highest I have ever had on my farm since going semi-organic. It will probably go 125 bu/acre or so which aint too bad for 36" rows, cultivated and useing no herbicides. I have (13) acres of fieldcorn (to kill deer in and around) and (2) of sweetcorn this year.
Farmwithjunk
Super Member
I won't even fool with dry fertilizer while planting, even for my garden. Just too much trouble cleaning out hoppers and such when liquid is SO MUCH easier, ESPECIALLY when doing just a small plot. Simply flush with a garden hose, let dry, and put it up for the year. All the parts to the liquid fertilizer system are plastic or stainless steel. Less wear and tear on painted parts, less salts to corrode metal, and you don't have to worry about keeping liquid dry in humid or rainy weather as with dry. For small plantings, I've been known to mix up a batch of plain ol' Miracle Grow plant food and water. For bigger fields, it's a LOT easier, especially if there's just one man doing the planting, to transfer liquid via a small 12v electric pump, vs toting bags or shoveling bulk fert. into a hopper.
On the MF#39, I haven't used a dry fertilizer attachment in ages. (Just too much work when there's a better AND easier way, IMHO.) All it plants is pop corn and green beans. The beans don't get fertilizer and the pop corn gets side dressed after it's up past 3rd leaf stage. All my sweet corn, and the roughly 200 acres of feed corn we planted at my sons was done with the #71 and liquid.
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You are right about the hopper cleaning. Lots of folks skip that step which is why you see so many 246/247/290's without fert attachments. I take about 10 minutes to take it apart and hose it out good after each use, and let it dry out in the sun before putting it back in the barn. That still didnt keep a lower assembly from rotting completely this spring, forcing me to fabricate a new one. Unfortunately that part is different on the 290 that I had back in the hedgerow for parts. Other than the wore-out shoes I also replaced this spring, that is the extent of the problems I have had in 20 years with this 50 year old planter.
The only other maintenence I have given it is a few shots of grease in each fitting and a little 90 wt on the chains prior to use the first time each spring. I leave it right on my Ford 8n and use it about every 10 days from May 15 to July 5 or so to space out when the sweetcorn gets ripe. This is, without a doubt, one of my favorite farming tools. JD made some good stuff back then. I wont talk about my other favorite from that era as I know FWJ is none to fond of that.
The only other maintenence I have given it is a few shots of grease in each fitting and a little 90 wt on the chains prior to use the first time each spring. I leave it right on my Ford 8n and use it about every 10 days from May 15 to July 5 or so to space out when the sweetcorn gets ripe. This is, without a doubt, one of my favorite farming tools. JD made some good stuff back then. I wont talk about my other favorite from that era as I know FWJ is none to fond of that.
Farmwithjunk
Super Member
Actually, I'm quite "fond" of the old stuff from the old days. I wouldn't want to attempt to do any more REAL farming with much of it, but that stuff is fun to toy around with.