how to build a corn planter

[rootfabrication]

After looking at the cost of two row corn planters I've been wondering if I could be just build my own. I only want one to plant two acres of sweet corn. It doesn't have to plant them perfect since I will be picking it by hand, and food plotting the rest. Has anyone built one or have any ideas?

 

[farmall 55a case]

Is there any old bigger planters that farmers have parked out back and don't use anymore? If so you could make a planter for your self and make a few more with the remaining rows and sell them to make urself some money! ?

 

[Luremaker]

After looking at the cost of two row corn planters I've been wondering if I could be just build my own. I only want one to plant two acres of sweet corn. It doesn't have to plant them perfect since I will be picking it by hand, and food plotting the rest. Has anyone built one or have any ideas?

I would say it is possible to build your own corn planter. Here is a link to a thread of a really neat home built seed drill.

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/build-yourself/180123-my-home-built-no-till.html

Not sure it it would be all the effort though. If all you will be planting is one or two acres a one row unit is all you would need. Please post pictures of your progress.

 

[BHD]

If you could find a old van brunt JD grain drill, with the cups that are double sided, set on the large size, and run at one of the slowest speeds and block off the feeds (cover the feeds) if you have a 10 spacing block off 2 units and you would have 30: rows, cut some tin and duct tape a small box on top of the feeds so you do not have to have a lot of extra seed,

that way with a drill one can plant more than row crops, the old van brunt drills are great machines,

 

[rootfabrication]

I would like to see some pictures on how one works. I have looked at trying to buy a used one but around here everyone thinks they are worth gold because people are buying them to make their food plots. I haven't been able to find one for under $800 which to me is more then I want to spend on this.

 

[rambler]

You'd have to find a basket case and rebuild it with a 3pt frame and a wheel to drive it - which is what those selling them for $800 are doing. Buy an old 4 or 6 row planter for $300, and rebuld the individual units into 1 or 2 row plot planters, charge folks high prices for it, and make some money.

A corn planter has plates of various sizes and gearing of various speeds with disks to slice into the ground to various depths to place different sized seeds at different populations at different depths. As well as a closing wheel to firm and close the trench the seed is in.

I'm not sure one could really build all that from scratch.

As some mention, you could use/ cut down a grain drill seed meter, but that would basically be the same as using a corn planter unit, and would need all the adjustments as well. A drill typically spreads seed, while a corn planter can place individual seeds, so the are 'the same but different'.

--->Paul

 

[BHD]

the old planter used plates, that rotated, and picked up the kernels in a pocket and then ran them over a hole and dropped it down to the opener,
Corn-Planter-Plates | Life on a Colorado Farm
the URL above has a view of looking down in the seed canister,

the more modern version use fingers, or plates that have air or vacuum to hold the seed on the plate until it reaches the drop area, and some use more things to keep the seed perfectly spaced

but the old and simple was the plate that rotated and it was driven by a system of gears or chains and sprockets to drive off the wheels or there a drive wheel that lowers when the planter is lowered into the ground, (most use the transport wheels with a clutch system,

one could just hook two of the garden planters together, or use there metering device, to make a seeder,
I think there are a few of these type of units, the URL is for information only, not a recommendation,
http://www.earthway.com/product/garden-products/

one could consider, a "PLANET JR Planter" type unit as well, they are on ebay a lot, and a form of it I think is still made and sold, http://www.coleplanter.com/coleplanetjr.htm

 

[super55]

Keep an eye on craigslist. If you live anywhere near an agricultural area you will see small planters pop up here and there. I picked up an old JD 290 that was in pristine condition for 600. Seen others much cheaper but this one still had functional fertilizer hoppers which is hard to find. Thing has worked like a dream. The JD flex 71's are really sought after now because they literally just bolt to an implement bar. Guys are buying a 6 unit planters for a couple grand and then selling them as one row units upwards of 900 dollars dollars apiece. 10 years ago farmers were scrapping these old planters but hobby farming and food plotting and given a resurgence to there value.

Personally I would be hesitant to try and fabricate one. Sweet corn seed is pretty expensive and I would rather pay a little extra for an implement that has proved itself over generations than to try to fabricate one from scratch.

Try using searchtempest.com it searches all of craigslist within parameters you establish. It will give you a quick idea what else it out there besides ebay.

 

[rootfabrication]

I'm not 100% sold on making one. But for what I'm doing I think it can be done. Biggest hurdle that I see is making it drop one seed at a time. I've looked at the ones you push by hand and that kind of chain drive I think will work. I have a few more places to try and buy an old one, but so far haven't seen one for a decent price. Please keep the ideas coming.

 

[Taylortractornut]

Take a look at a Covington plant the way the plates lift the seeds. What I would do is look for a planter with bad boxes. Most of the food plotters wont even look at them. I have a friend that I just help make tool bars fo some IH Units. We mad a 2 row and 2 one rows from the 4 row.