John Deere 246 planter for food plot

[Barneyhunts]

I am looking for a planter to use on a food plot. I plan to plant corn, beans and sorghum. I have an opportunity to buy a John Deere 246 planter in good condition and would like to know how it might work for these crops. The ground on my place is rocky, and it would be plowed and disced before planting. I've never farmed so would appreciate any input on this planter.
THANKS!

 

[rdln]

so thats a 6 row? I think the one that i had was a 242 2 row. Its a nice piece to play around with. It is not as easy to adjust widths as is a model 71 but gives that nostalgic feeling when I was fartin around with chains and greasin everything knowing thats what my grandpa woulda been doing (if He farmed).

Is the fertilizer system in good shape?

I would say its great for corn if its already spaced at 30" or 36" kinda narrow for beans.

Does it come with the plates for your intended crops? you should have different plates for corn, sorghum, beans

If it all works I would say go for it but dont spend over $400.

You dont need a planter but its nice to have one that doesnt give you alot of trouble, you could always just broadcast.

 

[Farmwithjunk]

246 was a corn planter, 247 was a variant primarily intended for planting cotton.

246 IS 2-row. (446 is 4-row. No 6-row version of this planter offered)

They'll use the same seed plates as nearly all Deere plate type planters. (Let me know if you need any. I've got boxes full....) Lincoln Ag products sells the "Type B" plates that'll plant all three of your crops.

246 is/was a good planter in it's day. I saw one sell at auction 2 weeks past for $900. To get that sort of price, they need to have intact and working fertilizer attachment. Cheapest working 246 I've seen in the past few years was $500. Not as modern and adaptable as #71's or any of Deere's unit planters, but still a very good way to plant food plots. I use #71's. They share the same seed plates. I've got SOYbean plates, a wide assortment of corn plates . Milo (sorgham) plates are available through Lincoln Ag.

 

[rdln]

Oh thats how the numbers worked, I thought mine was a 246 but then second guessed myself. Been 5 years since i sold mine. Paid $100 from a neightbor I had never met till then, he had it by the road with sign. Fertilzer system was trashed everything else including row markers worked used it 7 years took it to auction got $70. Man that planter was a pain to trailer to jobs.

Could of sworn I have seen a 6 or 8 row versions, coulda been customized.

Wish I had taken pics of these things that I have had/done.

 

[Farmwithjunk]

Oh thats how the numbers worked, I thought mine was a 246 but then second guessed myself. Been 5 years since i sold mine. Paid $100 from a neightbor I had never met till then, he had it by the road with sign. Fertilzer system was trashed everything else including row markers worked used it 7 years took it to auction got $70. Man that planter was a pain to trailer to jobs.

Could of sworn I have seen a 6 or 8 row versions, coulda been customized.

Wish I had taken pics of these things that I have had/done.

Deere offered a "Gang hitch" for those planters where 2 4-row units could be used at the same time, side by side. Not sure if the 246 was "ganged" in any way to form a 6-row planter. I used a 4-row (446) for the first few years I was putting out a corn crop. I know what you mean about trailering them. Like pushing a rope up a hill.

You could get more'n $70 out of your old one if you still had it now. Prices have gone balistic on 2-row planters.

 

[rdln]

so what was that vegetable that improved memory??

Just took a curious look for pics of that old planter and the model 290 showed up in the search, thats the one I had.

 

[Barneyhunts]

so thats a 6 row? I think the one that i had was a 242 2 row. Its a nice piece to play around with. It is not as easy to adjust widths as is a model 71 but gives that nostalgic feeling when I was fartin around with chains and greasin everything knowing thats what my grandpa woulda been doing (if He farmed).

Is the fertilizer system in good shape?

I would say its great for corn if its already spaced at 30" or 36" kinda narrow for beans.

Does it come with the plates for your intended crops? you should have different plates for corn, sorghum, beans

If it all works I would say go for it but dont spend over $400.

You dont need a planter but its nice to have one that doesnt give you alot of trouble, you could always just broadcast.

Thanks! The planter I'm looking at is in good shape, the fertilizer units and seed units are in working order. It is a 2 row and the price is $950. the price seems to be in line with other 2 row planters in this area.

 

[Barneyhunts]

246 was a corn planter, 247 was a variant primarily intended for planting cotton.

246 IS 2-row. (446 is 4-row. No 6-row version of this planter offered)

They'll use the same seed plates as nearly all Deere plate type planters. (Let me know if you need any. I've got boxes full....) Lincoln Ag products sells the "Type B" plates that'll plant all three of your crops.

246 is/was a good planter in it's day. I saw one sell at auction 2 weeks past for $900. To get that sort of price, they need to have intact and working fertilizer attachment. Cheapest working 246 I've seen in the past few years was $500. Not as modern and adaptable as #71's or any of Deere's unit planters, but still a very good way to plant food plots. I use #71's. They share the same seed plates. I've got SOYbean plates, a wide assortment of corn plates . Milo (sorgham) plates are available through Lincoln Ag.

Thanks! It seems to be a good size for my B7800 Kubota. Thanks especially for the info on plates as I believe this planter comes with corn plates but the seller told me he has others that he'll give me if I buy the unit. Are there any "tricks" to planting in rocky soil.

 

[TNhobbyfarmer]

Thanks! The planter I'm looking at is in good shape, the fertilizer units and seed units are in working order. It is a 2 row and the price is $950. the price seems to be in line with other 2 row planters in this area.

Boy $950 seems mighty high for a 246. I see them go at auction all the time around here for $200-300. I bought a good one for $300, used it for 4 years and sold it for $300. At the advice from guys on TBN, I bought a 2 row 71 planter. I got a real good deal on the 71, $400 or $450, best I remember. I much prefer the 71 over the 246. You can get some real nice 2 row 71's on ebay for $800-900. If you plan on spending $900, I would suggest you consider a 71 instead of the 246.

 

[Farmwithjunk]

Boy $950 seems mighty high for a 246. I see them go at auction all the time around here for $200-300. I bought a good one for $300, used it for 4 years and sold it for $300. At the advice from guys on TBN, I bought a 2 row 71 planter. I got a real good deal on the 71, $400 or $450, best I remember. I much prefer the 71 over the 246. You can get some real nice 2 row 71's on ebay for $800-900. If you plan on spending $900, I would suggest you consider a 71 instead of the 246.

No denying the #71's are far superior to a 246. Fewer moving parts comes to mind as the biggest improvement. I've been using them for almost 20 years now.

But, try to find them NOW for what you paid.

And on the $800 to $900 price range units on ebay, consider shipping or cost of hauling yourself. In some cases, that may add $200, $300, maybe even $400 to the final cost.

I agree $950 is steep for the 246, but it's coming to a point where they'll bring that much in good working order.

And worst of all, this is NOT the time to be shopping for a corn planter. You'll see the HIGHEST prices of the year right about now.