Planters Bought a Flex 71 Planter on Ebay! :)

   / Bought a Flex 71 Planter on Ebay! :) #1  
D

Deadman

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 26, 2006
Messages
1,091
Location
WI
Tractor
John Deere 2520, X475
I'm just thanking you guys for suggesting that I look on EBAY for a planter. I bought a 1 row Flex 71 for a little over $400 shipped to my door! :D

I'm wondering if there is any secrets that I needd to know about these planters?
Thanks guys! :)
 
   / Bought a Flex 71 Planter on Ebay! :) #2  
Deadman said:
I'm just thanking you guys for suggesting that I look on EBAY for a planter. I bought a 1 row Flex 71 for a little over $400 shipped to my door! :D

I'm wondering if there is any secrets that I needd to know about these planters?
Thanks guys! :)
Click to expand...

Get a manual (easy to find on EBAY). Helpful to have PARTS manual too. (not as easy to find on EBAY, but John Deere dealer can order) "Depth bands" make planting depth more accurate. (available through Deere still) Get an assortment of seed plates. (PM me if you're interested in buying a few. I've got boxes and boxes of them) NEW seed plates are available through Lincoln Ag Products. New PARTS for planter are available through Yetter Manufacturing should you ever need such.
 
   / Bought a Flex 71 Planter on Ebay! :) #4  
barticus73 said:
Stupid question, but how do you mark your row spacings with those 1 row Flex 71 units?
Click to expand...

You'll need to play with this to get the best results, but generally, one or 2 row planters, you just run in the tire track from the previous pass. That'll move you over the width of the tractor. You may need to run to one edge or the other of that tire track to get the row spacing you're wanting.

Another option is a piece of pipe clamped to the front weight bracket/brush guard/ect, (extended to one or both sides) with rod of some sort pointed down and close to the ground that you can line up with the previous PLANTED row.
 
   / Bought a Flex 71 Planter on Ebay! :)
  • Thread Starter
#6  
There is supposedly a manual coming with the planter, so hopefully that is the one you are talking about. :D
 
   / Bought a Flex 71 Planter on Ebay! :) #7  
Deadman, I just sold a 2 row Flexi 71 one eBay. It sold for $696.78. There is a lot to setting one up,but once you get it setup they work great. First you have to get the seed plates for the type of seed that you are planting.(there are a million of them)You then have to decide what spacing you want for your plants. Then you have to look at a chart and that will tell you what gear combination you will need in the drive.Then you have to change the gears inside the planter drive. Then you have to find what gear to run your tractor in to give you the ground speed you need to give you the desired seed spacing. Have fun!
 
   / Bought a Flex 71 Planter on Ebay! :) #8  
dirtworksequip said:
Deadman, I just sold a 2 row Flexi 71 one eBay. It sold for $696.78. There is a lot to setting one up,but once you get it setup they work great. First you have to get the seed plates for the type of seed that you are planting.(there are a million of them)You then have to decide what spacing you want for your plants. Then you have to look at a chart and that will tell you what gear combination you will need in the drive.Then you have to change the gears inside the planter drive. Then you have to find what gear to run your tractor in to give you the ground speed you need to give you the desired seed spacing. Have fun!
Click to expand...

I don't understand what ground speed has to do with spacing. Correct me if I'm wrong here but if the tractor goes faster or slower don't the seed plates change speed too? My old Allis did not rely on a constant speed since it was ground driven.
 
   / Bought a Flex 71 Planter on Ebay! :) #9  
dirtworksequip said:
Deadman, I just sold a 2 row Flexi 71 one eBay. It sold for $696.78. There is a lot to setting one up,but once you get it setup they work great. First you have to get the seed plates for the type of seed that you are planting.(there are a million of them)You then have to decide what spacing you want for your plants. Then you have to look at a chart and that will tell you what gear combination you will need in the drive.Then you have to change the gears inside the planter drive. Then you have to find what gear to run your tractor in to give you the ground speed you need to give you the desired seed spacing. Have fun!
Click to expand...

Planter is driven by the press wheels. You don't have to factor ground speed/tractor gearing into setting up the planter. I used #71 flex planters to plant anywhere from 30 to 70 acres of feed corn every year for 20+ years.

There are a number of seed plates, but it only takes a few to plant 90% of the seed corn available. I have 21 sets, including my bean plates, and have never needed most of them.
 
   / Bought a Flex 71 Planter on Ebay! :) #10  
I may be mistaken (memory failing) sure seems like I read something in the operating manual about ground speed.
 
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