I've been looking at the Flex 71 planters. The problem though is I cannot find fertilizer hoppers. With me going into the foodplot business I believe I'm going to need hoppers,especially with fertizilizer prices being so high. It would be a huge waste to broadcast the stuff. You have any opinions on other planters with hoppers that are easy to find and relatively inexpensive? Thanks!
FarmWithJunk opinion needed
- Thread starter LabLuvR
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Farmwithjunk
Super Member
LabLuvR said:
Easy to find? And relatively inexpensive? Is this a trick question?
For the "easy to find" part, Look on EBAY for starters. Theres a few JD7000 series planters that have been converted to 2-row. Plan on 1200 to 1500 lbs WITHOUT any seed or fertilizer in the planter though. Many compacts won't deal with that much weight hung 3 or 4 feet off the back of the hitch. Also, look for $1200 to $2000.
Don't be misled by a few of the sellers claims that the pesticide applicators on their planters are fertilizer applicators. The band drop pesticdes on the surface, over the top of the seeded row. Not where or how you want fertilizer applied, especially so on corn. Same rule applies to a few #71 units with pesticide boxes I've seen advertized.
Add an aftermarket fertilizer applicator to a #71... I'm BEGGING Gandy to send me info on their units. So far, not the first response after 3 letters, 6 emails, and 6 phone calls. I get the distinct impression they have too much business and don't want mine.
Ford 309, Massey Ferguson #38 or #39, Deere 246/247, or various International Harvester planters are still around, but are antiques compared to the above models. Theres also a few Allis Chalmers planters that were good in their day.
I'm working on an idea for "in-row fertilizer application" that could be added to a #70/#71 Deere unit planter for a reasonable cost. Talking about fabbing up something from scratch here. There seems to be a demand nowdays.
Other options, Deere (Frontier) food plot seeder, around $6000, KAsco seeders, $4500 to $7000......
Farmwithjunk
Super Member
LabLuvR said:I would only be interested in side dressing for corn. Your idea of a fertilizer mount for the 71's would probably sell like hotcakes and I want to be the first to buy one!
Settle for second? I'm my own 1st customer! I've got a good idea on how to build one with a variable rate drive that's oh, so simple and uses readily available parts that I can get at an auto parts store and a hardware store. Now to work out the details. Don't expect anything in the next few days or weeks, but I'm going ahead with my idea.
charlz
Elite Member
So I'm curious, what does the fertilizer attachment look like?. Does this have the fertilizer option or the pesticide option?:
Thats from an ebay auction. I was at a farm auction here last week and they had some 12 row 71 planters but I don't think any had the fertilizer option.
Thats from an ebay auction. I was at a farm auction here last week and they had some 12 row 71 planters but I don't think any had the fertilizer option.
Deere Hunter
Member
If I get out to the farm, I'll snap a few pics of the 71 with fertilizer hoppers. If anyone needs pics of the mechanics of it, let me know, and I'll take some of any points of interest. It is in bad shape, as far as the fert. portion of the machine goes. The project to refurb the planters continues, and I still use a set of cole planters around the house. They work, but no fert. distributor.
Farmwithjunk
Super Member
charlz said:
That's a pesticide applicator. Besides not placing fert. where it's supposed to be, the delivery rate would be extremely low with that. Pesticides would be applied in minute volume compared to granular fertilizer. Even at their highest application rate, a pesticide box just wouldn't put out enough fertilizer. And from what I recall of them, pesticide applicators need more of a powdered product as opposed to granular products like most fertilizers.
Farmwithjunk
Super Member
Deere Hunter said:
Any and all pitures of the fertilizer drive would be greatly appreciated. I've got parts manuals, but nothing replaces actually seeing the device itself. I've got an idea on how to build my own system but would gladly take ideas from existing designs, especially on the drive.
toddler
Gold Member
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Is this sort of what you're looking for?
MASSEY FERGUSON 2 ROW PLANTER
or this?
JOHN DEERE 2 ROW PLANTER
MASSEY FERGUSON 2 ROW PLANTER
or this?
JOHN DEERE 2 ROW PLANTER
Farmwithjunk
Super Member
The Massey Ferguson #39 looks like a nice planter. About what I'd expect as far as price. Down side is finding seed plates. I've got a #39 and plates are scarce. Lincoln Ag has some, but they're specialty plates and not the normal "edge drop" plates that you would commonly use to plant corn.
Take a close look at the Deere planter and notice there's no fertilizer openers. They appear to be missing. Normally those would be coulter style openers just to the rear of the shoe openers on the seed drop. From what I can see in that picture, the fertilizer just runs out on top of the ground behind the seed openers. Not the ideal situation where fertilizer is placed just to the side and slightly BELOW the planted seed where new roots can find it.
But yes, those are examples of the alternatives to Deere #70/#71 unit planters.
My #39 MF planter
Take a close look at the Deere planter and notice there's no fertilizer openers. They appear to be missing. Normally those would be coulter style openers just to the rear of the shoe openers on the seed drop. From what I can see in that picture, the fertilizer just runs out on top of the ground behind the seed openers. Not the ideal situation where fertilizer is placed just to the side and slightly BELOW the planted seed where new roots can find it.
But yes, those are examples of the alternatives to Deere #70/#71 unit planters.
My #39 MF planter
toddler
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I'm ignorant here and just listed those because LabLuvR is in SC and not too far away.
But for my own education, it seems like you'd want these to drop a seed and a little fertilizer at some set spacing, right. So shouldn't there be a gear that opens a gate to let out a seed and the fertilizer at the same time?
If that's the case, then when you say "opener", do you mean the thing that opens to allow a little fertilizer out, or something that opens up the ground so the fertilizer is physically lower in the ground than the seed? Is a coulter style opener like a tiny plow or disk?
Thanks,
Todd (who grew up in urban NJ and has never seen a planter up close.)
But for my own education, it seems like you'd want these to drop a seed and a little fertilizer at some set spacing, right. So shouldn't there be a gear that opens a gate to let out a seed and the fertilizer at the same time?
If that's the case, then when you say "opener", do you mean the thing that opens to allow a little fertilizer out, or something that opens up the ground so the fertilizer is physically lower in the ground than the seed? Is a coulter style opener like a tiny plow or disk?
Thanks,
Todd (who grew up in urban NJ and has never seen a planter up close.)
Farmwithjunk
Super Member
toddler said:
Seed is dropped at a regular interval. (seed spacing) It's placed in the ground in a small furrow created by an "opener". That can be a sled-like "shoe" or a disc opener. Nowdays the disc opener is more preferable. The fertilizer usually runs out in a slow, controlled, steady stream. It would require too much "mechanics" to dole it out in intervals like the seed. It's placed (or SHOULD BE) in a seperate furrow that (again, SHOULD BE) is just to one side and slightly below the seed placement. Most granular fertilizers are high in salts. Those salts will burn a seed or the new plant if placed directly with the seed. Ideally, you want the fertilizer where it will be easy and CLOSE to where the new roots can find it.
Most nitrogen fertilizers will dissapate into the atmosphere when they come into contact with soil moisture if placed on the surface. It needs to be buried slightly. I've seen a few older planters with the shoe type openers on the fertilizer end, but for the most part, they've been disc openers for quite some time. Shoe openers or even single disc openers tend to "hair pin" stalks and debris rather than cut through it as the planter runs across that debris. That can effect the operational depth of the opener. Double disc openers are the preferred method in most cases. They form a "True Vee" (John Deere terminology) furrow for the seed to drop into. The press wheel/closing wheel at the back of the planter will push dirt back into that opening, covering the seed. On a well engineered planter that same closing wheel will just BARELY cover the furrow left by the fertilizer opener, while being directly centered over the seed furrow.
toddler
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Cool! And thanks. Seems like fixing the fertilizer system by welding on an opener might be easier if the bins are already there like on the MF and Deere ones I saw. Disc ones would be harder to fit on the machine though.
Todd
Todd
rdln
Veteran Member
FWJ, how would a liquid set up work with these? ya know ballast in the front?
Farmwithjunk
Super Member
rdln said:
I used liquid fertilizer on my 4-row planter for years while I was still farming. I was buying in significant volume, had a nurse tank mounted on a trailer to keep the planter supplied in the field, transfer pumps, and in general, was equipped to operate with liquid. The economy of scale made it practical. You would need much of the same basic equipment, albiet smaller, to handle liquid even on a small scale. With dry granular, all you would need is bags of fertilizer, a pick-up truck and a strong back. It's easier for most of us to find a good source for dry granular. I won't eliminate liquid fertilizer from the list of possibilities, but it has it's own set of issues for small scale use.
A friend uses liquid fert. on his 2-row "deer plot planter". He brews his own, using a concentrated mix of water soluable Miracle Grow. His cost is outrageous for several acres, but it works and he's happy with the results.
Hey FarmWithJun have you ever seen these? I wonder if they would work on the Flex 71'S
Gandy Products - Cam Gauge Row Applicators
Gandy Products - Cam Gauge Row Applicators
Farmwithjunk
Super Member
LabLuvR said:
Read back through a few of the threads of late dealing with #70/#71 planters and you'll see where they've been discussed. I've been begging and pleading with GANDY and several of their retailers to get me info on them and to let me know about availability. They apparently don't want to sell them all that bad. I can't get much reaction from them. Retail for a 2-row applicator and the less expensive electric drive is just under $900. Mechanical "ground drive" which I'd much prefer adds another $150 or so. You would also need some sort (Yetter?) of disc openers plus associated mounting hardware. Rough guess $1200 to $1500 by the time you had it functional.
Well that is very pricey. I'm leaning toward trying the JD 7000 two row planter. The guy on EBAY says he thinks they weight around 850lbs. My 37hp Kubota should be able to handle that. Right now outside of something new, that seems to be the only way to go in order to apply fertilizer correctly.
Farmwithjunk
Super Member
LabLuvR said:
I'm not well versed in the model #'s, but the 7000 series has several variations. There was a standard planter and then a no-till version. The standard model could be outfitted as a no-till unit, but the dedicated no-till planters were built much heavier. That weigh is needed in many cases to get the planter to sink into hard ground. I'd bet the seller knows the shipping weights of his "product" better than either of us, so we'll just go with his number. Remember though, that's EMPTY weight. Add another 100lbs(+) for fertilizer and a few lbs for seed. Your tractor should still be able to handle that, but don't be shocked when you need a few suitcase weights to keep that front end down.
A big plus with those 7000 series planters, aftermarket parts and accessories will be abundant. Get a catalog from the likes of Shoup or Yetter and take a look at all the available options you'll have.
