Planters Old John Deere Planters

[Peach Grower]

Hey guys...newbie here.

Bought a peach orchard and going to grow some other crops. There were two old John Deere planters there. Have gotten them working and in fact EVERY grease fitting greased...they are in really good shape...they are ugly...but maybe I'll fix that soon. Wondering if anyone knows anything about these...history, years produced, crops able to be planted with them...anything. Even the old flat chains are in good shape. One question I have is the big VEE in the front of them. I have never seen that before...but they look factory. Anyone have any ideas?? I'm going to plant purple hulls with them....what about a plate?? I think I have a corn and soybean plate...any ideas?? They seem a bit big for purple hulls.

Here are some pics!

Thanks guys!! Great site!

 

[bullbreaker]

Nice pic's ! :thumbsup:
Just wait till some of the "oldtimers" around here wake up from their naps they'll know what model those are ! :laughing:
And what was used in-em.
Boone

 

[300UGUY]

I don't know what model they are, but you can get plates at Lincoln ag, online.

 

[luckyme2010]

looks like a model 51 from lookin at the hoppers on it or maybe a 23-C. I bet Mr. Ken Sweet would know for sure

 

[blueriver]

I don't know the model number ... NICE find. I am confussed about the pipe or pole? How does it hook to the tractor? Maybe they are supposed to be "two Row" ?

 

[sweettractors]

looks like a model 51 from lookin at the hoppers on it or maybe a 23-C. I bet Mr. Ken Sweet would know for sure

That one has me stumped. I have not seen that model before. Ken Sweet

 

[Peach Grower]

WOW...didn't mean to stump anyone! lol. I do not know how they attached...but I'm going to utilize their design. I have an old three point that I'm going to weld some pipe in so I can slide these in and put a pin through. Will put them at 36, 42, and 48". They are in really good shape (mechanically) and are extremely smooth. I have wire brushed and cleaned up everything since those pics. They are complete and I know where there are two more I think I can get my hands on. I think the plates are what I have seen as lustren. I see alot of them on ebay. I also have an extra set of sprokets that attach to the packer wheel, they have a higher number of teeth which would speed up the planter. I am going to have to fab up some tubes. They are rotted at the bottom. Going to go with a rubber type hose I figure. Hope to plant peas with them in the near future. Hope someone can chime in on them. If you can think of another angle we could take some pics of that might help let me know. Those were with a students cell phone. Thats in our Agri Shop. I'm an FFA advisor.

 

[Briar Hill Brittanys]

The vee in front of the shoe looks like a lister of some kind or another. Go here, John Deere - Parts Catalog and look at some of the parts breakdown to help ID it. As far as the plates, measure the size of your seed to the closest 64th inch. Then go here Lincoln Ag Products and troll the different plates. Sizes for the cells are listed, find the plate with the cell size that best matches your seed size, then keep an eye on ebay for a better price. I believe the extra gears are to set the population/spacing of your seed placing. Wouldn't more teeth require a bigger gear = slower planter turning? Post back when you find out what it is. Inquiring minds want to know. HTH. Mark

 

[blueriver]

I believe the extra gears are to set the population/spacing of your seed placing. Wouldn't more teeth require a bigger gear = slower planter turning? Post back when you find out what it is. Inquiring minds want to know. HTH. Mark

My 2 row JD #246 has the extra gears and I believe you are right. My manual has a chart for the selection of the gears to determine spacing, the gears slide on the Jackshaft.

 

[blueriver]

looks like a model 51 from lookin at the hoppers on it or maybe a 23-C. I bet Mr. Ken Sweet would know for sure

I think you may be right ... JD Parts shows the 51 to be real close, looks like it actualy mounts to a toolbar.

http://jdpc.deere.com/jdpc/pdfs/PC1232.PDF

 

[Briar Hill Brittanys]

My 2 row JD #246 has the extra gears and I believe you are right. My manual has a chart for the selection of the gears to determine spacing, the gears slide on the Jackshaft.

That's how my A/C 600, and 2 row #6 Lister work, too. After looking a little, this one looks pretty close with the disc cover wheels and planting depth levers. http://jdpc.deere.com/jdpc/pdfs/PC0428.PDF Could have been "farmerized" from the original unit. I like those old planters, way cool! Mark

 

[Peach Grower]

Would a larger sproket on the wheel part of the planter not speed up the planter?? Smaller would slow it down at the same said speed. Does the sproket not go on the drive wheel?? Does it go up on the planter drive up under the pods? I understand it slowing it down if that part was larger. I guess I'm confused on where the extra sprokets go. Thanks guys!! This is great!! There are SOO many tractor sites and this is the first that I've even gotten a reply on...not to mention some great information!! I plan to restore them but they will be working models...so right now its more improtant to me to get them in working order...which they are. I do need to put new springs in the lever that lets the seed drop. They work but I think the psi is wrong as they are pretty rusted..other than that they are ready for the correct plates. I'll take some newer pictures of them since I've gotten them cleaned up and dents smoothed out of the pods. Fixed the broken chain also....WOW...those chains are easy to fix...should've kept that design! lol

 

[Peach Grower]

Okay...the sprockets can go either on the drive wheel or hopper...actually gives me more flexibilty with planter speed. Thanks guys for all your help! I actually think it looks ALOT like the 480 in the link you guys sent. I printed it and some of the part numbers do not match up...and there are differences. I do not have the double sprockets...my lids do not have rivets in them...the press wheel has the handle that adjusts the pressure and or depth. But the planters look VERY similar. Looked at the cap cutoff plate and the part number in the link is Y 2597 B and the part number on mine is Y 12587 B...So I'm guessing mine may be a later model....maybe late 50's or early 60's??

I have also seen in the parts list there is a pea planter attachment...WOW...wish I could find that!! Has a different hopper and seed plate....has a ring and gear on the plate also. Oh well...hopefully I can get this to work for us!

 

[sam gillon]

what you have pictured are john deere #44 unit planters

 

[MuleMn]

I do not think they are 44 units. 44 units drive from the right side as did the 51. These are predessors of the 44. I think the designation was 444 for 4 row, 684 for 6 row. I am not sure about this. Most parts will interchange. The we're pulled from a pipe mounted under the belly of tractor. A "tongue" was attached attached to the pipe back to the planter. They were lifted by the hydraulic rocks haft on the tractor. The wings are row sweeps. We called them clodknockers. The assisted in a good seed bed. We used them a lot in dry conditions. They would move the drier topsoil to the side and allow you to plant in moist dirt without planting too deep. You can buy any plate except sunflower and milo from the hated ebay.

 

[Johnny5812]

Looks similar to my PA700.

 

[super55]

Those planters definitely mount to a tool bar. My JD cultivator has the same setup that attaches with U-bolts. As for the "V" in front of it I can only presume that is a version of a trash kicker to clean the rows before dropping the seed.

If I had to guess to guess it I would say that with the V trash kicker and the dual covering disc before the press wheel is that it is an early version of a minimal till planter that was designed to plant into old bean stubble.