Old planter hiding in the briars???

[BrianR]

Thanks jimgerken! I didn't make the lids....I was able to purchase 2 of the last 3 of them that John Deere showed in inventory in the U.S.

I *could* make new lids though....I recently bought a shrinker/stretcher tool for forming 90 degree bends into a circle. then just weld a weld a circular sheet of steel to the center of the formed edge and voila!

I bought the Bead roller at Eastwood and the shrinker/stretcher from Autobody toolmart. Both are excellent tools to have around.

 

[BrianR]

Here is a shot of the cans when they were complete and painted.

 

[HCJtractor]

That is a very nice restoration! How does the pull type compare to a 3-point hitch type in terms of usage? I am sure both work great. Just wondered the pros and cons of each.

 

[Briar Hill Brittanys]

Here's a restored John Deere #6 Loose Ground Lister Planter. I'm not sure what the model is BrianR has . On the #6 Lister only 4 different row spacings can be achieved, 36", 38", 40", and 42". I can't remember the exact row spacing you can achieve with an A/C planter, my JD 70s can plant 15" rows. The spacing is limited by the seed hoppers. The #6 is considerably heavier than the row units. It's a lister planter, and plants in a furrow. Population settings are changed by gear changes on both types. This unit also uses the typical seed plates, population (plant spacing) is also affected by cell count on the plate. On a unit planter like the A/C units, there is a gear on the press wheel to change settings. The #6 has a trip clutch to raise and lower the runners, and engage the metering drives. Pull on the center rope to raise or lower, each marker is controlled by a rope. It's a little slower and clunkier than 3 point hydraulics. Because of the limits in row spacing, I would think fewer types of seeds could be planted. Although with the use of the regular JD seed plates, about anything could be planted. That's just some things about this particualar planter. It dates to mid 1950, the spoke drive wheels are the key to its age. This style planter was also made in a 3 point model. Mark

 

[tmajor]

I think, JD was the "King of Ropes". It seems like all of the earlier stuff they made, had a rope tied to it. The trailer plows, orchard disk, corn planter .... ??

 

[bruceha2000]

I don't have a before picture of the ones I refurbbed, but here's a couple of after pics. Before I started, they looked alot like the ones in your pictures. Mark

Wow, nice job!

 

[flusher]

Here's a restored John Deere #6 Loose Ground Lister Planter. I'm not sure what the model is BrianR has . On the #6 Lister only 4 different row spacings can be achieved, 36", 38", 40", and 42". I can't remember the exact row spacing you can achieve with an A/C planter, my JD 70s can plant 15" rows. The spacing is limited by the seed hoppers. The #6 is considerably heavier than the row units. It's a lister planter, and plants in a furrow. Population settings are changed by gear changes on both types. This unit also uses the typical seed plates, population (plant spacing) is also affected by cell count on the plate. On a unit planter like the A/C units, there is a gear on the press wheel to change settings. The #6 has a trip clutch to raise and lower the runners, and engage the metering drives. Pull on the center rope to raise or lower, each marker is controlled by a rope. It's a little slower and clunkier than 3 point hydraulics. Because of the limits in row spacing, I would think fewer types of seeds could be planted. Although with the use of the regular JD seed plates, about anything could be planted. That's just some things about this particualar planter. It dates to mid 1950, the spoke drive wheels are the key to its age. This style planter was also made in a 3 point model. Mark

Sweet looking restoration :thumbsup:

 

[BrianR]

Mine was a 290 model (1954) on steel spoked rims and closing wheels. It pulled easily with my BX2200. I sold it to a sweet corn producer in Northern KY a couple years ago as I wanted a single row Flex 71 to convert to no-till for garden duty.

I personally like the 3 point unit better, as my gardens are tight in the corners (they butt up against fields, etc.). Just received the parts to put a 16" 13 wave coulter on the toolbar ahead of the disc openers. Gonna no-till into wheat (cover crop) in the spring, then spray the wheat with roundup.

I'd be all over that AC setup you found, especially if it was "FREE"!!

 

[HCJtractor]

I have begun breaking down this old planter and taking pieces to my shop. It is a 4 row pull type with a separate tool bar with coulters. I expect to just restore three units and keep the 4th for spare. I also expect to make it a 3-point model rather than a pull type.

What do you think? Are the coulters worth having? Or should I leave them off? Would you rather have a 3 point?

The seed plate is a 300106 which is listed in one source I see as a corn plate. Just wondered what else I could plant with it, and if other plates are available. But I am months away from that issue!

The coulters are hard to figure out. In these pictures, I wonder what the little round "wheel" is for that has a rubber "tire" on it that is in front of the coulter blade. It does not seem to rotate, unless it is rusted locked up. It looks like it was desiged to pivot in a vertical rotation, but the more I look at it, the more fixed it seems. Obviously, the assembly rotates a few degrees laterally limited by the split pin. Please look at these photos and tell me how this works and what the round section is for.

 

[BrianR]

I'd use the coulters if you are planning to use it for no-till or min-till planting. I just added a 13 wave 16" coulter to my 1-row JD Flex 71 planter for no-till use.

Those rubber discs on the coulters are a sort of torsional spring. They allow the coulter to flex over hard obstacles such as rocks, etc.

Personally, I prefer the 3 point planters for tight spaces. I plant two decent sized gardens and the 290 pull type planter was a pain if you didn't have room to turn it around.

My coulter is a Yetter fixed mount. No flex to it as I don't require it. My gardens are clean and rock free.