Tree Planter - Tree Spacing Timer

[Doppelgangar]

Why not just ask them to add this attachment

optional gauge wheels to control planter depth and tree spacing


Might be cheeper that you think.

 

[Canada_CT230]

Thanks for all the great suggestions. I think I have found my solution with help from ACZLAN.

A magnetic switch by the rear tire and magnets spaced on the rim and hooked to a relay sounding the tractor horn. The wiring is fairly simple and the magnets are adjustable on the rim to vary the planter spacing. The audible tone will be better than a visual cue.

I will post pictures of the wiring / installed and maybe a video of the working system.

 

[Canada_CT230]

Who is talking depth gauge wheels???

No option for a spacing device. Besides...I don't need to pay an extra $500 for $20 bucks worth of wire and a relay.

Are you affilated with a planter manufacturer?

Why not just ask them to add this attachment

optional gauge wheels to control planter depth and tree spacing


Might be cheeper that you think.

 

[Canada_CT230]

BUILD UPDATE:

$50 for wire, switches, fuses, relay and terminal connectors has completed the electronic build. I gathered up the parts and sat down this afternoon to build it. About 1 hr later I had the working guts of the tree spacer horn honker. It is a super simple system in the end...probably less fuss than a mechanical bell dinger.

All that is left is to fab up/weld a bracket and make the final connections.

I did test it out and it honks the tractor horn as you pass the magnetic switch by the other base side. I put an on/off switch so that we can shut the whole system down and all is fuse protected.

I have an eBay order being shipped with rare earth (neo) magnets that I will space accordingly on the rim. Those will be the only thing that is not permanmently installed on the tractor. The bracket will be tucked up behind the fender and inside the frame.

Should be goodly. Thanks for all the input. I learned stuff about relays and that is always good to learn.

 

[quicksandfarmer]

The wiring is fairly simple and the magnets are adjustable on the rim to vary the planter spacing.

I'm thinking that no matter where on the rim you put the magnet it's going to trigger once per revolution and the spacing is going to be the same, the circumference of the tire. Two magnets makes it half the circumference, and three makes it one third, etc. But with this setup you're not going to get 10 foot spacing from an 11-foot wheel.

 

[Canada_CT230]

I know I won't get 10 ft spacing...It is an 11ft circum. wheel.

If I put one magnet on the rim it will make 11 ft spacing. Two magnets equal 5.5 ft spacing. Three magnets equal 3.66...ft spacing. Etc, etc.

10ft spacing was a starting point for the idea. It was one of my planting options. I can live with 11ft. It is close enough but I also can put multiple magnets on the rim and get small spacing.

 

[2458n]

My tree transplanter had you riding with your back facing the tractor. Two seats and a basket for the tree seedlings. Talk about engineering, ours used a cane pole ,and a chain. When the chain past the last tree in the trench, it was time for another tree to be hand placed in the trench. Little 4 wheel drive Kubota with mom driving. 2500 trees now 10 years old.

 

[Canada_CT230]

That is the reason I decided against the dragging chain spacer. The planter operator is facing forward in the direction of travel. Too much looking back & forth. The audible beep is so simple.

 

[spruce Deere]

"We" wife and I, planted the last 12 acres of spruce 9 to 18 inches tall with a planter that I have know Idea of manufacture, but looks lot like a red boss tree planter.

I built a measuring wheel attachment to "click" every 8 foot, the spacing of the planted trees. The planter came with a 6 foot clicker, copied that design for the 8 foot one.

After trials, errors and such, we chit canned the clicker wheel, was not consistent with spacing, ended up using the ol' row marker "8 foot" we used for hand planting trees, made rows with that and then the wife would stick a seedling in the planting shoe just before lining it up with the mark from the row marker and last tree planted..... worked o.k.

Like your horn idea, Can't wait to see how it turns out, operates and does on spacing

 

[SSdoxie]

Canada, If your horn sounds as wimpy as mine (sounds like it came off a 1950s VW Beetle) you may have pick up one a salvage yard and strap it to the ROPS so you can hear it over the engine noise.