ford 309 corn planter

hello! can anybody help me?i just purchased a 309 corn planter i am looking to plant string beans,sweet corn and sunflowers with it but am unsure of the proper plates to use have been on new holland web site and can't determine wich plates to buy at 35$ each i don't want to make a mistake.does anyone have experience with this planter i would greatly apprecieate the help.THANKS!!

I do all my sweet corn planting with a 309 and even for that, I have three different sets of plates. All depends on the size of corn seed.
Some of the older varieties like Silver King are a totally different shape and size as compared to some newer SE and SH bi-color sweet corns.

Last I checked, most of the plates aren't even available anymore, unless NH starting making them again.

Ford used to sell blank plates so you could custom notch them for just about any seed, but they aren't available anymore.

Do you have the 309 manual? It gives some reference numbers and sizes. I've got one here somewhere, if you don't.

Also, one word of caution. Does your 309 have the optional spring-loaded rachet-release on the drive-axle so you won't break plates when backing up?

Did a Google search that said dearborn 12-20 plates are same thing. Be sure to read the last forum posting. Interesting
Dearborn 12 20 same as Ford 309

thanks for your reply.i don't have a manual for it not sure if nh would have one but i will try them.i do know that they still sell quit a few seed plates for the planter @ a high price.also not sure if this planter has spring loaded ratchet release it is a 3 point set up so i would lift before i back up.what would indicate that it has one anyway?

good forum! thanks nh does have alot of plates just looking for the wright ones for string beans and sunflowers.

There is a seller who posted several sets of these plates in photo Ads on November 27th.

I don't know where thos fellas got thier info, but Dearborn and Ford plates are not the same.

The newer Ford 309's had a ratchet clutch on the axle, this would allow you to back up with the wheels on the ground. If it does not have this clutch, DO NOT back up with the wheels touching the ground. The seed knocker will break off, last I checked they were about $10 each.

NH parts for it are a crap shoot at best, It shows many parts still avaliable, but when you order them they come up NLA.

Seed plates are the same story, computer shows in stock, but order them and they are NLA.
Watch ebay, equipment jockeys, etc.. they run anywhere from $40 a pair to $100 a pair depending on seed type. I have been collecting the plates for my 309 and have twice in the plates as I paid for the planter.

Is yours a runner opener, or a dual disc bed opener? If runner type they are probabally shot, will be difficult to maintain consistent seed depth. If dual disc, bearings are probabally shot, bearnig is NLA from NH.

Good luck they are a good planter when running correctly, but will test your repair skills.
The attached photo is the planter I restored

wow thats a nice restoration!mine is a ways off from looking like that i plan to give some new paint i hope not much else.my planter has runners although i have not yet planted anything with it yet they dont seem to be worn to me.what can i look for to indicate replacing them before i start my season?i,m also a bit shocked that you say thay NH does'nt have many parts available that was one of the reasons why i bought this unit.it does look good to me the fert. box still appears to be in working order and all the gears still spin, aside from taking it to the feild and seeding it looks good.can you recomend any pre-maintenance i can do?

Yeah, I understand the idea of keeping the planter up in the air when backing up. But. . . all you have to do is have just one wheel brush the ground slightly when going backwards and your new plates break to pieces IF they are plastic. If metal, not so bad. I'm in a hillside area and broke many until I got smart and put that rachet release in. Mine did not have it originally. I come across cheap 309s cheap as parts machines and I've bought many for $25 or $50. I've got half a dozen up in my junk pile.
Up to a few years ago, I was able to get many parts from New Holland, but not anymore. But, many are easy to retrofit. Furrow openers, disks, etc. are cheap new for other machines like Deere. The most touchy part is the dry fertilizer box and speader. And, the little plastic spring-loaded impulse dogs that ride on the seed plates.
I've gone to New Holland many times with plate part #s and got nowhere except for just one or two useless numbers, and they are very expensive. I've done much better at auctions. Last 309 parts machine I bought for $25 came with a big box of 20 assorted plates and many are cast-iron.
Deere AA57466 disks work well, in case you wanted to know. Or half the price from Sloanex, part # 109500. 13.5" diameter with a 5/8" bearing shaft.

Plates I have are:
108954 small flat
108957 A2 medium round - normal
109785 A2 medium flat short - normal
109786 A2 medium flat long - normal
109787 A2 medium flat long - normal
109788 A2

Fertilizer tubes are 1 3/4" ID by 22" long and flex radiator hose works well.

I found my 309 manual. Here are some part #s for bean plates. Manual # is 42030910

108958 - cell length = 28/64", width - 15/64", thickness - 14/64", cells per plate- 42

108953 - cell length = 42/64", width - 21/64", thickness - 19/64", cells per plate- 24

121299 - cell length = 46/64", width - 21/64", thickness - 24/64", cells per plate- 24

For corn, there are 7 different plates just for flat corn, and 5 different plates for round corn.
I use 108957 for most round sweet corn and 109787 for large flat corn like Silver Queen.

Blank plates (you cut your own cells) are:
108949 (8/64" thick), 108959 (20/64" thick) , and 126651 (19/64" thick).

More about beans:
Ford suggests 108958 plates for Navy beans. 108953 or121299 for Soy beans.

good info! thankyou! now whats the odds ofNHcarring these plates. you know i checked with them before i bought this planter and they turned me on to the web site that shows all the plates and parts for a 309 so i bought the planter thinkin if i need anything it's wright down the road at the dealer.Now im learning that may not be the case.will find out monday when i give them those bean plate #s.will also be aware when backing up with this planter as well thankyou!

I was suprised at the parts issue as well. I cant understand why most parts show being avaliable, but when ordered they are NLA. Must be walking out the back door.

The runners may work fine or not, depends on soil type and condition. If soil is loose when planting they will probabally work fine, but have a crust or slight compaction, they may not.

Maintainance is when done for the season, remove ALL fertilizer residue, wash out with water, then spray it down with a 50/50 mix diesel and used motor oil. Also grease all zerks often when planting, and it will last a very long time. Seems sitting unused is the worst enemy of these planters. Keep the fertilizer from sitting and lubed up and it will be here for another 30+ years.

New Holland still has the owners manual for them, cheap too, $9 or so.

any Q's feel free to drop me an e-mail.

In 1996, New Holland had most of the parts I wanted, including plates. Inpulse assemblies were $23 each and plates were $12 to $19 each. By 2001, they had almost nothing, and what few plates were still available were $25-$40 each.

You can make or retrofit almost any part from other makes of planters. And, if your soil is rough, adding weight makes the planter work much better. I've got a 6 foot piece of railroad track running sideways through mine. Not needed in fine or sandy soil, but otherwise it makes it work much nicer.

Around here, four-row 309s still show up at auctions dirt cheap, and they often come with many extra plates and parts. I keep buying them when cheap.

hi tip here from tennessee i was reading the forum and came across this colum and understand that you have some 309 for parts. would you have a repairable fertilizer bin and shaft that you would part with or know some one on this forum that would . i am new to this site and have trouble getting around on it . if so email me at jseal27@ bellsouth.net i hope i did this rite