Cyclo 800 problem

So I started Friday and was a whole day ahead of everyone around getting the field worked. Today I am officially one day behind them and not sure if I will be getting it in. One thing after another with this planter but I think the final straw here is that I cannot get more than 4 psi in the hopper. I tried taking it down one pass and 3 rows showed on the monitor with no seed flow. All the holes in the drum were filled but thinking to myself that I have not enough PSI to get the seed thru all the tubes. I am at full RPM on the tractor. The PTO mounted pump is filled to spec with 30 weight oil. I had a leak on the hopper were the white joins the red. Caulked it up and can find no sign of leaks since. Air is flying out the holes and like I said the seed is staying in the holes. If anyone can tell me what to do next I would sure appreciate it. This is getting very expensive.

Do you have the rubber wheels down on the drum on top? Do the rubber wheels have holes or cracks in them? Are the plastic wheels on the end of the rubber wheels broke out? Do you have air coming out of the hoses down by the seed discs? We have run cyclos for 40 years. The last was an 800, I switched to a deere 7200 this year, but the 800 is a good planter, check back there must be something you are missing. One other thing you said you patched a leak with caulk, are you sure the rivet wasn't broke out? There are small rivets that hold the two halves of the hoppers together, one rivet missing will spread the hoppers apart and lose a lot of air. Another possiblility you have some blocked hoses, if you take the drum off and the seed chutes are full of seed the hose are plugged, either with cob webs, hornets nests, corn seed strings, you name it. To unplug one you have to either unhook the hoses where they connect or try to fish some baling type wire up from the bottom or down through the seed chute. When I first start to plant, I always started the planter with the planter raised and then give the drum a few spins, this should let you know you have corn coming out by all the discs before you even put the planter in the dirt. Also on the drum there should be no seeds on the drum once they pass the rubber wheels. If the seeds have been dropped once they pass the rubber wheels then your seed chutes and hoses are plugged. Any more questions, just ask.

Bless you for taking the time to respond. I have fixed more things in the past two days than I thought I had the ability to fix. The rubber wheels are good, the repair to the hopper also good. I ran all over it and every place else I could think of but no more air leaks are apparent. I have rigged up a rubber stopper with a hole in it that will fit on my air nozzle and will fire up the compressor tomorrow and insert the stopper into the bottom of the air tubes and blow anything in there out. After that I really am thinking I need more PSI of pressure. The manual gives different pressures for different weights of 80K seed I am thinking this must have something to do with holding it on the drum and getting it thru the tubes. The average psi is about 11 in the chart. I have only 4. Think I need to get this up but puzzling as to how.

I re read your first post and you said the monitor said three rows weren't planting, but did you check the row, for sure were they or weren't they planting? Also, how is your brush set, for big seeds I think the brush has to be tied back. The other bad news is if you can't get more than 4oz, your pump could be bad, those pumps barely have enough oomph when they are new, let alone 30 years later. Our 800 was run off the tractor hydraulics, bad part of that is you have to stop at the end of the field to lift the planter because the tractor does not have enough flow to run the fan and lift the planter fast. Also if you decide to run off the tractor you have to return the hydraulic oil through the tractors rear end drain plug. you cant return it through the remotes on the older IH's.

All very good advice! Easiest way to check air and seed flow is to hold your hand under the seed tube while the pto pump is running like Moline guy said. With it running you can turn the seed shaft with a cresent wrench and the drum will turn and put seeds out if okay. There is a pressure adjustment screw on the pump that changes pressure to blower motor. Does the pressure gauge read the same as the monitor does for air pressure? My gauge is irratic but monitor reading seems to be correct. Do you see seeds on the ground after you raise the planter on the ends. Poor man's monitor is to check for seeds every round as you turn around..

I would have to look in my book but when I got my 800 in 2012 it had ATF in the pto pump so I made sure I used ATF, My only guess would be a weak pump or motor, change the filter to by the way, sounds like not getting enough oil flow. A hose could be bad too, but a filter change would show that if there is rubber in the filter.

I reread, turn it on and have it raised up and turn the shaft at the transmission, that will tell you if you are getting seed out your tubes. As for air pressure your gauge could be wacky too. Just suggestions, IDK other wise. Tom

Appreciate the ideas. The filter idea is a good one, I'll have a look at that today.

I have the basic monitor and it does not give me a pressure reading unfortunately. Heading out there today to work on the seed tubes, check for blockage, see if the filter is OK, manually check for seed flow. Even if I have seed flow manually I am concerned that it will repeatedly clog the tubes if the pressure is indeed too low. With a monitor that reads flow error (per the manual) if it gets less than one seed per second I think it must need a pretty good air flow to keep things moving down the tubes. I think that is why the different bag weights on the 80K seed require different pressures. Heavier bag, heavier kernel requires higher pressure. Even the light corn requires more than double what I am showing on the gauge. Honestly just too many things that could be wrong here...pto speed, pump, blower, gauge...and not one of those things can I accurately test. I can only replace on spec. I am going to run thru it one more time and then I guess I call for mobile service. Three full days in the field in full sun covered with fluid (hose burst on day one, you can't walk by the thing and not get it on you) is more than I can take. Tractor issue, burst hose, markers needed work, pressure won't go up, drum won't turn...all of it I have fixed except this pressure thing. Then last night on the way home the pickup stopped running on a down grade with a trailer full of seed an fertilizer. A mile from home so I got the 300U and pulled the whole works here. Pardon the rant, but it makes me feel better as I head out again to get it off my chest.

Any other suggestions, I have my phone with me and will be reading on my breaks. Thanks all!!!

I ran a 800 for 8 years and at times they can be a real pain....I had to get a new pump 10 years ago and it was right at $1,000 back then.....Even with a new pump it barely had enough air pressure to plant corn.....I ran Hy-tran in the pump..

Did you order rounds for seed corn....One year my dealer got me flats and my 800 wouldnt plant them..They were too big and heavy to all stay in the seed pockets..

Is your hopper lid seal good..These planters wont tolerate any air leaks at all....All I could drive was 5 mph in corn...Planting milo and beans I could run 7 mph..

Are your seed release wheels centered perfectly over the holes?

Did you spray graphite around your seed drum seal..Is your corn drum rubber seal good..If I were closer I would try and help you...

With the planter raised up and tractor running at full throttle you can turn the drum and see whats coming out each seed tube..I had to turn my 1206 IH planting tractor 2600 rpms to get enough air pressure to plant corn..

The manual says to use 30 weight motor oil, so that's what is in mine. Beat up scruffy lookin pump but I have it turned down and the monitor says 9 at pto speed. Planted accurate as the corn is up now.

I would say yes to everything on the list, graphite rollers corn etc. I am posting an update of what we did today on a separate thread. I think we are narrowing it down some.