JD 24B Planter

I bought a John Deere 24B planter this year to plant...at least that's what the seller told me...to plant corn. It didn't come with an owners manual so I'm searching around on how to set the planter (see pic). I can easily figure out the spacing of the rows by moving the two units in or outward, but setting the spacing of the corn seeds might be a little more challenging. I have plates for it. They are Lustran plates and I don't remember the sizes. It appears that all the plates I have the same number of teeth, its just the width and height varies for different size seeds.

I tested the spacing by recording the rotation the back wheel ( in yellow color) and when a seed would be dropped. I come up with 6 inches would be the spacing, which for sweet corn might be too close. I want to space them about 8 to 12 inches apart.

I did notice that the two chain spur gears...they're not really but for description purposes I'll call them gears...can be easily removed by a simple snap pin. I'm wondering if adjusting the seed spacing is done by changing the gears and using different gear ratios. Does anyone have any suggestions? I personally couldn't find any information on the gears or a plate chart to help clarify all this. Any help would be appreciated.

nice planter
I have one too!!!!
guess they were made back in the late 50's or early 60's
I have seen a long tool bar with 6 of these units bolted together.

mine works good, corn comes right up, I like the press wheel inserts, leaves the corn row well packed, no matter the loose or rough ground.
also you can easily adjust the row width spacing, I plant 42" wide rows so I can plow with my one row cultivator.

I needed a few parts for the fertilizer boxes, John Deere dealer had the parts list and ordered the bearing I needed, no problem.

each year I get it out to plant my corn patches, I will have someone stop by and want to buy it. so be careful if you price yours, be sure you want to sell, someone will take you up on these little planters. Note: the JD emblems have 4 legs, not two as the new JD equipment, do not know what year they changed the emblem from a 4 legged deer to two legs.

Max,I'm pretty sure the 24B unit planter was built up into the 1970.I used to have a 6 row on a double solid bar.It was heavy.Even seem em as 8 rows,too.But that was a longtime ago.

Pw,
On the left side of your planter boxes.
Take the sprockets off and change them around,

put the larger one on the planter box shaft, this will widen the corn spacing.

I did not get any other sprockets, but it works great at this setting for my sweet corn.

The Lustran plate in the planter is a B9-24. The canisters are set for 42" apart, but my tractor's front inside wheels measure 42" apart and the rear outside wheels measure 75" apart, so I'm wondering what should I adjust. I really hate to change the distances on the tires on the tractor, but I also don't want to plant seed so close to the front tire location. If I keep my planter set at 42", then I have to cut through the soil where the front tire just compact it.

So I need to buy the book...blast. I was hoping I didn't need to do that.

Yes...if I flip the sprockets around I should increase my seed spacing. If I remember my gearing formulas it is rpm(gear) x N(gear) = rpm(pinion) x N(pinion), so reversing the sprockets should help and I can easily figured out the ratios. Good idea...thanks. I'll do that over the weekend.

I plan to plant about 1/2 acre. Bigger than a garden...for me...but not commercial. I'm too lazy to plant by hand. I rather let my machinery do the work for me.

As far as the sprockets are concerned, are they a standard geometry? I never seen a sprocket that took a chain like that before, but then again I never looked for one. If they are a standard geometry, then getting new ones of different sizes should be easy. Otherwise, JD will be charging a hefty price for them.

Thanks for all the help and suggestions.

Going with a 16 cell plate instead of a 24 cell will change that 6" spacing to a 9" spacing as the 24 cell plants at 150% of the 16 cell, the 16 cell is 2/3rd the size of a 24 cell in planting capacity. You are not going to be planting enough to worry about speed but on large usage where you are running at maximum planter speeds using a 24 cell at same seed drop count over the 16 cell due to plate speed you get a better fill on cells so a better spaced seed drop. I would just try to find the 16 cell for that. Store that I was in last year has every plastic plate made, both JD & IHC hanging all over the celing for sale and in some sizes at least a dozen of a size.

Unless the planter opener comes on the edge of the tire track to the point that 1/2 of press wheel only is in tire track , would affeck seed placement, do not worry about it. Only for cultivating would it be a problem. Back when we were planting whole fields with the 2 row planter it would be planting in the tire tracks all the time, later when went to 4 row planter the 2 middle rows were still in those tire tracks while the outer row on either side were not. 42" rows is still too wide in my area for sweet corn, I would change the planter to 30" row spacing. And still aim for the 9" seed spacing. The 42" row spacing came from the horse days when using a large draft horse and cultivating when corn was already 3' tall due to width of the horses belly.

Your planter is set for 42 inch rows cuz that was common when horses pulled the planter- they needed that width to get through with the cultivator. The "gears" are called sprockets. They use "flat" chain instead of roller chain. Planting is the most important job of the year. One chance to get it right. Proper book is important, especially for a novice.

I switch the sprockets on one of the planters and measured the rotation of the wheel. It appears that the seed spacing would now be ~18", where before it was ~6". That's a little too much separation. I'll look for a 16 cell plate.

I will also change the row spacing from 42" to 30". Right now I'll have to let the bolts soak in PB blaster for a day or two to become unfrozen. If that doesn't work, then I'll hit it with some heat and try to break them free that way.

Thanks