Finding the right planter

07ketnec · Jan 16, 2017

About a year ago I purchased a John Deere 227 Picker. Really good shape, sheet metal is clean without rust and dents. After all fixed up, I plan to put it on our 60 to use casually.

My point though, is that I wanted to find a 2 row planter to work with it for row spacing. I want to say the picker is setup on 40" rows? but can very +- with the snouts.
I found a Deere 290 two row tow behind that happens to be in great shape for $350. Still has all the bins and lids for seed and fertilizer. Just one small rust spot on the lower portion of one of the seed bins. Also still has the about a dozen different seed plates. (Worth the $? Some are listed at auction for $1200)

Basically, what are your thoughts on what planter would work best? This 290 looks adjustable, but I can't find the min and max on the row spacing for it. Also, what about 3pt hitch antique planters? Feel like it would be easier to use but harder to find?

Thanks!
Kip

NY 986 · Jan 16, 2017

Not to be a wet blanket on this but what is the availability of seed suitable for plate planters where you are at? Probably could find an older plateless planter for similar kind of money. Are you planting enough to make a short afternoon picking or are you going to do many acres?

preacher man · Jan 16, 2017

I have a 494, 2 row planter with furrow openers, covering spoons, markers, and hydraulic cylinder on it. It is on 30" rows but is easily moved out to work with your picker. Been in the shed for 20+ years. Runners need taken off and wire brushed to remove the rust, but other than that it should be field ready. It is for sale. Just let me know.

donjr · Jan 16, 2017

Those pickers were pretty much a 40" machine. You can find a 494 with plateless units, or better, a 1240, or 4 row 7000 planter and set it for 40 " rows....

Leroy · Jan 16, 2017

A 494 is only a 4 row planter with remote cylinder lift and depending on seed boxes and axle can be set from 28" up to 42", to go below 34" you need the special parts. The only tractor drawn 2 row planter Deere ever built in a standard corn planter is a 290 and they are adjustable from 28" with the correct seed boxes to 42" and most are clutch lift. And that picker if you try to plant on a 38" row spacing you will run down to row on each side of the tractor. I used a 227 on many a acre on a Late A tractor. And I planted with the 494 planter.

casecollectorsc · Jan 16, 2017

What does the picker measure. Have a Case that measures at 38" Set the planter accordingly. Round seeds are available and flats yet.The 290 will work fine for a small amount of corn.

paul · Jan 16, 2017

A 40 inch picker will easily pick 38-42 inch rows.

Around here 30 inch was narrow, 38 inch was wide, so I would get a 38 inch planter. Some planters can 'asily' be set different spacing so, but 50 years of sitting and wear makes some of that adjustment a little harder to do.....

07ketnec · Jan 17, 2017

Not a bad option to consider. Where are you located and what kind of price tag?

07ketnec · Jan 17, 2017

This is strictly a hobby, and ideally would restore it with time. Central IL for just maybe at most plant an acre of assorted crop.

Leroy · Jan 17, 2017

The 494 series never were plateless, you have to go up to a 12XX series to get plateless.

Leroy · Jan 17, 2017

The picker itself would pick 36" rows but the problem is the outside width of the rear tires would run down the row next to it unless you would alternate 2 rows at 36" and next 2 at 44". Just cannot get the rear tires in close enough for less than 40" rows. If you could run a 10" tire it would do 38" but not with a normal 12-13.6 tire.

Leroy · Jan 17, 2017

The picker itself will easily do that but it is the fact that the particular picker is wider than some where it fits between the rear tractor tires, (if it was a pull type picker no problem but it is a fully mounted picker) and when you figure that width plus 2" for mud clearance and that is all you can get and then the width of a rear tire of 13.6" that would be normal for his tractor you are against the stalks in the row on each side of the unit unless you make a wider space. And a 15.5 that would fit that tractor would not give you a bit of mud clearance between tire and picker. Likely tear up a tire trying to mount the picker.

glennster · Jan 17, 2017

if you may be interested in a newer style planter like a jd 7000 or 7100, there is a place up in kankakee il that builds custom planters either 2 or 4 row, or prolly any configuration you want. here is a link
poke here

RN · Jan 17, 2017

as others noted check wheel spacing, tire size. 227 picker at 42 inch, planter at same 42 inch means decent spacing of wheel- about max spacing anyway. 4 row planter and then 4 row cultivator, simple enough picking with 2 row. a 2 row planter will need a 2 row cultivator to match, extremely difficult to do a pair of 2 rows right to use a 4 row cultivator- and a 60 is a 4 row cultivator capable tractor. 42 inch row was width of horses hind end and is good spacing for hand picking sweet corn as well. Check you oil before mounting picker, hard to do oil change with picker mounted. Draw bar probably will need extension for regular wagon tongue. Acre or so for regular corn or sweet corn, maybe you won't cultivate- but JD with the quick tach front subframe means rest of rig off and on in 15 minutes. Picker have the front radiator shroud/stack? needed if doing lots of picking with dust and leaves- other wise clean radiator frequently. 2 row cultivator on 60,70 can be set up wide row with no back teeth, just ad another shovel to outside of row or a extra center set of 2-3 spring tooth points like front wheel tracks get. good for the sweet corn. 290 is good for hobby, small field- depending on soil, fertilizer, rain, type of corn- 14,000 to 24,000 seeds to the acre. Old Reeds Yellow Dent or Bloody Butcher, manure with a little starter fertilizer, 'Light' planting can get a fair crop in moderately dry weather- and those old corn lines are open pollinated, fairly as 'Green' corn for sweet corn use. fair fences and a family cow or goat can glean the field, chew on stalks over winter. Have fun playing in dirt. RN

Case Nutty 1660 · Jan 17, 2017

my 290 converted to 3pt 36 or 38 inch is what its set at

David G · Jan 17, 2017

My dad had one of the 290's pulled it behind Farmall H, worked pretty good and was cheap.

You will lay out a bit of cash for a 4000 planter.

John730D · Jan 17, 2017

I'm Located in Central IL also. I have a John Deere 246 3pt hitch planter, and an IH 2 row 3pt hitch. I don't remember the number of the IH, Both are for sale if you want a 3pt instead of a pull type. I am in Florida today, but am heading home tomorrow. Will be home by Sat. I am located by Fairbury IL
jstlodemia73 at gmail.com.

NY 986 · Jan 17, 2017

For an acre I would not layout the kind of money that a 7000 takes. White 5400 or AC Air Champ would be fine but I will caution that it would be well advised to be very knowledgable about automotive type electronics. I could live with an IH Cyclo and just have somebody help me with the ins and outs of that system. If your drum has good contact with the tank and you have a working air gauge you have most of the battle licked.

donjr · Jan 17, 2017

You're right, but a few guys around here cobbled a few together from parts after the 7000 series caused a bunch of older planters to become scrappers and the 80 units started showing up in junk yards......Never saw one working, but I'm told they did.....

wellmax99 · Jan 18, 2017

I bought this small two row planter
John Deere 25-B

it works well and you can change the row width easily

maybe you can find one, I think its a late 50's or early 60's model

Leroy · Jan 18, 2017

Only ever saw one unit planter and that was in a parts yard. Just were not sold in my area. Dought if a lot of parts men would have known what they were. And the 12XX series plateless units should have been easy enough to mount on a 494A frame as it was almost the same as a 12XX model, now the 494 was different and would have needed a lot more work

paul · Jan 18, 2017

Can be true there on sizing a wide picker. case had a very few, but loyal, group of farmers are punt here. I'm not at all familiar with them, Red and Green and Dull Green were by far the common 3 colors around here, with a few Blue and Orange thrown in.

Dads F-20 with mounted 2ME picker that we ran until about 1980 or so worked well at the 40 inch, and then the 38 inch rows that we had. Granted those are wide tractors by the time you get the picker wedged on. And wider rubber tires carry better in the mud, if you can fit the wider tires on.

Paul

massey 333 · Jan 18, 2017

That is interesting Leroy as we and others ran tractors with 15.5s (227s-237s,NIs,IHCs) without any problems for 40 yrs.or so on 38 inch rows.

notjustair · Jan 18, 2017

I've got an old Allis four row I use to plant my sweet corn. I love that old thing. It was a 40 inch spacing but I narrowed it as much as I could - I think it's at 32 now. It's a slick old planter with the fertilizer boxes and all. It's a pull type but you could do it with a very small tractor as long as it has hydraulics for the lift.

thorfarms · Jan 18, 2017

Find yourself a couple JD 71 flex planter units. Build your self a 3 point bar and mount them on any spacing you like.

David G · Jan 20, 2017

Sorry, 7000

Finding the right planter

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