MF 39 Planter Restored

I posted this in the MF tractor section by mistake, so I'm reposting here....SORRY!

I just finished this MF 39 2 row planter and thought that I'd share some pics with everyone. It wasn't "show piece" restore, it is a usable piece of equipment restore. I'll post before pic too.

What kind of corn are you planting for quail? I've been fooling with releasing 4-5 week old birds the last couple of years, mostly for dog training. By the time they're around 8-10 weeks, they act just like wild birds. Nothing gets a dog fired up like a 20-bird covey rise. Makes my pulse run a little faster too.

I live in Michigan and our winters are rough. Last summer's drought really set back any kind of seed producing plants. I had lots of vetch in late summer after we got some rain. I'm looking forward to a good crop this fall. Hope to do a burn or two and some disking. I plan to plant corn, milo, and buckwheat. Our land hasn't been farmed in over 35 years. Lot's of organic stuff on the better ground.

Larry

Before Picture:

I drug this thing out of the brush. I had been putting oil on it and turning it over for several years, but it needed alot of TLC in order to make it a reliable piece of equipment.

Found this'n not far from home. It was used for a couple years then put in storage for more than 25 years. I cleaned it up, gave it a tune up, and left it unrestored. It'll be planting popcorn in a couple months. This one is a little later model than yours. You don't really need row markers with a 2-row planter if the tractors track width is set right. (2X row width, center of tire to center of tire) You just follow in the tire tracks from the last row.

Yours looks really nice!

Just what is bT corn? Any suggestions, recommendations? I'm just putting in about 3 acres, first year will be a trial year, I'm not looking to make any $$ or really feeding any livestock. Any pickin's will probably just go to the local hunters or whomever. This is mainly to help create habitat for Bobwhite Quail..... and coons and deer. LOL!

I grew up working on a farm 30 years ago, but that's what I did....work. I never got into any technicalities, the owners did. One of them was a school friend, in which still is, he's been filling me in on some things, but he always worked on alot bigger scale and used bigger equipment of course, plus it was their only income, so he has a different look at it than I do.

Thanks

It was quite a bit of work really, I got in deeper than originally planned. I had to widen it to 32" from 28". Thirty two is the widest I can go with my tractors since I don't have adjustable wheels. I just bought a 1948 Dearborn left handed 1 row picker that works, but also needs alot of TLC and should work fine with the 32" rows. I don't think this planter ever had the markers installed, although I would like to have them, just for looks if nothing else.

Ted, your tractor would just make my day too. I've never even seen a picture of the model/year planter that I have. Everything on it is stamped "MHF", a Massey Harris 38 operators manual is pretty much the same planter as mine, so it may be one of the first "Massey Fergusons"? I've got 5/8", 9/16" and 3/8x5/8" oblong plates for it also. I made the fertilzer tubes out of swimming pool hose with a smaller sump pump hose inside of it to fit in the fertilizer openers, works better than the originals. Now I have to wait until planting season to try it out.

Thanks Fellas!

I just got this 1948 Dearborn 16-4 one row left handed corn picker. The fella had been using it and now I'm going to try to keep her going. Any tips tricks or stories to go along with these pickers would be most appreciated. I do have the assmbly/operators manual for it also.