Planter Advice

Current tractors are a JD 4630 (150hp) and Massey 255 (50hp)-neither of which is a great planting tractor (one too big-one too small) but no new tractors in the budget for a while.

I am not a green biggot but lean towards John Deere primarily due to dealer location. I am thinking a JD 7000, or 7200, either a 6 or 8 row. Possibly a Kinze-as I really don't like the idea of a vaccuum planter all that much-also due to maintenance and questionable hydraulics on both my tractors. However I do want something that is going to do the job and give me a decent stand over complely chincing out and losing more in yeild than I save on the planter.

I should mention I am no-till-and do only corn and soybeans. I don't mind spending the money to add on row-cleaners or tillage coulters-but proabably don't have the funds to do that to a 12-row.

My budget will of course depend of crops the next couple years but I would estimate the finance committee (wife) will allocate somewhere between $5,000-$6,000. I don't mind elbow grease and doing a little fix up to save some money but don't want to rescue something from the grave either.

What advice would you guys give for my situation? Can I find something that will work decently in that price range?

Since I run a six row cornhead I think I will keep my eyes open for a decent 6-row 7000.

You are spot on right to be concerend about the hydraulics of the vacuum units. Your 4630 should handle it but wouldn't bet on the massey. Deere does have a PTO pump for use on smaller tractors but those can be problematic. They chew up the PTO shafts.

jt

One suggestion steer clear of mounted's I had a 12 R 500 cyclo with a 1070 Case. It allowed me to convert to narrow rows on a tight budget but turning on the ends was like waltzing with a elephant.

Replacement size on the disc openers is 14.5 inches, the depth wheels should rub the openers, press wheel frames and depth wheel arms are other wear points. The clutch has given me some problems but with grease and only pulling 6 rows should last you a long time. Talk to a good planter mecahnic if you have one in your area for other pointers.

Local JD dealer put together a kit to update the transmission to the 7200 ratios. I know it needed a different sprocket on the wheel. Makes it nice to get the population tuned in just right. Upgrade gives you jumps of 1000 PPA instead of the wider gap that was original. Don't remember how much the kit cost. Kit is not a JD item but was put together with JD parts at the local dealer.

JM2CW

jt

Also, if you have to do some rebuilding, consider getting your parts thru an aftermarket supplier such as Shoup. Jim.

I plan to pull my JD 4000 4 row narrow with my MF-135 in a couple months. I've pulled a 6 row cyclo 400 with that tractor in years past though it wasn't quite master of the load it did OK.

My 4020 is a better master of either planter, but the old steering hydraulics seem to be introducing excess wander in the guess rows. And the 135 will run all day on what the 4020 will use in three hours.

Gerald J.

You can buy most any 6 or 8 row 7000 here for $2-4,000 and figure $100 in parts per row to tighten up the depth wheels and $100 a row to redo the corn meters. Buy one with good gauge wheels & have the meters rebuilt, you'll be good for years.

--->Paul