John Deer 700 plateless planter

I know there was a discussion a couple day/weeks back about how good these planters are. I have the chance to buy two sets at a reasonable price. My question is one set does not have corn meters. I will have to buy a set. Has anyone bought these meters from Shoup and if so how well did they work. They are much cheaper tan JD.

Thank You

JWalker

There are a lot of used finger units for sale. Farmers have replaced the JD units with Precision Planting units.

There are some listed right now on the Iowa City farm and garden on Craigslist.

Or contact the Precision Planting dealer in your area.

Gary

I updated mine with precision planting meters, supposed to be better than the JD's. They do work nice.

(reply to post at 18:40:11 12/03/14)

Click to expand...

How perfect of a stand do you want? 96 percent or 98-99 percent? That's about the only difference between a perfectly tuned Deere finger unit compared to a perfectly tuned up Precision unit. I run Precision in a Deere vac planter and it does drop at a 98-99 percent accuracy, but 96 percent is pretty darned good too. Compare what you can buy Deere units for VS precision and make your own decision. If you buy used Deere units you will have to take the cover off and look at the backing plate, fingers etc. If you have to start buying parts to bring them back up to new condition you can get some dollars wrapped up. If the seller allows, have them run on a test stand first. I have seen finger units thrown in a pile just inside a machine shed door that is never closed, and left there in the rain and snow till they are needed the next spring. You would never want to buy those units.

Been using a couple 7000 planters for 15 or more years now.

Got Precision brand meters 2 years ago, good, I prefer them.

Not that you can go wrong with JD or the generic ones from Shoup or the like.

Paul

what do you mean by, "buying 2 sets?" Do you mean buying 2 corn planters?


I have used the jd and precision planting meters. I get my meters tested every 3 years, and always keep them in the climate controlled house, year round, until needed. Mine were last tested at 99.8% accuracy. when I replaced the JD meters with the precision meters, they tested the JD meters, and they were planting at 91.4% accuracy and needed more work than what could be justified to buy the precision units. The shoup units are the precision planting units, with seed tubes, for about $190 each. I paid a bit more than that for mine, but, was worth every penny.

Of course, a worn out planter that doesn't have good openers, worn disks, improper shims, bad closing wheels, fertilizer openers not in the proper 2 inch band, etc. will not matter how good the meters and seed tubes are.

I am looking at two four row units. I have been hiring, borrowing, and trading with neighbors to plant my corn for the last 10 years. It is time to purchase my own. For the price I have been quoted on the unit without corn meters I can buy the meters but I would like to get the best meter at the least dollars.

JWalkers

The Shoup meters are Precision Planting meters. That is all they sell now. A regular John Deere meter can be easily converted to a Precision meter by adding parts and drilling one hole. If you have to buy parts anyway you just as well buy the Precision parts. I've converted bunches of them. Regular John Deere meters, because of the fixed brush setting, do well with medium sized seed. The Precision units (or converted meters) do a better job on a wider range of seed sizes. However, none of them do their best when differing seed sizes are mixed. True, they will plant them, but there will be more skips and doubles. I once had a set of meters come in to test that had not had good maintenance on them. They doubled something fierce and would only plant around 89%. The seed saved by converting to Precision parts would pay for themselves in a short while with just the seed savings and do a better job all around. I got them all over 99% by doing what needed done. If I were going to design the best finger pickup meter I would use either Precision or Deere finger units themselves (NOT Kinze...they are terrible and flex WAY too much) and the rest I would go with Precision parts. The design limit of the finger pickup is being reached as far as how fast it turns, etc. Vacuum units do a better job as populations raise. Results and the test stand prove it. Mike

If you have the opportunity to buy them for a good price, pick them up. Everything you could ever need for them is available through shoup. It is best to replace the seed tubes with the meters. new v-slicers, replace seed openers if they are under 14 1/2" diameter. They are only $160 for a 4 row planter. Keeton seed firmers make a difference with that planter. I have been running them for 4 years now. I will not go back to running without them. The keeton firmers were actually the way that precision planting got it's start.

I have a neighbor who just retired after probably 38 years? of farming. He started with a used 7000 four row and used it through all 38? years and it still plants like a new planter, only just not as fast. It's a legendary machine. Sometimes I wish I had a 7000 instead of the 7200 I have just because of the vacuum issues. Jim

7000 is a great planter . due to a fire i lost mine but if u need moniter i still have itwill sell cheeep

which monitor do you have?

Thank all of you for your replies.
I would like to ask another question. What do you mean by accuracy? Are you referring to how many times it plants ONE seed or how many times it drops "seed" (1 or more) when it is supposed too.

How do you test these meters for accuracy?

If you send them off, where do you send them to?

Thank You

JWalker

I get mine done through Growmark FS, and they send them off to Bedford, PA. I think, if you call any precision planter dealer, they can arrange meter testing.

EDIT:

Accuracy is tested according to the speed at which you plant and the population and seed singulation. so that when they test them, they set it up to run your ground speed and your population. then they count the frequency and accuracy of the seeds as they come out of the meter. accuracy is measured as a percentage.