Planters Planter setup

[Hardrock]

Hey all,
New to the forum and new to farming/gardening.
I'm wanting to grow some sweet corn for tailgating this summer, and I'm looking for some pointers.

I've got about a 2 acre patch of farm ground that was in field corn last year that I can use.

I recently picked up an old JD 495 4-row plate type planter in pretty decent condition, along with the operator's manual.
These old planters could be setup to either "hill-drop", or "drill" plant.

OK........most farmers 'round here only know the big, new, high dollar push button stuff, and the old timers aren't talking.
I, myself, know very little about these old planters, how they were designed to work, or even what "hill-drop" planting is (was).
I'm 99% sure the planter is setup to "drill" (plant rows), but I'm not sure it's all there.

The manual isn't real clear on how the seed delivery is configured.
To row-plant, do the flight chain/valves stay in the shanks, or no?
They're missing on this planter, and evidently, was last used to plant large field corn according to the plates that are in it.

Thanks in advance,
Mike

 

[PineRidge]

Here is another guy with the very same planter and he may be able to give you some good advice. You will most likely need to register to respond to this gent. JD Planter

 

[Argee]

Long ago corn was planted 3-4 seeds to a hill and the hills spaced 30 or so inches apart. Nowadays we drill the seed in...that is we slice open the soil and drop a seed every 8-10 inches in a straight line...both ways work except in the hill drop method you would have to thin your stalks.

 

[Hardrock]

Thanks guys, I was starting to get "corn"fused reading the 195?? something manual.

Back then, I'm sure it was easier to comprehend, as that was common planting practice.
I think I have most of the rest of the mechanicals figured out.
The gentleman I got it from claimed he could never get it to space seed close enough to suit him.

I just noticed it has 8.25-15 tires on it, and the book calls for 6.70-15's.
I'm betting the taller tire was slowing it down some.

I may make a good old planter out of this thing yet!


Mike

 

[johndeere2210]

I used a 494 planter for several years. There were 18 and 24 cell plates that were used in conjunction with the gearbox and chain drive to regulate the seed drop. Most of the time this planter was used to drill drop and that is the way you would want to plant modern sweet corn seed. Depending on your soil type and the amount of moisture you normally get during your growing season, you would want the seeds spaced from 8 to 12 inches apart. I am not sure that the 495 planter had a gearbox like the early 494's did, so you will want to probably set your plant population to 15,000 to 18,000 seeds per acre. When we used to plant sweet corn with our planter, we usually left the lids off the seed hoppers and someone walked behind the planter to "stir" the seed and make sure that the cells were full on the seed plates. It usually ended up being a family affair and the results were well worth the effort. /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

 

[Hardrock]

I think all the plates that came with it are 16 cell.
I have 5 sets, but unfortunately, none for sweet corn.
There's an odd looking set that are adjustable (metered) They open and close like a draft control on a wood stove. Not sure what I'll use them for yet.
May be a vegetable seed plate.

According to the manual, the seed valves deliver
2,3,4 seeds per flight, per hill, down the shank into the row. (hill-drop)

According to the manual, it looks like they are supposed to be left in when the planter is setup to drill, also, even though the plates are only dropping one seed every 8"-12" into the furrow.

I'm not sure whether they were removed for cleaning/storage, and misplaced, or if the previous owner purposely left them out and just let the seed "ping-pong" it's way down! LOL!
That doesn't sound to accurate to me.

Any ideas?

I had roughly figured about 17,000-18,000/Acre pop., and now that I have the right height tires on it, I should be able to follow the drop ratios in the manual pretty accurately.

I've been trying to decide just how to make sure the plates fill consistently and don't skip.
Either I buy two seasons worth of seed to get enough volume in each hopper, and store the remainder for next spring, or make custom "mini" hoppers.
This thing has NICE standard size hoppers with extentions, so I really don't want to modify them.
(I love old iron)
I was thinking of adding some sort of bristled "sweep" on the bottoms of the hopper guages.

The only options this one has is dry fertilizer boxes, and trash kickers on the standard runners.
Would it be worth the trouble to add disc openers?
Reason I ask is, I've spotted another parts 495 that has them along with herbicide/insecticide boxes, guage shoes, etc.
Wasn't all that bad of shape either, but someone just cut it up for scrap.

Mike

 

[johndeere2210]

I would not worry about the lack of flights in the seed tubes. They did help when the planting speed was 4 1/2 to 5 MPH, but we never planted sweet corn that fast. I also would not worry about the disc openers unless you will be planting in really trashy conditions. My experience with disc openers is that the bearings get full of dirt and the opener just drags anyway. Hope this helps /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[Hardrock]

Thanks Ron. That does help a bunch.
I was worried I might have to go hunt up the flights before I could put it to work.

Sounds like the disk openers would just be one more thing to maintain, but I think I'll cart the parts machine home just for the spares, at any rate.

Thanks for all the input,
Mike

 

[Argee]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I may make a good old planter out of this thing yet!)</font>

You have any pictures of that planter Mike??

 

[Hardrock]

Yep, I think I can get some tomorrow.
I went today to get the parts machine, but the crusher beat me to it. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif
All I could salvage (find) were the insecticide boxes.

The more I dig around on this thing, the more I appreceiate it's simplicity.

Mike