Scored a John Deere 71 flex planter- need opinions / education

bjr · Nov 20, 2013

You can download a manual from the Yetter website. You can get plates from Lincoln Ag in Nebraska. bjr

Poopdeck Pappy · Nov 20, 2013

That's a great find and seems like a good price to me. I've seen old planters in much rougher shape selling for more money.

It wouldn't take a whole lot of work to rig up a couple of markers to mount on the toolbar to create a small furrow that would show you where to run the center of your tractor on the next pass in order to have perfectly spaced rows.

pharmvet · Nov 20, 2013

Thanks guys, a few more questions if you don't mind.
1) I think I may need to replace the springs inside the housings that keep tension on the chain. One end attaches to the disk holding the 2 small tension sprockets and the other end is attached to a rivet in the housing. Do I need to replace the rivet if I replace the spring, or can I remove the old spring and hook the new spring on the same rivet?

1) on one of the units, I can tell the drive shaft that is attached to the foreword most sprocket is slightly warped and wobbles some when it rotates. I would like to replace it with a new true one. How do you remove it?

3) in reading an operators manual, I keep seeing references to a 2-1/2" tool bar. My tool bar (which is red, and I suspect not John Deere) is 2". I realize it will work, but is a 2-1/2" tool bar actually correct?

300UGUY · Nov 20, 2013

I have a 2.5 toolbar on mine, but I don't think it matters, unless you are a deere collector. As for your mechanical questions, I'd just clean it up, lube it, and use it. Not like you are going to plant hundreds of acres with it.

MHarryE · Nov 21, 2013

As to the insecticide boxes - I have heard that people use them for planting very small seed vegetables - I'm thinking carrots and radishes for example. I saw that in ads on eBay and also heard it from the guy I bought my later model Deere planter from. I have a large fertilizer hopper up front that side dresses I believe 2 inches to the side of the seed, and the insecticide boxes behind the seed boxes just like yours. Mine was cut from a 30 row Max-Emerge planter.

pharmvet · Nov 29, 2013

I removed the insecticide boxes today. From everything I read, I don't think I will ever need them. What amount on ($) do you think I can reasonably expect to get for them? Thanks