Is Your Planter Ready to Roll? Use this Checklist to Be Sure

When it comes to winning the furrow, it all starts with the planter.

Missy Bauer, Farm Journal field agronomist, says some of the common planting mistakes can be fixed before the planter hits the field. Bauer walks through common checkpoints as part of a 10-point planter inspection.

1. Transmission

“I highly recommend running your transmission system on the planter and looking through there before you go to plant,” Bauer says.

2. Row units

“A lot of times, row units get bent and twisted,” she says. “We want to make sure they’re staying center and level on the main body itself.”

3. Down pressure

A hydraulic system is Bauer’s recommendation.

“We see a huge advantage over hydraulic downforce compared to running air bags and springs. We’re able to do a lot better job of holding the row unit with these systems,” she says.

Hydraulic force, coupled with the sensors, is “pivotal” for automated downforce across the field, according to Bauer.

4. Parallel arms

“There are eight bolts in every row unit,” she says. “A lot of bolt and bushing arms are getting too worn out and we’re seeing slop.”

Once slop starts, it’s not an easy fix. Many producers, according to Bauer, think a new bolt or bushing will mitigate slop, but the motion will have created a permanent, oblong gap in the arm.

To make your planter last, Bauer suggests producers check bolt and bushings before rolling into the first field this spring, and regular checks throughout the season.

5. Row cleaners

“We highly recommend row cleaners on a planter, and we prefer what we call a cab-controlled row cleaner, where I can make adjustments in down pressure through row cleaners from the cab,” Bauer says.

Bauer says row cleaners are especially important to check in multiple crop rotations.

6. No-till coulter

Ensuring no-till coulters are running shallow is key to planting success, according to Bauer. She says if coulters aren’t set properly, they create a false bottom and plant seed too deep. Openers then won’t turn, and coulters will accumulate mud on gauge and closing wheels.

“We see depth issues often with coulters and we want to adjust these so that they are running ¼” above double disc openers,” Bauer says.

7. Gauge wheels

“Gauge wheels are frequently not running tight enough,” says Bauer. “To check, lift the wheel into the running position and make sure there’s no space between the inside of the gauge wheel and the disc opener. If you can’t hear the rubber slide up and down, it’s not on tight enough.”

To keep gauge wheels tight throughout the season, Bauer recommends a replacement like Copperhead Ag’s gauge wheel arm repair kits.

8. Opening discs

Opening discs create the “v” seed trench. Ensuring point-of-contact settings prior to getting in the field will save time and money, according to Bauer.

“Use two business cards to check point-of-contact. Slide one in from the top and another in from the bottom. Where the two cards don’t come together anymore, take a measurement, and that is your point-of-contact. Repeat that process all the way around the blade,” she says.

Point of contact will depend on many things, including your planter settings, make and model. Bauer says the most critical information is knowing the point-of-contact number and ensuring that uniformity across your planter.

Case IH planters, however, have more give, according to Bauer. She says a single business card should “wiggle right through” a disc evenly.

9. Seed tubes, guards, firming points

In the planting season, keeping seed tubes protected should be a main priority. This protection requires regular guard maintenance.

“John Deere and older Kinze planters will come with 1” guards. Once they get worn down to ¾”, they need to be replaced,” Bauer says. “These newer Kinze planters come at about 7/8” and need replaced at 5/8”. Case 1200 series have firming points and 2100 series have forming points, so those will need monitored for ware maintenance as well.”

10. Closing wheels

There are various options on the market for trench closing options. Bauer’s first choice is something with two stages.

“A ‘2-stage system’ first closes and then follows with a firming mechanism after that, allowing for different adjustment,” Bauer says.

Other traditional tail assemblies have two cast iron closing wheels and Bauer runs them in a staggered position followed by a drag chain.

“I’m always telling growers we need to make sure these traditional tail assemblies are staying centered,” she says. “Expect to do that at the beginning of the season and a couple times throughout planting.”

Bauer offers further material on planter prep, including everything from hitch pin to closing wheel at B&M Crop Consulting.