The good news about pre-season planter maintenance is that much of the work is relatively simple: changing/adjusting disk openers, replacing gauge wheels, etc. The annoying news is that you have to do those procedures over and over, depending on how many rows your planter has.
A few tricks can make those repetitive procedures easier and faster, such as:
To remove a left disk opener, pound inward with your fist or a rubber mallet on the right disk opener. Spring tension created by the disk openers pressing against each other’s leading edge tends to wedge the disk openers on their stub axles. A good smack on one disk briefly disrupts that spring tension to magically pop off the opposite disk.
If the frog/scraper that fits between your disk openers is held in place by roll pins, buy, borrow or beg an air hammer outfitted with a pin punch. Two quick “Brrr-rrps!” and the roll pins are out.
The design of some gauge wheel assemblies has the axle of the gauge wheel pressed through the end of the gauge wheel arm. Rather than flail at the end of the axle with a hammer and punch to drive it out of the arm, put a pointed bit in an air hammer and make short work of the chore.
The small square or rectangular electrical plugs now common on planter wiring harnesses are a pain to remove. It’s difficult to squeeze their tiny retaining tab while gripping and pulling with only your fingertips. Seven-inch Knipex “Cobra” slip-joint pliers (Knipex part number 37 01 180) have narrow jaws perfect to squeeze the retaining tap while firmly gripping the entire body for easy removal.
Smear a little Vaseline or dielectric grease on the rubber insulating grommet of those wiring harness connectors before reinstalling them. The lubricant will help seal out moisture and dust, and make removal easier next time.
Be cautious about using contact cleaner to clean dirty electrical plugs. The soft rubber gaskets and seals on many plugs are sensitive to some brands of contact cleaners. However, it can be entertaining to watch those rubber components, when exposed to certain contact cleaners, shrivel like a nightcrawler on a hot sidewalk.
Seed firmers, the long plastic wands that press seeds into the bottom of the furrow, have a lifespan of three to five years. They not only wear “thin” from top to bottom, but lose their elasticity/curve. Remove and compare an aged seed firmer side by side with a new seed firmer, and the difference in thickness and curvature is obvious.
