Once spring planting is complete it can be tempting to let the planter sit until next season, since there’s other, more pressing work to be done.
Planter maintenance experts, however, recommend that you spend some time inspecting and preparing the planter for storage. Doing so can save you time and headaches when you’re ready to get back into the field to plant.
“For your planter to run at peak performance, efficiency and accuracy, what you do now to store it is just as important, if not more important, than how you prepare it for next spring,” says Brad Niensteadt, lead product specialist, Kinze Manufacturing.
Niensteadt offers this checklist for putting away the planter properly. Please note that, depending on planter type, not all items may apply.
- Store the planter in a sheltered area if at all possible. Moisture and planters are not a good combination. Plus, the trade-in value will be much better if you keep it inside.
- Remove all dirt and trash wrapped on sprockets and shafts. Any residue will draw moisture and cause corrosion.
- Clean drive chains and coat with rust preventative spray, or remove them and submerge in oil.
- Appropriately lubricate the planter and row units at all points of lubrication.
- Inspect for worn or damaged parts, and order replacements.
- Empty all seed and granular chemical hoppers, and make sure they are clean.
- Remove, clean and properly store all seed meters and discs. Depending on the meter you are using, refer to the proper storage instructions in the Operator’s Manual.
Other areas of the planter to inspect and prep before storage:
Mechanical meters
Make sure they are cleaned out and moved to the storage position so there are no fingers under the brush and no rubber belt paddles are outside the housing.
Brush meters
Clean out seed from the meters and remove the seed disc. Clean any debris out of the meter. Do not used compressed air to clean out the meters or the brushes, as this can damage them and require replacement.
Vacuum meters
Clean out seed from the meter and remove the disc to allow for vacuum seal and brushes to relax during storage.
Remove the vacuum hose from each seed meter. Operate the vacuum fan at full hydraulic flow for two minutes to clear dust and debris from manifolds, hoses and fittings.
Other Recommendations
- Grease the entire machine, including greasing or painting all disc openers and blades and all row marker disc blades to prevent corrosion.
- Flush and drain all liquid fertilizer tanks, hoses and metering pump with clean water. If equipped with a piston pump, refer to your Operator’s Manual for storage instructions.
- Remove and clean all mesh filters in the system.
- Utilize RV antifreeze or the pump protection of your choosing and flush through the system to prevent freezing issues.
- Empty and clean all dry fertilizer hoppers. Disassemble and clean the metering augers. During reassembly, coat all metal parts with a rust preventative.
For PTO pump-equipped planters, recommendations include:
- Ensure the oil level is correct.
- Change PTO pump filters.
- Inspect hoses for damage or poor routing, and address before storage.
- Lubricate the chain coupler on the PTO mount coupler to prevent rust during storage.
And finally, if the planter is equipped with a bulk fill system, Niensteadt says the following steps should also be performed for proper storage:
- Clean out the bulk fill hopper, entrainment assembly and delivery hoses.
- Disconnect delivery hoses from the air dissipator at each row unit. Install the large orange caps onto ports and reattach hoses to caps.
- Make sure all bolts and fasteners used to assemble and attach the entrainment assembly are tight.
- Inspect all seed delivery hoses and replace any that are worn, cut or cracked.
“These maintenance practices will ensure that planters have been thoroughly inspected and properly prepared for storage,” Niensteadt says. “Also, by ordering replacement parts now, you will have them when you get your planter back out next spring.”
For more information, additional care tips and checklists, refer to the Operator’s Manual, contact your planter dealer or visit Kinze.com.
More Spring Planting Content
Chip Flory Talks Farm Bill Politics, Wet Planting and Award-Winning Wings
European Designed, American Made High Speed Planter Line Debuts
Ferrie: Weather Extremes Are Causing Hard Replant Decisions, Weed-Control Headaches
