Planting equipment

[esshup]

I really would like to find an affordable planter. Something that can put a variety of seeds (not mixed together) at a certain depth in the ground. Corn, beans, sunflowers, oats, etc.

Is there such a thing?

At my disposal I have a small 18 hp Kubota 4 wd tractor and an 500cc ATV.

Seed bed prep can be done with the garden tractor and hydraulic tiller, or I can rent a larger tiller to go on the tractor. I also have a larger tractor (55 pto hp) available if needed.

I have a broadcast spreader, a bag type spreader that goes over my shoulder, a large roller and a drag.

But, my biggest quandary is how to get the seeds in the ground at the proper depth.........

I DO have an Earthway Precision Garden Planter that works great for the garden, but its not a food plot planter by any means.

What does everybody use to actually plant their seeds?

[steiny]

The old basic John Deere mod 71 planter is hard to beat for larger seed like beans, corn, sunflower, etc. You simply change the plates out, based on what seed you are planting. They are three point hitch mounted and very simple. I found a two row unit all refurbished, online for $750.

Smaller seed like alfalfa, turnips, wheat, oats, etc. can't be planted with this unit. They are best planted with a box "drill" type planter but those can be a little pricey. Most of these really don't need coverage, so much as they need good seed to soil contact. An easier solution is jut to broadcast this seed, then run a cultipacker over it to press things down tight. Get a nice electric seeder for your ATV. If you don't have access to a cultipacker, just dragging something like an old bed springs or a harrow will usually get an acceptable job.

[boonechaser]

I bought a John Deere 4 row planter this spring for $500 from a used equipment dealer. My experience is you can pick up an older 4 row for a lot less than a 2 row model. I think it's a 1320 model adjustable rows from 32" to 40" and has dry fertilizer boxes and uses plates for corn and soybeans. Planted about 15 acre's this spring for myself and a couple of buddies and it did great. I rent the grain drill or brillion seeder (clover/alfalfa) from our county extension office when needed. The cost is next to nothing so when I want to drill beans or plant alfalfa I just rent theirs.

[iceman10]

I have a IH McCormick drill and it plants the corn & sunflower seeds right along with the smaller clover & brassica seeds with changing the plates , the fertilizer box is pretty rusted but the grain seed box is in great shape .

[jimstc]

As has been said already, your choices are a seed drill. Cheapest I have seen are $2,000 +/-. Or just broadcast the seed and go over it with a harrow, pulverizer or disk. I have done all of these. The advantage of the drill is that you have rows of plants rather than random planting. Not important for a food plot. Prep the ground. Broadcast the seed and get soil contact with a disk or the other implements. You are good to go

[henson59]

Aug 24, 2015 11:34:41 GMT -5 boonechaser said:

I bought a John Deere 4 row planter this spring for $500 from a used equipment dealer. My experience is you can pick up an older 4 row for a lot less than a 2 row model. I think it's a 1320 model adjustable rows from 32" to 40" and has dry fertilizer boxes and uses plates for corn and soybeans. Planted about 15 acre's this spring for myself and a couple of buddies and it did great. I rent the grain drill or brillion seeder (clover/alfalfa) from our county extension office when needed. The cost is next to nothing so when I want to drill beans or plant alfalfa I just rent theirs.

I will give you $250 for two rows of that. LOL!

[esshup]

Thanks guys, that opens the doors to more options.

[iceman10]

I found my drill sitting at an old farm I drive by and saw it was never being used . One day a lady was out in the yard and I stopped and asked her about it & she said she was widowed and had no use for it anymore . She said I could have it for $250 & I told her I would be back in an hour with help to get it . I put new seed tubes on it and also a new treated feeder board so I have about $400 in it , not sure what it's worth but I am sure I can get my money back .

[steiny]

The old John Deere 70 series planters were used for a long time and there are lots of them out there. The wheel on the ground turns the plate to drop the seed mechanically from individual seed boxes at each row, where today's modern planters push the seed out with air pressure from a single large hopper.

Lots of these old JD's around anywhere from single row to 16 row. Hobby farmers and food plotters like ourselves have taken to buying the old ones and refurbishing them, some needing very little work because they are so simple. The big multi row machines are often cannibalized to make several "food plotter" sized planters. A few guys have made little businesses fixing up these planters and you can frequently find them on Craigslist and Ebay.

Yetter makes brand new ones of you want to spend the $$.

[esshup]

Are the seed plates readily available?

A farmer friend of mine has a refurbished 2 row that they bought to use to do some replanting of missed rows. I borrowed it one year, but it had no plates in it. He is more of a manager than a "hands on farmer" and he had no idea that it didn't have any plates in it.... He had no idea if it had any plates when they bought it, nor where the plates would be. So, I'd like to buy him at least the corn plates as a thank you for letting me borrow it.

[steiny]

Lots of those plates available on ebay.

[boonechaser]

Lots of plates around. I have about 50 corn and 50 soybean plates. I think each seed company had their own?? I have some for round seed, square seed, rectangle seed etc. I always just use the plate with the largest opening and seems to work fine. Any used equipment dealer will have them laying around for cheap.

[parrothead]

USDA use to rent drills for 15 per acre. But I have not ck for a long tim