Every farmer feels a sense of relief pulling into the last half-round on the final field of planting. Whether you’re planting 150 acres of corn to chop or thousands of acres of row crops, it feels great to pull out of the field for the last time in the spring. But before moving out the combine from the back of the shed and tucking the planter in its place, consider going through your planter, or having a trained technician take a thorough look at it, to correct any problems before putting it away for the season.
It’s easy to forget problems from the previous spring
It’s hard to imagine you’ll forget a persistent row cleaner issue or a row planting heavy or light all spring after spending 80-200+ hours in the cab. But it happens. Unless you make note of these issues during the planting season — or soon after — you’ll likely forget important details by the time you pull the planter out the following spring. The growing season is long. After spraying, harvest and fall tillage it can be difficult to remember all the concerns you had during planting. Your memory is never fresher than the first couple of weeks after you’ve put in the crop. Take advantage of that and address all the issues that were popping during the season.
You’re already cleaning out the planter
Good operators know the importance of cleaning out a planter at the end of the season. All seed should be removed from the hoppers, brushes and seed disks removed and stored in a safe place, and the liquid fertilizer system should be flushed with clean water and the filters cleaned and examined. Additionally, an antifreeze mixture, such as an RV antifreeze, should be pumped through the system to ensure you don’t run into issues with frozen lines or pumps cracking over the winter. Then, blow off or wash the entire planter, making sure to avoid pressure washing delicate electronic components directly. Finally, grease the bearings — there are a lot on most planters — and lubricate all chains. Because these steps put you in close contact with virtually every major component and system on the unit, it’s only one more step to troubleshoot and determine what needs fixing.
What to Troubleshoot
Start with things you know were giving you trouble. Was a row plugging repeatedly? Start by checking for issues with bearings and clearance. Next, anything that engages with the ground has potential to wear, including discs, firming points, fertilizer openers, closing wheels and trash whippers. Then there are the bearings. Every bearing should be checked to ensure it turns freely. Any bearings that hang up or are frozen should be replaced. Make sure that all adjustments — depth control on planter row units and trash whippers — are free and not frozen up. The clearance on seed discs also needs adjustments as the discs wear. Every part of the seed meter, meter drive and seed delivery system, including seed tubes, should be inspected for excessive wear and to ensure proper operation before the upcoming season.
It may be time to upgrade
A thorough examination of your planter, along with an assessment of your crops’ emergence, may lead you to decide it’s time to upgrade to a new planter or retrofit your existing units with Precision Planting components. Don’t wait until winter or early spring to upgrade, as most manufacturers offer the best deals on new planters during the summer months. Case IH is no exception, with excellent summer incentives. Ordering a new planter also gives dealers like Titan Machinery more time to recondition and market your trade-in, enabling them to offer greater trade-in allowances. Additionally, since planters have a number of customized options, ordering early helps to ensure you get a new planter equipped how you want. If you’re looking to upgrade your current toolbar with Precision Planting components, you’ll also find the best deals during the summer as the best incentives dealers can offer are typically available immediately following spring planting. Waiting until next spring will likely increase your cost to upgrade, as well as the stress of trying to get everything ready in time to hit the field.
Consider having a certified technician complete your repairs
Arguably the most important piece of equipment on any farm is the planter. Failing to get the seed in the ground at the right time, and in optimal conditions, can severely limit your yield potential. Given the importance and complexity of today’s planters, having a trained technician inspect your planter during the off-season can be one of the best investments you make. Many farmers run only one or two planters, which means their experience with repairs is limited to the occasional work they do on their own machines. This limited experience makes it easy to miss something that would likely stand out to someone who regularly works on planters. How much wear is “too much” for a disc or seed tube? While this type of question may be guess work for many farmers, it’s one that an experienced, OEM-trained technician can answer with confidence. Titan Machinery shops see hundreds of planters every year and employ service professionals who have not only completed the specialized OEM training, but also have a depth of experience that comes with working on dozens of different planters each season. Put their experience to work for you this summer by contacting your local Titan Machinery dealer to schedule a detailed UPtime Inspection or Precision Planting upgrade. That way, when you tuck your planter in the back of your shed, you’ll know it’s field-ready for next spring.