The weeks following planting season — when problems that arose during planting are still top of mind and planter-related issues can be identified in the field — offer an opportunity to pro-actively perform maintenance and upgrades before parking the planter in the back of the shed.
The summer months can also coincide with equipment dealer and company programs for planters and planter parts (and you may as well work on the planter when it’s too windy to spray).
“This is a great time to look at the planter, everything’s still fresh in everyone’s mind. If there are some issues we had throughout the season, we can address it now, and properly plan how to make it better next year, instead of waiting until last minute, and then rushing everything through to get it in the field,” says Andrew Kippen, planter expert with North Valley Precision Planting, based in southern Manitoba.
In this episode of RealAgriculture’s Corn School, Kippen takes us through the fundamental components, common wear issues, and areas that often require maintenance or re-adjusting. before the next planting season.
Related Corn School episode: Grading planter performance
Working from the front to back of a row unit, he explains why “seed tube guard” is a misnomer and how its importance is often overlooked, why a worn-out “moustache” matters, how row cleaning and closing wheels should be calibrated so they don’t interfere with seed placement, and more.
Check out the video below for more with Kippen on pro-active planter maintenance:
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