494 planter

[Midnight51]

Can a 494 planter be made into a no-till by adding fluted coulters and some weigh to planter

 

[gregger]

if the seed is deep enough and if you can get good cover over the seed and if you can get real good seed to soil contact it could work

 

[Anonymous-0]

No!!!!!

 

[Eric in IL]

I suspect if and when you get it to work successfully, you will have more invested than trading up to a 7000.

 

[fixerupper]

Get a 7000. You"ll wonder why you didn"t do it years ago. Jim

 

[Midnight51]

I just plant 20-30acres of corn and trying to find a no-till without breaking the bank, 4RW dry no-till planters in southern Indiana have went out of sight, if you can find a decent one and my 494 is dad's old planter still in excellent shape just trying to kill couple of birds with one throw. Thanks for all your comments.

 

[JMS/.MN]

I don"t think the frame is strong enough for the forces that those openers will put on it. No-til wasn"t even a dream back in those days, so equipment was not built for it.

 

[Leroy]

They JD did make the no till coulters for that planter. Saw a set at an auction once, would be a long time before they got there and while watching one set of auctioners the other set got there before I realized and could not get there fast enough. On a light sandy soil they could work but I think you also had to use the optional double disk openers that I have but they had to open a furrow about 2 1/2" wide for the openers and then you should have the optional small press wheel that ran in the bottom of the furrow and then the disk furrow openers that I have but did not get put on because of bad bearings, they would have filled in the trench better with the double disk openers in my heavy soil, if it was worked fine enough no problem but if not in good shape sometimes left some seed uncovered. And then you still used the regular press wheels. No longer farming but if I was I would NEVER have a 7000 planter but keep with the 494-494A that I have both of but make sure I got that in furrow press wheel (Icould make them) and have those disk furrow covers on. So the ones that said JD did not make no till openers are wrong and in some soils they would work. I have for replant gone in with just the planter and double disk openers and was able to no till the replant in.

 

[rrlund]

I'd be concerned that the closing wheels aren't going to do the job.

 

[Leroy]

That is why you would need every one of the attachments and have all of them working properly.

 

[fixerupper]

Ya, I suppose it does depend on what part of the country you are in. Around here in NW Iowa 4 row 38" 7000 planters are go for almost scrap price. 16 row planters are still fairly hot but are losing popularity just a bit because 24 and 36 row planters are more common.

 

[Midnight51]

Thanks everyone for your reply, I'm going to keep planter and keep my eyes open. I have mostly light soils and use a 2 year corn & 2-3 year hay rotation. That 494 works smooth behind my son's old 300. Thanks again.