Cole planter plates

[Rex Simpkins]

Just finished cleaning up Cole fast hitch M12 planter to use behind a Cub, anyone use or have used one of these and if so what luck did you have with the spacings, basically what worked and what did NOT work well.
Thanks Rex

 

[riverbend]

I was leaving this for someone else who may have had more recent experience, but... I'm guessing that you are doing vegetables.

The Cole planters are what used to be Planet Jrs. They will work okay in good conditions but are too light to cut into hard soil. The metering is iffy at best but you can make a chart of hole sizes and seeds and see what you get for seeds per foot. I never did it but the plates are simple sheet metal rounds with holes punched in them. You could make your own plates to vary the spacing / seeds per foot.

Visiting with Tom Wiley, he pointed me to John Deere 70 or 71 planters. Lincoln Ag makes a wide range of plates and even has blanks so you can make your own. The Holy Grail would be a set of JD vegetable seed hoppers, but they are scarce. Without too much fiddling around I am able to plant raw carrot seed, radishes, and arugula, get a good stand and not have to thin them.

The planters will plant everything from mustard seed to winter squash. The largest squash seeds get broken so I still need to do a little work on those plates.

I'm pretty sure that doesn't answer your question.

Greg

 

[Rex Simpkins]

Thanks for the reply, I think you may be confused on the cole planter I have this one is an MX12 or M12 where the seed plate sits at a 45 degree angle

 

[riverbend]

I don't know anyone who runs the Cole planters. Jangs seem to be popular around here. If Cole does not have specific recommendations I think you are going to have to try seeds and plates and come up with your own.

Greg

 

[FM]

If you google MX12 manual there are manuals available online that will give you some direction. I've only used mine for Okra so I'm not much help.

Mike