IHC planter history

[Central Illinois]

I was looking through craigslist and found a McCormick Deering 2 row planter for sale. I
looked in my 150 years of International Harvester book and it doesn't show it. First off
does anyone know what planter this might be? After looking through the internet I am
thinking 241. Also, are most of the IH planter plates the same? (will they interchange?) I
am not old enough to be familiar with a hill drop planter but how do you know the
difference? Does what plate you use determine that? Lastly, is there any books or info out
there on IH planters and their options. I don't know if I will look at this one or not but
it's got my curiosity.

 

[fastfarmall]

Ah just a guess, but maybe a Black Hawk, also know as a Cockshutt, No name on the top of the boxe's?

 

[fastfarmall]

What makes a hill drop, is u lay down a wire, in the field, running the same direction as you plant. You have to get off [twice]every round on both ends of the field, and lay the wire into a tapered feeder type thing ,and as you plant the barbs on the wire trip the seed mechanism. But i don't see the wire feeder mechanism on your's. On that style u have to pick up one marker , and turn around and lay the other one , and do the check wire as long as your off the tractor!!!

 

[DR. EVIL]

You're confusing hill dropping with cross checking in corn with the wire so you can cultivate both ways. Hill dropping is just dropping 3-4 seeds at the same time into the same place, and on some planters like the old 490 Deere Dad used, all 4 rows dropped at the same time. Planters now days drill corn/beans meaning they plant a single seed every 2, 3, 4, or so inches to get the population required.

 

[Jim Becker]

Several models were pretty similar, can't tell them apart without a very close look. The one pictured has Richmond hoppers. Many plates for those hoppers are pretty common.

What fastfarmall described is a checkrow planter. A hill drop uses the same drop mechanism as a checkrow but it is controlled by a rotating shaft rather than a check wire. There is a lever to shift between hill drop and drill planting. The choice of plate does not directly depend on doing hill drop. Different numbers of cells in the plate will change the number of seeds in each hill.

 

[willie in mn]

More than you wanted to know. It has been a long time since I messed with a planter, Dad died in 59.
My experience is with JD. Each manufacturer had some unique features. When Dad modernized from a 999(horse) to 290(tractor) he had to also switch from checkrow to hilldrop. Farmall Regular was too wide to use checkwire. He had a collection of 20 or 30 plates. Tag on bag of seed had a tag with suggested plate number to use to match seed size.
Plate cells- plates for each manuf had the same number of cells. The size of the cells was to match the size of the seeds. Cells too small wouldn't let a seed drop, cells too big would let 2 or more seeds jamb up, also not drop.
To control rate of seed drop, JD had a 3 speed gear box, set by a foot pedal. Also had several different size sprockets on axle to move drive chain for different speeds. Other manuf may have had either one or both of these features. Dad set the gear box on 3 for checkrow corn, set on 4 for drill corn(sileage field) & soybeans.
Dr Evil is right on the difference between checkrow & hilldrop. Checkrow can cultivate crosswise. Hilldrop planted same space between hills, but not nice cross pattern, can't cultivate crosswise. Became popular when weed sprays were invented.
Setting the row markers- no need to set by hand. On old horsedrawn planters there was a rope running from the end of marker, through a pair of guides at front of frame, then to end of other marker. When turning around, would turn toward the marker that was extended. Turning toward the marker would let slack in the rope, letting the other marker drop, drag on the ground, & extend itself for the next row. Later tractor drawn planters lifted the markers instead of folding forward. There was a chain to an arm at tractor drawbar. Turning one way pulled the chain, other way let slack. This controlled which marker dropped when dropping the planter. That was on JD, some manuf just always dropped both markers.

Willie

 

[gene bender]

That is check row planting. Hill drop was adjustable on distance and #of kernals dropped at a time. Hill drop came long time before chemicals many yrs.

 

[gene bender]

Needs to be bought just to restore and use looks rather complete plates arent a big issue as they do show up from time to time.

 

[fastfarmall]

Your right, sorry guys

 

[phulbert]

Hi, looks pretty good for its age. Fert. hoppers are first to rot out. My planter looks just like that one. My manual lists it as a 244 checkrow or a 246 power hill drop (1954). Either one can be set to drill. Plates are easy to find. Lincoln has new plastic ones. Original IH plates were metal. Tag on the seed corn bag will tell which one to use. Plates change just about each year. Depth control is not good; too far between the press wheels and the drawbar. They were designed to be used with a well prepared, level seedbed. The split-boot fertilizer set-up leaves the fert. close to the surface. It's just old technology. Use it for fun or demo.; not for profit. I use the next newer model, 250, for planting my sweet corn. All IH plates are the same. If you are actually going to use it, you need to get a manual.
Good luck,
Jerry

 

[Central Illinois]

Thanks guys. I knew there was a wealth of knowledge here. I hope to get a chance to look at it sometime. We started planting corn here today so the toys get put off for a while. I have a small sweetcorn plot that we plant every year and I thought that if this planter could drill I could use it for that. Our 16 row planter is just way too big for what I have. Besides, this could give my F-20 something to do.

 

[Central Illinois]

Here is another photo from the ad. It doesn't look like it is in too bad of shape. The best part is the tires will never go flat.