Planter monitors?

[Brian Jasper co. Ia]

I recently upgraded to a 4 row Allis Chalmers 330 air planter
with model 78 row units. I?m told it originally had a Dickey
John monitor. Looking online I see new monitors from the
basic units that just tell when seeds are dropped up to units
that manage everything short of driving the tractor. Since I?m
only farming 12 acres at the moment, I don?t think I need
much for bells and whistles. What words of wisdom does
anyone have to share.

 

[super99]

Let me look around, I think I have an old Dickey-John 4 row monitor hiding somewhere. It just flashes when the seed is dropped. no wiring or sensors, just the box. You can have it for the cost of postage if I can find it. Chris

 

[caterpillar guy]

For 12 acres I would check in the drive if it is dropping seed in each row the distance then go plant a few feet to set depth and forget it till done.

 

[rustyfarmall]

Before we had cabs on our tractors, a guy could listen to the planter and know if it was functioning properly. We didn't need monitors.

 

[DeltaRed]

For 12 acres,forgo the monitor.Monitors are a realatively 'new' invention.Millioms of acres have been planted since the beginning without them. Just set to the spaceing you want. roll the planter wheel x amount of distance(30" is good),count seeds to find average drop. Every round or two,get off tractor and check. Just drop a couple of seeds on the ground to check.If you don't already have a book,order one now,before planting season, And READ. You'll be just fine. Go for it.

 

[tomstractorsandtoys]

You can plant just fine with no monitor. I would not get excited about one for just 12 acres. When planting when you raise the planter up on the ends it will kick a few grains of corn out on top the ground.Unless you come to a full stop at the end before raising planter. This is easy to see when you make your turn and go back the other direction. The nicest thing about a monitor is it alerts you to running out of seed. It lets you empty the hoppers more than planting without one. I had several Allis planters and never had a monitor. I now have a Deere 7200 and do have one and will admit they do make planting less work untill you get a bad seed sensor and then you start wondering is working or just the bad sensor. Sensors always quit in the morning when you have a full days planting to do with rain on they way so you do want to stop and fix it. Before I spent lots of money on a monitor for your planter I would look at getting a planter with one. A good Deere 7000 4 row can be had for less than $2000 in my area and they are a very good planter. Tom

 

[Bob Bancroft]

Had a monitor- so, does this have drop tubes with sensors? And/or a wiring harness for the sensors?

What crop are you planting?

This must have an electric fan motor on each row unit? Although I think air pressure is the best way to singulate seed [as in a White planter] the weak link of your system are the electric fan motors. If you can be absolutely sure of their performance, OK. But any weak connection, pulled wire, whatever, could get you. I'm told you want to run them right from a good sized alternator. An old tractor with a generator might not keep up.

 

[paul]

A used simple flashing light per row monitor should be cheap from one of us/ craigslist etc. there are 2 wire and 3 wire setups, and newer round connectors older rectangular connectors. What is on your planter, anything can be concerted but cheaper to match what is there.

Ag Express is a great place to mail order wire harnesses or converters if you need. I also like their M3 monitor as a useful but not overly complex planter monitor, but for 12 acres it?s more than you need.

Paul

 

[Leroy]

Planted hundreds of acres and never had a monitor, did not even know what they were. Just pay attention to your planter and you will be fine without one.

 

[Al Baker(pumpman)]

I used a six row Allis air planter for years. After a few seasons the monitor stopped working. I planted many acres without it. It was a dry fertilizer set up. At the end of each pass I would lift the planter and stop, look down and see if fertilizer is leaking out the disc openers. Pull ahead and swing around for the next pass and look at the ground where each closing wheel was and you should see a few bright colored seeds that didn't get covered up. If you have a row that isn't putting out seed it will only be on the last pass because you checked it at each end. It takes a few seconds longer to use this poor mans monitor, but it gets the job done. On the Allis style a light flashed each time a seed passed an electric eye. Having flashing light going off when things are working right seemed backwards. My Deere has a light come on when a row stops dropping seed. Those flashing lights suck at night on the dash flashing in your face. I was almost happy when it quit working. Al

 

[Brian Jasper co. Ia]

I'd take it if you find it. Give me a call if you do. 515-669-6589