Van Brunt grain drill questions

[bnew17]

Ok, i am going to try this again. I was having issues with the last topic.

I recently bought a JD-VB FB117A grain drill. I am planning on planting food plots with it next month. As you can tell it is very weathered so I wanted to ask you alls advice on a few things in hopes I dont tear anything up too bad.

I am wanting to plant some sorghum and realize that it needs to be planted at a different depth than say, Oats. In my manual they show a piece that connects onto the drill that adjusts the planting depth. In the first picture, is this threaded piece what adjusts the depth?

What is the best thing to apply to all the moving parts? WD 40?

One part in particular are the 2 seed rate adjusters, on each side. The bar it is attached to is heavily rusted, but appears to be solid. What should I be applying to these parts?

Any other tips or advice is greatly welcomed. Thanks

This post was edited by bnew17 on 08/03/2021 at 03:01 pm.

 

[SVcummins]

The piece the arrow points to adjusts the depth of the openers

 

[David from Kansas]

On some of the larger drills, the threaded rod you mention had a long rod on each side with a crank handle that extended toward the
end of the hitch so the depth could be adjusted on the go. Just about any penetrating liquid or just plain old light weight oil
will soak up the rusted stuff but eventually may need some encouragement with a wrench, etc. to get them moving, and grease the
zerks.

 

[Bob Harvey]

My only comment will be 'WD-40' is good for NOTHING. The name designates Water Displacement. It has NO lubricating value.

 

[Loosehandle]

Yes your missing a crank and U joint,
lube it and try to turn with vise grip
etc. Also have you tried to turn the
square feed shaft under the seed box? A
crescent wrench works well.

 

[buickanddeere]

There
Is an excellent free online parts book at the JD web site . It will show the missing bits and pieces .

 

[Tx Jim]

(quoted from post at 20:55:02 08/03/21) Yes your missing a crank and U joint,
lube it and try to turn with vise grip
etc. Also have you tried to turn the
square feed shaft under the seed box? A
crescent wrench works well.

JD grain drills after 1953 came with steel wheels(V210M @ $32.29)not cranks to adjust drilling depth. OP's drill has not brackets to support crank.

 

[Tx Jim]

(quoted from post at 20:25:34 08/03/21) My only comment will be 'WD-40' is good for NOTHING. The name designates Water Displacement. It has NO lubricating value.

Ditto what Bob stated about WD-40. I suggest utilizing PBblaster,Kroil or ATF(any type of oil over WD-40)

 

[bnew17]

Jim, Do you think this drill is pre 1953?

 

[bnew17]

SV, I assume adjusting the depth of the openers is how you adjust the drilling depth of the seed?

 

[Tx Jim]

(quoted from post at 12:11:26 08/04/21) Jim, Do you think this drill is pre 1953?

Determining age of JD drill will require some serious parts researching. JD FB-A drills were built '52-'58. I think yours is >'53. As SV previously stated turning threaded shaft on mechanical lift affects drill disk penetration which also affects seed depth. One can also relocate clips held by cotterkey(item 43 in photo below) on each pressure rod to alter seed depth.

If you do not have a JD grain drill operators manual I highly recommend you acquire & read one. You can download an OM for free from the JD site shown below.
https://techpubs.deere.com/en-US/Search/Equipment

This post was edited by Tx Jim on 08/04/2021 at 10:20 am.

 

[bnew17]

I bought a VB Model FB Fertilizer-Grain Drill , Operators Manual online the other day. Its a reproduction made by Peaceful Creek. M2-351. I will compare it to the one you listed. Thanks

This post was edited by bnew17 on 08/04/2021 at 02:22 pm.

 

[SVcummins]

Yes

 

[bnew17]

The zerks have seen better days for sure. Would you all recommend replacing them or leaving as is? Again, I'm not terribly familiar with equipment being I have only owned my tractor not quite a year. When these zerks get this old will grease still travel through them?

 

[SVcummins]

If the zerks will take grease no need to change em

 

[NoDakInMN]

(quoted from post at 19:25:34 08/03/21) My only comment will be 'WD-40' is good for NOTHING. The name designates Water Displacement. It has NO lubricating value.

WD 40 is comprised of over 35% petroleum oil in the US formulation. So while there may be better penetrating oils, it is incorrect to say that it has NO lubricating value.

 

[tractorguy2]

I have owned three Van Brunt drills. Yours at one time had a
cast iron wheel on the end of the threaded rod. Not a u joint
and crank.

If you keep the threads well oiled you could turn the wheel.
Most times we had to use a pipe wrench on the hub of the wheel
to turn it.

Each of mine had a different method of controlling the feed
rate. I know the oldest one had the pineapple drive. Can't
remember what my DR and BR rolls had for feed rate.

 

[Plum1]

Any ideas on what model of VB grain drill this is? The closes I can narrow it down to is a EE. Thanks

This post was edited by Plum1 on 05/04/2022 at 09:51 pm.

 

[Tx Jim]

Very nice appearing old drill. I think you're correct about model EE.

IIRC the parts for those old drills were listed in a combined parts catalog with assorted other implements about 3''-4'' thick similar in thickness to older large city phone directories

 

[J.Wondergem]

(quoted from post at 22:28:05 08/05/21)

(quoted from post at 19:25:34 08/03/21) My only comment will be 'WD-40' is good for NOTHING. The name designates Water Displacement. It has NO lubricating value.

WD 40 is comprised of over 35% petroleum oil in the US formulation. So while there may be better penetrating oils, it is incorrect to say that it has NO lubricating value.

The new WD40 doesn't work well for me. Most any of the others is better.