Van Brunt Grain Drill

[barrybro]

I just purchased a John Deere Van Brunt Grain Drill (Model FB). Looks to be in pretty solid shape. I need to replace the small seed tubes and a couple of the discs. Where is the best place to find parts for these?

 

[Don-Wi]

We use gardern hose for the small seed tubes. Mother Deere should still have most of the parts a guy would need for a Van Brunt drill.

Donovan from Wisconsin

 

[barrybro]

I am new to all of this so forgive my questions. Where does the small seed tube get attached to or does it just hang and drop in front of the disc?

 

[Anonymous-0]

Shoup www.shoupparts.com has some parts. Grass seed tubes the last time I got them from Deere were plastic pipe. More places show the main seed tube only for double disk openers, not the more common single disk opener and not the spiral steel, but a plastic bellows.

Gerald J.

 

[Anonymous-0]

Depends on the results you want. There's a lip in the cup at the top of the main seed tube that the grass seed tubes can go in to drop the grass seed and get it planted deep with the disk openers. But many grass seeds just want to be barely covered by dirt (enough to hide them from birds and the drying sun), then you let the grass seed tubes dangle and splatter the seed in front of the openers. I've planted alfalfa with oats both ways, I liked the results better with the alfalfa really shallow by splattering out front.

Gerald J.

 

[Brendon-KS]

Just a hint if you buy disk bearings from Deere. I recently got some for my Deere (Van Brunt) model B drill and they were the wrong size. The part number checked out per the parts catalog but they were .75" ID instead of 20mm and were also a bit smaller OD. Obviously they don't work. The ones I needed are 6204 size for the single disk openers.

 

[barrybro]

Thanks for all the input. Are there any seeds these planters just do not do a good job with?

 

[Leroy]

They list they will plant corn but it is one they will not do a good job on, or anything that is in wider than every other opener rows

 

[dmiller]

I see these old van brunts around at local auctions sometimes. They usually go for slightly more than their scrap value around here. How are they for seeding quality. As a young guy starting out and looking for cheap equipment is it something I should consider or am I money ahead to pay a few hundred more for something newer and expect a better stand???

 

[buickanddeere]

I have an old FB 7X17 with the front grass grass seeder. Works rather well other than the fact the grain box is "small" by modern standards.
The fertilizer box is solid but It's the same price to get bulk fertilzer custon spread. As it is to purchase bagged fertilizer and load the seed drill by hand.
I pulled the fertilizer metal spouts and tossed them in the fertilizer bin after sliding the fertilizer sproket to the no-drive position.
Now if the rubber down spout plugs. The seed will spill over onto the ground instead of leaving a row unplanted.
I did leave a half width unplanted the entire length of the field one time after after double tripping one side with the ropes.

 

[Kelly MT]

I have two Van Brunts that seed real good. The acre counters even work. I've seeded grass out of the grain tank after removing the tubes and pulling a drag behind. Great old drills. PK

 

[Dave Hines]

We carry the rubber grain drill seed drop tubes for the JD Van Brunt drills in our store. They are the straight rubber tubes that will slide into the seed boot. We also have them on E-bay if anyone is in need of tubes.