White 5100 Planter

[J.A.R]

Got a lead on one of these for cheap. Thinking about planting my own corn next year. Dont really know a whole lot about planters in general but what are some things to look at on these perticular planters?

 

[NY 986]

A pretty simple trouble free planter. Aside from what is visible make sure the air system pressurizes and stays that way. Since you are not planting this time of year
place a small amount of corn in each hopper and advance the seed disc to load it with seed. Leave the air system on to make sure it maintains pressure. Maybe the
seller will allow you to do this before buying or do it as a checkover once you become owner. I've never heard of the air duct system being expensive to maintain but over
time you will have to replace the "dryer hose" type tubes from the manifold to the seed unit.

 

[Bob Bancroft]

I had one which had the single central hydraulically driven blower. I liked it so much that when I updated, I would have bought a new one, but the dealers were all gone.
I didn't realize until quite recently that they made the same model with the older style, electric single row fans. There has been one for sale locally. I was told by the former local dealer that he would recommend staying away from it.

 

[NY 986]

The electric fan system planter would have been the older 5400. Had the older style unit wheel system with no depth control wheel at the drop point. The electrical system could be a problem if the tractor had a generator (DC) and low reserve battery. They seemed to operate OK with a 100 plus amp alternator and a couple of group 31 batteries for a tractor electrical system. The 5100 had it beat handily.

 

[J.A.R]

Do you guys think a MM G1000 with open center hydralics run this planter. Planter is a hydraulic unit as in no pto pump. Or would a MM 670 with open center hydro pump run it. Basically I'm just wondering if i will boil the hydro oil.

 

[NY 986]

Don't know the GPM spec for the 5100 but I would be concerned about cooling if no planter board oil cooling is there. Bob would know where to tell you to look if you
are not sure one is on the planter or not. Definitely would want to add cooling capacity if it were me and none was currently on the planter. There are places out in the
Midwest that parts out White planters so you should be able to find a cooler and for that matter a PTO pump. The PTO pump is spec'd out so it provides sufficient flow
when you idle down on the headland to turn so your seed does not drop out of the seed discs. This might be an issue with relying on your tractor hydraulic system.

A side story is that I remember tales back in the day about farmers being so concerned about adapting to new to them technology that they deliberately sought out new
plate planters. Don't remember many JD 7000 plate planters even though you could order them that way but I did see a number of IH 800 planters around during the
1980's.

 

[Bob Bancroft]

No. It was a 5100. Identical to my 5100 except it had the electric blowers instead of hydraulic. I never realized they were made. Former dealer confirmed this.

 

[Bob Bancroft]

The oil cooler is mounted right over the fan intake. I don't think heat, nor having enough flow is the concern. I don't think you can successfully operate one of these planters with an open center tractor. One circuit will always get priority. Assume you have two sets of remotes. Hooked one way, when you raise or lower the planter, the blower will starve. Switch hook ups, and you won't be able to raise the planter!
The oil flow to the blower needs to be throttled to set manifold pressure. Maybe there's some exotic way to plumb the system with an open center tractor, but it's beyond me. With the PTO/self contained system, that's all built in.
There was a way to re route some hoses, and run the blower from a closed center tractor. That's how I did it. There were a couple of challenges there, but it was doable.

 

[Cowpuncher]

One of the best planters made then---same basic unit as the newer one. I even used mine in a no till situation with beans and the started coming up about 3 days later and they were late planted which is why I tried the "no till" route. Sprayed them with glyphosate a week or so after they were up and got about 42bu / acre. Very pleased with White planters.