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Thread: Question for those with Flex 71 planters

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jan 2002
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    In my own little world
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    20,979

    Default Question for those with Flex 71 planters

    I planted some sunflowers this year for the first time and am mystified by the results. One field had pretty good germination, the other two sucked. There were skips of feet, not inches. Now I will say the two fields with shitty results have a lot of rocks compared to the good field, but still I see no reason for the wide variance in seed spacing.

    SW and I checked when we were planting and the depth looked good. The planter, when I spin the packing wheels, is dropping seed reliably so we are stumped as to what the hell happened. How can one field turn out pretty good and two others marginal at best?

    The way I see it there are only so many potential reasons:

    Seed too deep: We checked that, and one field turned out pretty good

    Planter not dispensing seed: When I tested it at my barn it was putting out seed at the correct distance

    Rock or dirt clods clogging up coulters: Could be a real possibility

    Bad batch of seed: If so, field number one would not have turned out as well.

    Tractor speed: Kept speed at about 3mph if that.

    I'd like to find out the answer to the puzzle do I don't have to deal with this next year.
    RIP Kelsey "Bigdawg" Cromer
    12-26-98 12-1-13

    If love could have saved you, you would have lived forever.

    Missing you my great friend.


  2. #2
    Join Date
    May 2003
    Location
    Bowman
    Posts
    6,421

    Default

    Those old plates will grind the shit out of sunflower seed, especially in ground that is not pancake smooth. Those planters hate rocks and clods. You can spin it by hand all you want but if that wheel is not constantly spinning when in contact with ground you will have skips, that is why big planters today are going hydraulic and electric drive to ensure uniform spacing. It can be done with ground drive it just has its downsides. Spend some money and buy a 7000 or 7100, there will be night and day difference between the stands and you wont have to spend that much money. 71 planters are 1950s tech.
    cut\'em

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jan 2002
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    In my own little world
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    20,979

    Default

    I agree with what you are saying about wheel contact. I think that surely is part of the problem, but I can't help to think there is something else as well. One field which was marginal, yet had no rocks, maybe clods, still turned out shitty. I'm thinking about a 7000 model especially the no till type with fingers.
    RIP Kelsey "Bigdawg" Cromer
    12-26-98 12-1-13

    If love could have saved you, you would have lived forever.

    Missing you my great friend.


  4. #4
    Join Date
    Mar 2009
    Location
    Providence
    Posts
    507

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    Check the air pressure in your drive tire(s). One of the most important factors on a ground driven planter is air pressure. Could have lost some pressure after the first field. Just a thought. Before we went to hydraulic drive I chased myself in circles one day planting corn...I finally found out I only had 10 psi in one of my tires.

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