planter help

I am wanting to finally start planting my own soybeans and corn and am wondering what everyone recomends for a good used planter.  I will have to stick to a 6 row 30 inch planter as that matches my hired harvesters combine head.  (do not want a 12 row)  What do you guys recomend?  I've reasearched some of the air planters but not sure my WD45 would enjoy pulling one of them do to hydrolic issues, i've heard of pto powered ones though.  (also this is all flat ground so weight of planter not a big issue, 45 is loaded)  Also should mention i want the planter to be conventional, will not have a tractor big enough to pull a no-till.  So i think i'm leaning towords a ground driven planter.  Unfortunatly i've rarley seen an allis chalmers planter in my neighborhood which is funny because we have 3 agco dealers each within 15 miles of the farm.  I'm open to any brand and any input is appreciated, thanks!  Also dry fertilizer and herbicide boxes would be nice to have on the planter. 

JD 7000 series.  They go fine behind allis's been running them for 20 years with no major issues.  Parts are easy to come by aftermarket and are easy to work on.  Matter of fact we have one with interplants for beans and another for corn set up "normal".  In my opinion the finger pick ups are the way to go.  Unless you are a big fish and have a big planter with the single central fill air is just a nightmare waiting to happen.  The finger pick ups can give you a picket fence stand. 

I would say a 7000 Deere or a Kinze. Some others you might find would be a New Idea or Black Machine. An IH 800 or better yet 900 Cyclo with a pto hydraulic pump might work and would be cheaper than the Deere. Convetional tillage is a little more forgiving but avoid older planters with a big old rubber tired press wheel. Those are ok for a few acres of sweet corn or I use one for a one row replant planter, but stick with double disc openers and newer (1970s at least) furrow closing and seed firming technology, not to mention finger pickup or air seed metering. Planting is the most important job a farmer does, so a good planter is the most important piece of equipment you need. If you start the year with a poor stand you can't fix it later and it will cost you money no matter what else you do the rest of the year. Buy a good planter, keep in a shed or at least under a tarp and keep it in good shape

Not at all, WD45 would pull a 6 row 7000 just fine unless you wanted starter fertillizer or no till coulters on it. The hydraulics will be slow but should work. He doesn't say how many acres he's going to plant but a "better" planter than you think you need is money well spent. There are plenty of 6 row planter from the 70's and 80's still around and they can be bought fairley cheap.

Edited by Dave in il - 17 Jul 2011 at 12:28am

I think the wd45 would handle the 6 row 7000 unless steep hills. I planted with d17 and 6 row jd 7000 for years. it is a great planter and does a great job. Have a 12 row Kinze now

Hey D- allis iowa     How do you like you Kinze?   What model? Fold type?  Might have more questions later.

Vic we like the Kinze and it does a great job. It is 12 row with inter plants for 15 in soybeans. The 7000 Jd will do as good at planting in my opinoin if the ground is worked. We no till a lot and the kinze is better for that in my opinion. In soybeans with the 7000, get Kinze plates for it. As far as hydrolics it will lift it. We used our WD to raise wagons of corn with no problen and that is much heavier than the 6 row. I really loved the 7000.

Wasn't the 1240 the first finger pickup? I had a 4 row i bought new and had lots of problems with fingers. I was hooking fingers and springs together when i should have been planting. The 494 was a great plate type planter.

You could get the 1240 in either plate or plateless models. They were the first JD plateless planters.

JD 1240 a good planter, never planted beans with it, only trouble I have with mine is the stainless steel band thats inside the unit, have'ta replace it every 6 or 7 years, my dealer keeps'em in stock, never had trouble with the fingers or springs