No-Till Planter Conversion and Spring Fixing

Here's a look at the steps we're taking to convert our John Deere 7000 4-row planter for no-till operations. I also go into some details about our no-till drill and all of the steps we're taking to fine tune that machine.
Throw in a little bit of potato planting and a few cameos by Duke, and we're off to a good start with our spring farm activities.

[@millardhayes1884]

Man I hope you can keep dad around a long time. I work with my dad too . He's 80 and still the best wheel alignment man in West Tennessee.

[@donnellykieranj]

Still loving your videos. I'm gradually making my way through the back catalogue. Happy Christmas from Co Tyrone, Ireland.

[@cesmith4566]

Thanks for watching my videos, I'm glad I could help! I don't understand what there thinking was with the twisted colters! I think they would better serve straight. The Down pressure springs seem a little weak too . But it appears to have alot of acres through it . Good luck and thanks!

[@ravenviewfarm]

On the contrary, thank YOU sir! I don't even want to think about how long it would've taken me to figure that out on my own.

[@TheRobertralph]

24:00 Brilliant way to lay out for potatoes! I'll do that with my planter this spring! Thanks for the tip.

[@cesmith4566]

There's a 7000 planter in the Henry Ford museum, its labeled as the first actual no till planter!

[@heinzfarms5674]

Nice video!

[@jerrylansbury9558]

Sharpening coulters...... you can do it with the use of only a power grinder used to turn the coulter with the grinder. Lock the brackets in a vice and cant the grinder to do the work

[@ronaldschultz1189]

When you put scrapers on check to see that gage wheels do not put pressure on the scraper. I had to add weld to gage wheel rest on the bracket that holds press wheels.

[@charlest2999]

I hope your markers work better in your dirt than mine do. When I no till in my SC red clay I cant see my marker track. I have a piece of pipe with a chain on it that i have on the front of my tractor that runs in the last row that i planted. Works good for me. Figured you might want to know if your markers dont work great. Have a fun planting season

[@ravenviewfarm]

Thanks Charles! They have been working for the last couple of years. My main concern would be if we end up planting into tall cover crops one of these years. That would probably make the marks tough to see. I've got some tricks in my back pocket to add some weight to the arms or put notched coulters on if it comes to that.

[@farmcentralohio]

No till coulters should be twice as big and sharp

[@ravenviewfarm]

Agreed! Normally one installs a big wavy coulter in front of the seed disk openers. Ideas about that have been changing in recent years though, especially when planting green into cover crops.
We omit them because our soil is (mostly) mellow enough to get the planter in the ground without them, and because they would cause more soil disturbance than I like to see at planting time. A lot of regenerative farmers have removed their no-till coulters and trash whippers, and are running a fairly “naked” setup like we’ve got going.

[@austinfuller1739]

Buy beater coulters

[@jonathanmunguia1887]

Una consulta

[@user-tc3ou6sy5f]

No till drill ??? Why whats with the disc blades then ???? The basic IH end gate seeder is much quicker.....and no missed spots ! Seen too many farmers that used drills with missed spots........because they were plugged ! Can buy and end gate seeder for around 25 dollars.... wagon.... maybe 200 dollars...... off to the field you go !

[@ravenviewfarm]

I'm all about using older equipment, but going aaaalllll the way back to an end gate seeder might be too much even for me, LOL.

[@user-tc3ou6sy5f]

@@ravenviewfarm Too much what ? Its so simple to operate. Dump the seed in and go ! Been using my end gate seeder for 50 years. The only issue was a sheared pin in a fan... just go back and reseed the opposite way....until you find where it stopped dumping seed on the ground. Solution.......replace the pins every 25 years ! No misses. Best to seed on windy days.....get better coverage.....and seed around the field borders in the mornings or evenings when the wind dies down.

[@user-tc3ou6sy5f]

@@ravenviewfarm An endgate seeder in action ......at :48 The in and out of gear arm is missing.......and the drive chain needs tightening....otherwise...ready to go !