British Planter Debuts In North America

British Planter Debuts In North America PLANTERS Planters 22-2-8 A highly accurate British air planter used for years to plant vegetable crops in the U.K. was introduced to the North American corn and soybean market at the recent National Farm Machinery Show in Louisville, Ky. Stanhay Webb's "Salvo 650" planter features a low-maintenance vacuum metering unit with no moving parts for fast and accurate seed placement at high speeds, even in tough conditions, according to the company. "It places seed within 1/5th of an inch either side of a drop point 90 percent of the time at 5 1/2 mph," says Mark Mahan of Triangle M Equipment, one of two U.S. distributors. "It's capable of 99 percent seed singulation, too." In part, that's the result of the shortest seed drop in the industry - 4 1/2 in. compared to 19 1/2 in. with many competing machines, Mahan says. It's also the result of a large blower and big hoses that move a large volume of air, he adds. The planter's 1.05 bu. seed hoppers, which are expandable by 150 percent, mount on 4 by 4 or 7 by 7-in. toolbars, depending on size of the planter. Row units are equipped with Hawkins double disc openers and the planter has a 12-speed gearbox. Row spacings from 12 to 40 in. or more are available, as are 72 separate seed spacings, from .71 to 13 1/2 in. Among options are 400 lb. fertilizer hoppers that are also expandable by 150 percent. Units are available in 4 up to 24-row folding and 3-pt. models. Prices start at $9,900 (U.S.). Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Triangle M Equipment, Old 41 North, Box 70, Morocco, Ind. 47963 (ph 219 285-2377) or Solex Corp., 220 South Jefferson Street, Dixon, Calif. 95620 (ph 916 678-5533).

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