8-Row, 19-In. "Splitter" Planter

8-Row, 19-In. "Splitter" Planter PLANTERS Planters 26-1-32 Frank and Duane Beelow, Mundelein, Ill., wanted the benefits of a narrow row no-till planter without spending the money for a new one. They already had a Deere 7000 4-row, 38-in. planter so they welded an offset hitch onto it, then bought another used 4-row Deere 7000 planter and hooked it on behind to make a "splitter" planter. It lets them plant 8 rows of 19-in. soybeans. By unhooking the rear planter they can plant 4 rows of 38-in. corn. To make the hitch they welded two lengths of 4-in. sq. tubing to the planter's main frame and also to the fertilizer bar that goes across the front of the planter. The rear planter simply pins onto the hitch. Hydraulic hoses run from the tractor back to both planters. "We built it a year ago and used it last year to plant about 300 acres of soybeans, with no problems," says Frank. "We paid $2,000 for the extra planter and spent about $300 to build the hitch. It took us about two days to build the hitch. A new 8-row narrow row planter would've cost at least $10,000. "It turns slick on corners. We set up the hydraulics so that the front planter raises up before the back one, so that the back planter stops planting where the front one did. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Frank G. Beelow, 21400 W. Ill. Rt. 60, Mundelein, Ill. 60060 (ph 847 566-8273).

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