Skid-Steer Seed Box Fast-Fills Planters

Skid-Steer Seed Box Fast-Fills Planters PLANTERS Planters 8-2-35 "I can fill the dry fertilizer boxes on my 16-row planter in 15 min. and the seed box on my 21-ft. drill in 3 min.," says Mark Herickhoff, Belgrade, Minn., who built his Fast-Fill seed box to get away from "the cost and complications" of using augers to transfer fertilizer and seed to his planter. Herickhoff attaches the Fast-Fill to his skid-steer loader and lowers it under truck or wagon discharge chutes for filling. After filling up with a full load of 8 1/2 bu., he empties it into the planter or drill boxes through a hydraulically-powered sliding bottom door. Herickhoff says the Fast-Fill completely eliminates the need for auger systems on planters, drills and trucks. It's faster, he notes than a 6-in. auger. The sliding bottom is 34 in. wide and opens 3 in. for unloading into wide boxes. For narrow boxes, two baffles inside the bucket fold down so there's a 3 by 7-in. opening for the seed to exit. If you have leftover seed or fertilizer in the bucket, you can easily dump it back into the wagon or truck. Herickhoff says the front end of the Fast-Fill is only 15 in. high, low enough to fit under most trucks and gravity boxes for filling. It quick attaches to most skid-steer loaders and requires 1,000 or higher SAE lift capacity rating. An auxiliary cylinder powers the sliding bottom. Fast-Fill sells for $649. Herickhoff is working on a model with an electrically activated cylinder for loaders not equipped with an extra hydraulic outlet. He's also testing a model for skid-steer loaders that have a 600 SAE lift rating. For more information, contact; FARM SHOW Followup, Herickhoff Dist., R.R. 2, Box 182, Belgrade, Minn. 56312 (ph 320 254-3636).

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