Three Illinois farmers mounted Kinze and Deere planter units on the same toolbar and came up with drive components of their own design to get 8 1/2-in. spacing that lets them use the planter for wheat and soybeans.

Jon, John and Jay Goldenstein, Gilman, Ill., say their "row crop drill", which they've used for several seasons, does a great job on both crops. They built it because they were unhappy with the irregular seed placement of their conventional drill. Their home-built rig gives them the accuracy of a corn planter for planting beans and wheat.

They started with a Kinze double bar carrier, mounting Deere Max-Emerge units on the back bar and Kinze push-type units on the front bar. All row units are spaced 17 in. apart but front and rear units are staggered so row spacing is 8 1/2 in.

The conversion required a lot of engineering. Since they are running more than three times as many units as the original Kinze planter was designed for -- 27 rows versus 8 -- they had to reduce the rate of seed drop when planting beans. At either end of the rear bar they installed a reduction drive of their own design that reduces drop by 50%. Half the rear units are operated by each of the two gear units.

As another part of the gearing down process for beans, they had to use an extended rate drive sprocket that fits over the original sprocket. When planting wheat, this sprocket is put on the drive sprocket on the ground wheel in order to speed up the metering shaft.

For planting beans they use a standard bean cup, but for wheat they go to a medium rate sorghum cup.