Simplest acreage counter we know of for planters is the Meter Man from B & L Manufacturing, Winnebago, Minn. The gear-driven counter fits most planters and adjusts to different row widths in seconds by changing the counter gear.

"It counts in actual acres so you don't have to do any figuring," says David Voss, B & L sales manager. "Just clamp it to the frame of your planter and it automatically translates revolutions of the planter drive shaft into acres covered."

The counter is adjustable to 40, 38, 36, 32, 30 and 28-in. row spacings by attaching a different-sized counting gear to the counter for each row spacing. The low-cost gears are made from plastic.

The unit fits most popular makes of planters, including  Deere Max Emerge and the IH Cyclo, as well as planters up to 15 years old. Voss says the company will work with farmers to fit the counter to just about any piece of machinery. "One farmer in Kansas rigged one up to fit his anhydrous applicator and it works great."