Fast New Way To Fill Planters And Drills

Fast New Way to Fill Planters and Drills PLANTERS Planters 15-4-16 "It makes filling your planter or drill boxes as easy as using a garden hose," says Ken Sanders, Sanders Seed-Vayor, Plano, Ill., about his company's first-of-its-kind pneumatic bulk seed handling system. The patented system consists of three major components: 1) A 24-in. sq. central power unit contains the air blower and hydraulic manifold. 2) A hydraulically-driven lightweight plastic rotary airlock that attaches directly to the bulk seed supply. 3) A hose and hand-held discharge nozzle that's used to fill the planter or drill. It's equipped with two switches - one to start and stop the blower and one to start and stop the rotary airlock. The system is powered by most tractor hydraulic systems and is supplied with a kit that lets you mount an auxilliary hydraulic hook-up at the rear of the planter. "Farmers are looking for ways to handle seed faster as their planters and seed drills become larger. Our system moves seed out of any bulk tank at 2 1/2 to 3 bu. per minute," says Sanders. "It lets you fill a 12-row planter in 10 to 15 minutes compared to 30 to 45 minutes when you have to haul, empty and dispose of bags. You gain two to three more hours of planting time per day and also save your back. We expect most interest to come from farmers with 12 to 24-row planters or large drills that hold 40 bu. or more. "The portable rotary airlock is the key because it lets you use the system anywhere. It weighs only 25 lbs. so you can easily move it from wagon to wagon or truck to truck. The airlock works like a pressure-only pneumatic grain system except that it's portable." The central power unit, which must be positioned within 10 ft. of the bulk seed supply, weighs 150 lbs. and is equipped with a hydraulic-driven, positive displacement blower and electric actuated solenoid valves that you hook up to the tractor's 12-volt battery. Sanders says farmers in central Illinois and eastern Iowa tested the system last spring on soybeans with excellent results. "The hand-held discharge cyclone lets seed fall gently by gravity and the entire system handles seed much more gently than augers. We haven't tested it yet on wheat or other small grains," says Sanders. The company plans to produce a limited number of units for the 1992 planting sea-son. Sells for $4,200. For more information, contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Ken Sanders, Sanders Seed-Vayor Co., 45 Bushnell Road, Plano, Ill. 60545 (ph 708 355-0335).

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