Walk-Behind Planter Great For Specialty Crops

Walk-Behind Planter Great For Specialty Crops PLANTERS Planters 26-3-7 You've never seen anything like this walk-behind specialty crop planter. At $13,000 to $14,000 for the bed-type planter, it's meant for serious business. So far, only one VersaTull planter has been sold, but a prototype displayed at the World Ag Expo this past February received a lot of attention, according to Anthony Ladd, Sutton Ag Enterprises. "Most interest in the prototype unit has been from seed companies and university researchers, but some small growers have shown interest in the unit as well," says Ladd. Equipped with a 4 hp Honda motor and a 5-speed transaxle transmission, the self-propelled planter can be adapted to beds of up to 60 inches in width and plant 9 rows at a time. An independent compressor mounted on the unit provides constant vacuum pressure for the Stanhay planter units. Full width bed rollers closely reproduce the level beds left by large expensive tractor-drawn planters. The floating chassis within a rigid framework allows the unit to accommodate a variety of soil types and bed heights. The control handle bars pivot to the side, allowing the operator to walk alongside the planted bed, leaving it undisturbed. "We started design work about three years ago," says Ladd. "We knew what planter units we wanted to use and selected components that would support it. The Stanhay vacuum planter is very versatile and can plant a lot of different seeds." The chassis and components can easily be adapted to host other planter units, including the Gaspardo, Sutton Seeder, Planet Jr. and the Stanhay belt-powered unit. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Anthony Ladd, Sutton Ag Enterprises, 746 Vertin Ave., Salinas, Calif. 93901 (ph 831 422-9693)

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