Trash Clearing, Closing Wheels

Trash Clearing, Closing Wheels PLANTING EQUIPMENT Accessories 17-4-3 Walt Carroll tried two different brands of trash-clearing wheels on front of his Deere Max-Emerge planter before he finally decided to build his own. He came up with an innovative new 3-wheel design plus coulter that mounts on a spring-loaded "walking beam" that he says is "setting new standards for the industry". The Texas farmer says he also wasn't satisfied with the performance of closing wheels on his Deere planter. He decided to experiment with using the same type of tined wheels to close up seed furrows and ended up with a new design that he says "will take the industry by storm". Already, he says, Deere, Kinze, White and other planter manufacturers are considering offering his tined closing wheels on their planters. Following are details on each of the new planter attachments: Trash-Clearing wheels-carroll's trash that slices through trash and forms a trench for dry or liquid fertilizer 2 1/2 in. to the side of the seed furrow. A tined wheel mounts to the side of the coulter, centered over the seed furrow. It mulches soil in and around the seed zone. A pair of tined wheels follows behind on the back end of a "walking beam", moving trash to the side without throwing it up in the air, which Carroll says has been a problem with other trash-clearing wheels. The entire assembly is spring-loaded so it flexes up over obstacles, eliminating dam-age to the wheels or to the planter frame. The walking beam also keeps the trash-clearing wheels from digging deep furrows ahead of row units, causing uneven seed placement. "It's also the only trash-clearing unit on the market that can be used for narrow row planting because trash is not fluffed up but remains low to the ground and passes between row units," says Carroll, noting that he's manufacturing right and left hand units to eliminate side draft. No price has yet been set on the trash-clearing wheels. Furrow-Closing Wheels - "These closing wheels are so much better than anything else on the market it's unbelievable," says Carroll. "The tougher the conditions, the better they work. Under certain conditions, conventional closing wheels leave 30 to 40 percent of seed uncovered. These wheels are much more aggressive and cover virtu-ally 100 percent under most conditions." The wheels fit the same hardware as the original press wheels on Deere, Kinze, White, and KMC and can be adapted to other models as well. Carroll says the wheels pinch the soil from the sides of the seed rather than shoving surface soil back over the seed. "In wet, sandy, clay or gumbo soils the spokes never pack soil or cause it to crust over. The tilling action of the spoked wheels leaves the soil in a mulched condition above and to the sides of the seed," he notes. "These closing wheels will revolutionize planting under no-till or trashy conditions since the angle of the spokes allows them to penetrate through trash to close the slot instead of riding on top of residue. The angle of the tines kicks trash out to the back so they self-clean under all conditons. In addition, less than half the normal down pressure is needed so there's virtually no side load on bearings and the swinging arm mechanism on the planter doesn't wear out. Bearings last 2 to 3 times as long." The closing wheels are cast out of tough ductile steel which Carroll says lets them rides over rocks and other field obstacles without breaking. Last spring Carroll took the closing wheels all over the country to test them under varying field conditions. "Performance was outstanding. Nearly every farmer who got a look at them in action wanted to buy them on the spot," he says. The closing wheels sell for $98 per row. For more information, contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Walter Carroll, HCR Box 84A, Lytle, Texas 78052 (ph 210 772-4141).

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