Row Shut-Off For IH Planters

Row Shut-Off For IH Planters PLANTING EQUIPMENT Accessories 8-4-8 "I came up with this idea because we have a lot of point rows due to odd-shaped fields and a number of fields planted on the contour. With seed corn costs so high, we can't justify double-planting on end rows," says Garth W. Griffin, New Hampton, Iowa, who devised a way to shut down rows on his International air planter. The electrically-operated point row controls shut off either side of the planter by shutting off the wheels on the seed drums. Griffin used two-salvaged electric window motors attached to cables to shut down the rows and release them. The cables simply attach to the shut-off controls already on IH air planters. The advantage is that you don't have to get down off the tractor to shut rows down. "The automotive electric window motors cost about $10 apiece at a local salvage yard. You should make sure they're reversible so you can release the wheels back on to the seed drum. I bought some miscellaneous pieces of scrap iron for about $2.00 to make brackets to mount the motors. Two ¢-in. pulleys cost about $4.00 each and some machine work on the pulleys to fit them to the motors cost about $10. Then I bought about $10 worth of electric wire and salvaged some 1/8-in. cable from a friend. The total cost to me was about $70 and it took 3 to 4 hours of labor. "This past spring was the first season we've used it and it worked fine, with a few minor adjustments. As far as I know, there is no point row shut-off on the market for IH planters. This idea will work on any International air planter. We plan to contact manufacturers about the idea," says Griffin. For more information, contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Garth W. Griffin, Rt. 1, Box 282, New Hampton, Iowa 50659 (ph 515 394-3897).

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