C 2 row corn planter

I have a Farmall C with a two row planter that I've been planting sweet corn with for the last few years. But the seed plates are C65- 16 not the correct ones for sweet corn. The seed supplier recommends C190-24 or C697-24. Will these plates work on this planter or should I use C697-16? I don't know if -16 and -24 will both work in this planter. Thanks Dale L

It depends on how thick you want to plant. One will drop 16 seeds and the other 24 seeds in the same distance. The hole (cell) should be just big enough to hold one seed. I will have to check as I have a bunch of corn plates.

Sweet corn needs to be planted thicker than field corn. I use the plates rated for medium flat. It will drop 2 or more seed each time but that has not been a problem. If you want better control, you need the plates special for small round grains for sweet corn. They would tend to drop only one seed per slot. Farmall plates ran big and we found that we had to purchase large flat seed for the medium flat plates to avoid two hills per slot.

Dale,

First we have to determine what it is you want to do or what your problem is....plant thicker or thinner or are you having "stand problems" with skips or doubles?

Both 16 and 24 cell plates "will both work" in your planter. This question/answer is not your solution and is adding to the confusion.

Most sweet corn kernels are not sized uniformly like hybrid kernels...sweet corn kernels are usually very "wrinkled" and run smaller than hybrid kernels; so sometimes you just have to lay a plate on a bench and see how the kernels fit into the cell openings. This should help if you are having skips or doubles. Don't do this by holding the plates in your hand, lay them down on a flat surface, otherwise you are adding cell depth variations making matters worse.

Thru the years, most 2 row planters were set for 16 cell plates as those planters were built when seed populations were much lower; when 4 row planters came along and pops were starting to go higher, the operators often (but not always) set the sprockets for 24 cell plates so as to get the population higher. Your operator's manual is needed here for proper sprocket settings.

You are now using 16 cell plates, and your seed dealer says to use 24 cell...WHY? If you just throw in some 24 cell plates your pop will increase 50%!! I doubt if you want to do that since you go that high and you will have nothing but "nubbins" for ear size but you sure will have lots of them!

However, if you are having "seed stand" problems with seeds maybe too large or too small for the plate you are using, then you just simply need to use a larger or smaller cell size.

Sometimes plastic plates get worn too thin, you have to compare to a new or newer plate to determine this. This can affect plantability also.

Here are the 16 cell plates in descending order of cell size from larger (top) to smaller:

C11-16(very large)

C7-16

C7-16X

C65-16

C6-16

C10-16

C697-16

C17-16

C9-16

C90-16

C190-16(very small cell)

If cell sizes are your problem or cure, stay the heck away from 24 cell plates. If you want to go to higher pops then get out your operator's manual, read the directions for how to set the sprockets (both driver & driven) for 24 cell.
You DO have a manual, don't you?

LA in WI

PS Lincoln Ag has all these plates; www.lincolnagproducts.com or 402-464-7657. (No, I do not work for them.)

Thanks for the replies.The problem I've been having with the planter is it will drop 2or3 seeds and then will not drop seeds for a while.I don't have a manual. It's getting a little late to look for a manual this year.Where would I get a manual at? I'm thinking about trying C697-16's and see how it goes. Thanks Dale

Is this a mounted planter or a pull type?

It is a mounted two row planter.It mounts on the front with the steel wheels that runs the planter sit between the front and rear tires. The two rows plant between the two rear wheels.And the hydrolics raise and lower the planter. If that makes scense.

Dale,
It appears if your planter is dropping a few seeds and then long skips, your present cell size is too small. Going to smaller C697 would then make matters worse. Did you try to see how the kernels fit in the C65? If too small, go to a larger size, not smaller.
Manual: Call Binder Books 503-684-2024 from 10am - 5pm Pacific Time. You should have your manual in a few days.
LA in WI

I am not all that familiar with the 2 row mounted C planter... But could it possibly be setup as a hill drop instead of a drill? that would explain the drop a bunch - skip - drop a bunch deal.

If the cell size was too large you'd drop multiple seeds at regular intervals. If too small you'd get erratic drips of one seed here and there as one fell into a cell correctly.

You should be able to set that planter to drop at given distances by changing the sprocket combination.