JD 7000 Planter - soy cups?

Lovely day today. Took the finger pickup mechanisms off the planter and brought them home. Then I took a long slow walk in the woods. A little muddy but the sun was out and it was mild.

So...not really familiar with this topic which is why I ask. I understand that there are different makes of seed cups for planting soybeans with this planter. Seems like I read a post that maybe there were some that were better than others. Can anyone educate me on these? Which are better? Appreciate any input.

Dave the soybean cups did not singlate the beans at all. They volumetrically ran the soybeans out. Meaning they just ran so much volume out and did not separate the beans at all. Much the same as a grain drill would do. So you would have random spacing. By metering volume you had a chart that would show you the population based on the seeds per pound of seed. You then had to "tune" the rate if your seeds per pound where different than the rate chart. Also when you changed seed brands or lots that have difference seeds per pound you have to adjust your rate.

Then there is the Kinze radial bean meters and then the JD radial bean meters. They basically are a plastic cone/plate that has notches in the outer edge that will hold a single soybean seed. These turn against a brush that helps to keep a single seed in each notch/slot. These are the best way to plant soybeans of the options you would have. In that the spacing is controlled just like the finger pickup does corn. These meters actually count the seeds per acre.

With the cost of soybean seed these days it does not take long for a set of radial bean meters to soon pay for them selves.

P.S. Dave I have set of six used radial bean meters and also a set of soybean cups too. We can talk about what them in an email.

The first picture is a Kinze radial bean meter plate, then a cut away view of a Kinze meter and then a JD plate..

I remember. I have the email about the meters. I was a little tight on cash at the time because we were buying the farmhouse on the front of the property and the people wanted cash. All better now.

Finger pickups are here and ready to be boxed and shipped out. If I had known it was that easy I would probably have done it sooner. But the planter is indoors now and I am getting it evaluated so I know how to proceed. This is nice...working on my planter in January...not May.

(quoted from post at 23:55:12 01/30/16) This is nice...working on my planter in January...not May.

Click to expand...

Go ahead, rub it in!

Meters are the way to go- makes life simpler because you get the seeds per acre that you want. Say you have bean seed at 2300 beans per lb, and others at 2900. With cups you need to adjust seeding rate to get xx seeds per foot; change to another variety and reset. Meters, set them once, and that"s what they singulate. Typically can find used units for about $60-80.

The cups spill a certain volume of soybeans into the ground. So both speed you drive and size of seed affects your plant population. With bin run seed in the 1970s and 80s that wasn't a big deal, everyone enjoyed planting beans a little heavy no problem.

With expensive seed today, the meters work much more like a corn unit, picking out single seeds in a groove and planting them individually. You have much more control at hitting your population just right.

In general you will be happy with either Kinze or JD bean meters. There are minor differences and some like the JD a tad more, but they can be a bit harder to adjust, and so on. In the end, look for good used ones, and buy whichever you fine they will work fine.

Shoup makes their own now as well, but there seem to be a lot less of them around, and if you need parts you are dependant upon a mich smaller source for parts..... I think they work fine, but I'd worry a bit about the future......

I got some used Kinze a few years ago, work great.

Paul

I would agree with everyone else, metering will be a problem with the cups on the 7000.

Rub it in? Well John...if you insist! Last year at this time I did not have THIS to work in. We were just starting on it.

Appreciate all the info. Not one of those tough choices after all!

The standard cups are meant to be used with one of three available metering covers.

We have used for years and still are using the kinze brush meter and love it they are cheep and easy to maintain and count seeds for the right population saving seed over those old john Deere cups.

Show off!

I guess I should have voiced an opinion on this topic as well as my stern instructions to be a gloater. (you know I use the term lightly. I'm very proud of your successful farming!)

Shoup has brand new brush meters for $110. The plates are another 9 bucks. That is quit a deal for something brand new, and shoup does sell replacement parts for everything. You get a year of owning brand new equipment for about $720. You can't replace the feeling of having something brand new for less than a grand. The soybean cups from yesteryear are bad news for accurate planting. Small price to pay for the best stand of beans your neighbors will get the privilege of viewing for an entire year. Be well, Dave. April 15th approaches fast. Have some good stress management plan in place for tax season, and then don't worry about the brushed meters.