Whats the best corn planter?

[Redcub]

Just got a call from a friend in Washington state with a Cub and a A. He's looking for a corn planter to put seed in the ground this year. Any hints or comments on what brand, model, type, style to buy or stay away from? Do you prefer ones that are pulled from the draw bar, or that bolt on to the Farmall and are chain driven? Are the seed plates universal, or brand specific? (i.e. New Holland will not fit Cole and I.H). Single row, or muti-row? Hints and tricks to making them work better?

I've never used one, so this is new to me. Give me the good, bad and the ugly.
Thanks in advance.


Photo credit: Pete1941
Looks like a good way to take a leg off!!!


Photo credit: Pete1941
I'd love to have one of these!

Photo credit: Jim Turner


Photo credit: bullDAWG



Photo credit: VirginiaMike
I really like the idea of unbolting this unit and putting it away for the season.

What's your opinion on all of this?

[bob in CT]

I have a 172 IH planter that mounts on the side. There are over 100 different seed plates available for the Richmond/Combination hopper so it is pretty flexible. The one disadvantage is the long seed tube drop. I think a trailing planter like a 184 IH is more accurate and it is a LOT easier to install. The 172/174 has it hands down for the cool factor though, with all the chains and sprockets to play with. It takes about an hour to set up a 172 and when I have used it to plant sunflowers, I was done in 20 minutes. I'll use it for corn for fun, but with the small staggered plantings I do for the family-friends-neighbors corn plot one of those old hand planters makes more sense. If you are talking small vegetable seeds, I think the Planet Junior units have an advantage. The IH planters were corn and bean planters by design and not really the best for small seeds.

Plates are brand specific and IH had different plates for Duplex hoppers, Single Seed hoppers, POAX hoppers, and Richmond/Combination hoppers. Duplex plates are harder to find and expensive. Lots of Richmond/Combination plates are molded in plastic. New corn seed in sacks frequently includes the correct plate or a recommendation. Many have Cole planters, similar in design to the IH Duplex and people like them and plates seem to be a bit cheaper.

[Redcub]

Thanks Bob! Yes all those chains, cogs, and contraptions moving around and blurring my mind has the ultimate cool factor going for it. Found a Cub with a planter a while back. $700 bucks for the whole thing. He will be planting about an acre and its just for family/fun as you say. Good for deer in the fall also But if he buys the cub, he might just SEPARATE the two, and just where, oh where would that poor little Cub go with no home??? There is no hopper on the unit and I am not sure of the planter make. I'm sure posting a pic or two would allow members to ID the uint and then that would direct us to hopper and plate parts. Am I correct that "Richmond" makes some kind of standard hopper set up that fits most brand? And the are still around and selling parts new? A walk behind Planet Jr. would be another idea like you said, but this is a perfect excuse to buy a Cub. A Cub Bob, gotta get that Cub! Nobody really cares about the corn here. This is all just a front for a Cub purchase! Help me find the excuse..LOL Just kidding. He really is looking for a planter

Thanks for your info. I'll keep you posted.

[bob in CT]

I saw my first planter and said to myself- that's for me. What a toy. A "Richmond" hopper is a specific type of IH hopper and you need the right hopper drive parts for a 172/174 planter to mount it. The 172's were pretty complicated in that sense as there were 4 different hoppers and three different hopper drives available. It is important to get complete units and getting one on a tractor is the best way to assure that.

You can really get out of hand with them. Here is my collection of plates: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.101518556547550.3475.100000682194640&type=1&l=f4b2f822f8

[Boss Hog]

as far as the best for a cub it would be a 184 IH planter hands down

Boss

[Redcub]

Bob, that is one heck of a lot of seed plates. Wow.

Photo credit: bob in ct, photo host.
Yeah Boss, the 184 looks nice and a guy can just take it off real quick. Simple design.




Guys, here is that Cub I told you about in my second reply. From looking at other pics on Photo Host, It is missing quite a few parts off the planter.
I think the P.O. knew to take off the good stuff. Any Idea what model/make this is? Thanks.

[bob in CT]

That is set up as a side dresser with a cultivator. The planter drive unit gets bolted to the rectangular plate with two holes in it that is next to the fertilizer drop tube. This would need a fertilizer hopper (they rust out if not cleaned), planter drive unit to bolt onto that plate and a hopper. Plus all the claptrap underneath to open and close the row and mount it. Easier to find a 184- dress up front and drop the seeds on the trailing planter.

[Virginia Mike]

A walk behind Planet Jr. would be another idea like you said, but this is a perfect excuse to buy a Cub.

You will not be happy with a Planet Jr. for corn. It is a drill, not a hill drop.
While it will plant corn, it plants it so thick, you waste 75% of your seed.

[Don McCombs]

Bear in mind that the 184 planter requires that the Cub be equipped with a Fast Hitch.

[bob in CT]

Bear in mind that the 184 planter requires that the Cub be equipped with a Fast Hitch.

Not true. While the one in the photo is a Fast Hitch set up, there are hitch options including a drawbar mount for the Cub- easy to fabricate. See the manual I scanned available in the (New) Manuals section.

http://www.farmallcub.com/fcman/download.php?fname=./files/Cub%20Attachments/Planters-Fertilizer/Operator%27s%20Manual%20Planter%20Attaching%20Units%20for%20the%20184%20Planter.pdf

[Super A]

If any fabricating has to be done, move up to an IH 185 or JD 71 unit planter.

Al

[Jim Becker]

A 185 is better for small seed. But I wouldn't pass up a 184 while looking for a 185 to plant corn.

[Rudi]

International 184 planter Unit 7-12-65

This is the one on the server - it isn't exactly geared for a Cub but does show the different options. Fast hitch is not required and if you are going to fabricate a mount, then drawbar mount is definitely a go.

[Redcub]

So if I understand correctly, the pic I post of the Cub for sale is mainly for fert. And a seed hopper is bolted on to the plate with two holes. (Thanks boss and bob). I just guessed that all you had to do was change plates when changing between fert and seed, but thats not the case I guess. (???) I'd still think that all those shafts, cogs, and chain would be worth having on a $700 Cub.

[bob in CT]

Completely different hoppers for different missions.