Corn planting season is fast approaching for much of North America’s Corn Belt, and many planters are now in the shop for overhauls, so a quick review of some essentials seems appropriate:
1) Check opener blades. Once they’ve lost 3/8-inch off their diameter, they’ve lost their bevel and no longer cut residues (or soil) readily. If you continue to run the blades for a long time, eventually they get worn so thin that they are sharp again (razor sharp), but this thinness causes huge problems with blade flex and furrows that are pinched slits so narrow that a corn kernel cannot get to the bottom.
For replacement blades, use the 3.5 mm instead of 3.0. Also, Deere now offers a double-row bearing and hub that reduce flex even…Read More