Planter Kit Keeps It In The Ground

Planter Kit Keeps It In The Ground The Terrace King from E.J. Swihart maintains positive depth control even when planting across a terrace. The wheel kits restore up to 12 in. of row travel, preventing skips, reducing weeds, and increasing yields. They use existing hydraulic cylinders and hardware, maintaining planter lift when needed and lifting the wheels above the field surface when not needed. They solve a problem caused by ever-larger planters. “A friend of mine switched from a 16-row to a 24-row planter and encountered a problem,” recalls Swihart. “End-row units would lift up on terraces and drop seed on the soil surface, not in the soil.” Swihart came up with a simple solution and, after describing it to his friend, was told to fabricate and install it on the new planter. “My friend identified the wheels on the planter as the problem,” says Swihart. “He needed them when not planting, but not when he was planting. They restricted the ability of the planter to flex with the field surface.” The inner wing wheel caused row units to lose ground contact at the wing’s end. The two center wheels caused row units to lose contact near the wing hinge points. Although essential for lifting and carrying the planter, they were problematic during planting. Swihart’s solution was to modify the carrier arms so the wheels lifted above the ground during planting. When the planter was lifted, the arms returned to their weight-bearing position. Since building his first set of Terrace Kings in 2020, Kansas-based Swihart has sold more than 170 kits in Oklahoma, Missouri, Nebraska and Iowa. They’re now available for all major planter models from John Deere, Case and White/AGCO. Swihart says he’s working his way through other planter models. “My customers are pretty happy with them,” says Swihart. “You can put them on in a few minutes. I’ve even installed them in the field. They’re a simple, cost-effective solution.” Prices start at $1,500 per kit. Swihart sells them directly and through an expanding network of dealers. “Give us a call if you have questions or a different brand of planter,” says Swihart. “We’ll work on anything.” Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Swihart Solutions, 602 E. 5th St., Enterprise, Kan. 67441 (ph 785-477-9854; ej@swihartsolutions.com; www.swihartsolutions.com).

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