by Lucas Veale

Wireless Data Transfer continues to be a hot topic. Customers are asking about adding this to their R-Series tractors for spring. It is $700 per year if they do not currently have a JDLINK Ultimate subscription on the 8R. They also will need to buy a $120 Ethernet cable.

Seed meter test stand is really gaining traction. We have either completed or booked over 120 rows of meters in less than 1 month of owning the stand. It has also allowed us to learn more about the meters and what field adjustments will help this spring. The northern group also used it at their clinics and it helped sign up inspections and pro max 40 conversions. We will do the same at our meetings next year.

AMS equipment sales have picked up momentum the past 2 weeks. Displays, receivers, and rate controllers are leading the way. Customers like the rate controllers to eliminate cab clutter and to allow them to document their application. It also allows them to add swath control which is a huge benefit. We have installed on toolbars, planter fertilizer units, and pull type sprayers. Used equipment also remains a very hot commodity.

Atwood has been working with a wireless liquid flow blockage sensor system from John Blue. This will alert the operator if a row has been plugged with debris and help to reduce skips that result from this blockage. For more info, contact Dylan Vickers in Atwood, 217 578 2224.

We received some training on the new 2015 planters. The new ExactEmerge planter will operate on a 56 volt system powered by a hydraulically driven alternator. The reason for 56 volts is that anything over 75 volts is considered potentially lethal and would require some additional safety components. The higher the voltage the lower the amperage which means we are able to use smaller wires to run the electric drive motors. The new 3HD monitor should have an easy transition for customers already used to Seedstar XP. They stressed to us the horsepower requirements would be substantially higher due to the higher ground speeds. A 24 row will require an 8360R with a 60 gpm pump and could struggle in hills to maintain 10 mph. The brush belt seed delivery system seemed simple and easy to service. The same could be said for the meter components. We will have the ExactEmerge planter at the Expo.

When attaching newer planter to R-Series tractors it is a good practice to make sure that the tractor has the latest software on the controllers if you notice slow response or have to go through multiple key cycles to get the planter and tractor to communicate. Also make sure that the planter is at least version 17 (18 is the latest but 17 works well) if model year 2011 or later. Version 10 is required for ’09-’10. Generic serial numbers are A01700B000000 or ’09-’10. 1A01700AAAA000000 is correct for 2011-14.

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