by Joe Brunker, Monroe, WI

There will be a lot of hay cut here after the holiday weekend. It feels like we missed spring altogether and it finally went into summer this week. We had another productive week throughout most of the area and a lot of seed went in the ground. Some areas could actually take a nice rain again.

I had a 1790 this week where everything worked except the recording when starting the tractor each day. Set-up was perfect. Cold boot would not fix it. Unplugging the ISO and plugging it back in would let it record. Kept getting a general communication error message with no controller information on the bottom of the message and PM1 was not coming up clean in the message center. Everything else worked though. Updated all of the 7R tractor software (10 updates). Re-updated the planter controller software. Checked connections. Found row command connector (not in use) dangling down and full of water, cleaned it up, but did not fix the problem.  The GS2 already had the latest software. Did a field reprogram on the 2600 and recording works every time you start the tractor now. The communication error message is also gone. Had a similar communication message a SPFH with a GS2 last year as well. Factory reprogram fixed that one.

Had a customer call last night with the VRD motors turning and dropping seed with the planter raised. Tried to recalibrate the height sensor, but it would not let us. Found a pushed back pin on the height sensor connector.

Customers have been impressed with the high speed ExactEmerge planter in the field. Seed spacing was very good even at 12 MPH when we tested it. Everyone is interested to see what the emergence will be like and we will be watching the fields that we planted with it.