John Deere Grain Drill - Big Spring, MO
Posted by: 
YoSam.
N 38° 48.146 W 091° 28.676
15S E 632167 N 4295952
This place looks like is was once a museum or tourism draw place, but long closed.
Waymark Code: WMRV27
Location: Missouri, United States
Date Posted: 08/05/2016
Views: 2
County of display: Montgomery County
location of display: MO-129 & MO-K, Aunt Tinker's, Big Spring
"Ok here is what I found out, it is a bit long winded but bear with me. First the manual wasn't too much help, yes I still have it. Milo has several different names, Grain sorghum, Kaifir Corn, and I think Sudan Grass is a close relative. Same relative seed size. There wasn't a seed chart in the book so I went out to the shed and looked at the chart on the lid. The book refers to plant Kaifir corn in wider rows by closing off some feeds to end up with 28 in rows and set to about 8-10 lbs/ A. # 4 setting gives 3 lbs/a, #8 gives 8 lbs/a ,# 12 gives 12 lbs/a, this is in 28in rows!!! This was for before modern weed killers so they had to cultivate the rows. These days drilling in the 7 in rows will work, assuming yours is a 7 in space drill. The chart does show sudan grass rates for 7 in drill as follows,lever notch #4 gives 16 lbs/a #8 gives 26 lbs/a. As you see that is too heavy of a rate. Might be able to get it low enough if the rate lever is mostly closed all the way. Also the feed gate doors on each row need to be in the upper most position far small seed. These doors are on the the bottom of each feed and close against the feed rotor. Also there should be a covering chain attached to each row unit to aid in covering the seed, these are a short piece of chain with some 4 in rings attached that drag on the ground. As with any planter you can check the rate by jacking up the drive wheel,measure the circumference of the wheel, make a mark on the wheel so you can count the turns, place a sheet under the unit to catch the grain and weigh it, then you can figure it out in fractions of a acre. I hope this helps out, I know it's a bit much but that is pretty much what the instructions show. Happy hunting F.J.W. PS Might be easiest to just cover some of the feeds to end up with the 28 in rows so as to not over plant." ~ F. Wurth, on SMOKSTAK (Blow Smoke - Shoot Flames - Exhaust Gas)