John Deere has released a large 23m (76 foot) 1870 Air Hoe Drill, which joins the existing 12m (40 foot) and 17m (56 foot) models and allows small grains and oil seed producers to plant more acres quickly and accurately.
John Deere Seeding Group marketing manager John Peters says the air seeder has many new features designed to improve seed and fertiliser placement, depth and pressure control.
“The new 76 foot model 1870 offers a time-saving 36 percent increase in seeding width, better residue flow capabilities, and improved seeding and fertiliser placement and control,” Peters says.
“Also, with the new retractable openers for easier servicing and improved transport, customers will gain more productivity when seeding small grains and oil seeds.
“When combined with a John Deere air cart and used on rolling, undulating terrain, this is one of the most accurate, productive air seeding systems available,” he adds.
The 76-foot 1870 is a five-section seeder with 305mm (12in) row spacing compatible with 430 bushel tow-between and 430 or 550 bushel tow-behind John Deere seed carts.
Clogging is alleviated through increased frame height and 1,422mm (56in) of spacing between each rank, which John Deere says is nearly 508mm (20in) more space compared to other seeders.
Other features worth noting on this John Deere air seeder are: a floating front hitch and wings with a range of 25 degrees of flex; high-flotation tyres; independent hydraulic controls; and cam levers on each opener to make it easier for the operator to adjust seed depth across the entire seeder.
The ‘TruSet’ depth and pressure control lets the operator monitor, set and adjust trip force and packing pressure from the tractor cab. Controlled through a GreenStar 2630 display, it lets operators set target seeding depth and adjust it on the go.
“Another new feature on this machine is our own ‘Relative Flow’ blockage system that allows the operator to monitor the relative flow rate of both seed and fertiliser from the cab,” Peters says. “Sensors on the primary and secondary hoses and an easy-to-read display help ensure proper seed and fertiliser flow across the drill, from opener to opener.”
The John Deere 1910 Air Carts have also been updated and now feature a an ‘Air Power 2’ option that uses two independently controlled fans to deliver up to 249kg (550 pounds) of total product per 0.40 ha (1 acre) across the full width of the air seeder.
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