In Maintenance Tips
, Planters
Operator Tips for Optimizing Planter Performance
Technology has streamlined and simplified many elements of farming, and made farmers more productive and efficient than ever before. But technology isn’t foolproof. Monitors and automated functionality like section control and hydraulic drives require field checks to validate performance.So, when you’re ready to plant this spring, here are a few quick pointers and functionality tests that will help you optimize planter performance and increase yield potential and profitability in the fall. Population Check Follow the procedure in your operator’s manual to do a full in-field check…or several of them. Merely digging up four or five seeds will not give you complete information to establish consistent population, spacing and depth control. NOTE: 17' 5" of row length is = to 1/1000th acre...
New Electric Multi-hybrid Planter Prepares for Debut
Kinze generated a lot of excitement back in December 2013 with the introduction of the world’s first electric Multi-Hybrid Planter, which gives farmers the ability to change the seed hybrid they are planting automatically as the planter moves through the field. With planting season nearly upon us – it’s almost time for the new planters to take the field! Here’s how we’ve been preparing for the Multi-Hybrid Planter’s debut season. Back in February, Kinze took the planter down south and conducted performance testing on multiple farms (photos of which are posted below). The planter performed accordingly and will soon roll into fields across Iowa, Illinois, Indiana and Missouri. Multi-hybrid planting won’t just change things for farmers but also the seed companies...
The John Deere 5020 Meets Jon Kinzenbaw
In 1965, John Deere introduced the 5020 standard, regarded at the time as one of the more powerful two-wheel-drive models on the market. A row crop version would be introduced the following year. Then, in 1968, the 5020 received a serious power increase to 141 hp – putting it near the forefront of the industry. Within a year or so, a farmer from Reinbeck, Iowa by the name of David Bystriki approached Jon Kinzenbaw at his Ladora shop to see if the young welder could find a way to fit a Detroit 8V-71 engine in the 5020 – which would boost its power tremendously to approximately 320 hp. At the time, the term “re-power” wasn’t even part of the farmer’s vocabulary...
In Kinze News
Kinze Produces 100th Planter at Lithuanian Factory
Kinze made an exciting leap last fall by opening its first production facility abroad in Vilnius, Lithuania. The decision to go overseas was made in spring 2013 in order to support a growing market in Eastern Europe. After nearly five decades of production taking place exclusively in the heartland of America, setting up a new facility nearly 5,000 miles away required careful planning and countless man-hours. Finding the perfect location, acquiring equipment, equipping the facility, molding a proficient team, and getting everyone up to speed took considerable dedication from numerous individuals. What an achievement it was for all of us at Kinze to see the facility up and running last fall. The Lithuanian staff has since grown to 17 employees and...
In Kinze News
A Kinze Dealer’s Perspective: It’s About Passion and People
Recently, we visited with H&R Agri Power Owner Wayne Hunt and General Manager Ross Morgan to discuss their perspective as a multi-store dealership (with 14 locations serving AL, KY, IL, MS and TN) and the primary reasons for their success. What Do You Think Are Some of the Major Advantages You Have Vs. Competition? And the Most Effective Marketing Tactics You Use? H&R: If we have an advantage, it comes from our passion for the business and the strengths of our people. Brick and mortar are essential tools, but it’s people who determine success. And that starts with talented individuals who have integrity, a great work ethic, a good positive attitude, in a culture they passionately embrace. That’s our biggest advantage....
New Kinze Training And Service Videos Help You Get More From Your Equipment
At Kinze, we appreciate the importance of education and training, which is why we host training events throughout the year for our customers and dealers. This puts you face-to-face with product specialists and provides invaluable hands-on training. And, while there is no substitute for in-person training, we know travel and scheduling conflicts prevent some from attending our events. And many of those who do attend later want a quick brush up on some of the things they learned. Thus, we are pleased to announce that Kinze now offers a series of training videos to assist our dealers and customers with commonly asked questions and to help get planter electronics ready for spring. The following videos are posted on the Kinze...
Popular Questions from the Winter Shows
We asked Kinze District Manager Derek Prostine to summarize a few of the most commonly asked questions and interesting observations he took away from the National Farm Machinery Show and Iowa Power Farming Shows this year: Kinze: “What’s New?” (It’s Always the First Thing Farmers Usually Ask.) DP: Without a doubt, it was showing off the new vacuum meter and the size of the electric drive motor on the 4900 planter. People were absolutely amazed at how something as simple as an electric drive motor was able to easily replace all the drive components they’re used to having. It’s also fun to answer farmers’ questions about the new 4000 meter – and the 99%+ statement we’re advertising on meter accuracy. Every design aspect of this meter has a...
How to Jumpstart Your Career
"I was looking for an internship to get some practical experience that would prepare me for the workforce. What I found at Kinze was a program that offered me much more and an environment that allowed me to develop and apply new skills that would have been impossible to achieve in a classroom setting. The challenges I faced and the responsibilities I was given exceeded anything I had ever imagined. It has been a tremendous learning experience. Mike Green, Manufacturing Engineering Co-op Mechanical Engineering Major at the University of Iowa Class of 2014 (December) During the past decade, Mike Green – and roughly 100 other top-echelon college students – have enrolled in what has become a very popular and highly...
In Maintenance Tips
, Planters
Tech Tune-Ups and Frame Maintenance for Row Crop Planters
When it Comes to Planter Maintenance, we always tend to focus on meters and row units first, but don’t overlook the frame during annual pre-season inspections! It only takes a few minutes. Here’s a good checklist: Is your planter is level? Changing tires on your tractor or using a different tractor from the prior year can easily change the height of the hitch and the level of your planter.Check for wear on the hitch clevis. (Remember, flipping it over changes planter height too.)Repack your wheel bearings and check air pressure in your tires.Grease your wheel modules, wing hinges and folding pivot points.Check torque on your bolted hitch joints.Got loose hoses and wires? Strap them down neatly to the hitch and frame.Got markers? Check...
The Next Kinze Innovation: Yield Optimization. One Planter. Multiple Hybrids. Superior Accuracy.
There’s a lot of news circulating right now about the concept of multiple-hybrid planters. The Practical Farm Research Team at Beck’s Hybrids started working with one it in the spring of 2012. Initial results were published in the fall of the same year. Since then, farm editors have been all over it, seed companies are planning for it, and growers are now asking about it. Kinze has been involved in the Beck’s Hybrids project since the very beginning. The first year they converted a Kinze 3500 planter. Then in 2013, Kinze built a custom 3600 Twin Row Planter specifically for their multi-hybrid study. Site-specific hybrid and seeding rate prescription files were imported into an AgLeader the Integra controller with SeedCommand...