[coogan]

Hello, I bought a used 53' 1820 with a 1900 cart that has has the 1910 meter boxes on it. It has 3 tanks and I did the rate check on the rear and third tank with some fertilizer. I set the rear tank to 120 lbs and the 3rd to 50 lbs product rate with the fan set at 4700 rpm. I did a few short passes to check if it works and it plugged 4 of the 5 top fertilizer runs. After I spent 2 hours clearing them I noticed that the top runs have half the airflow of the bottom / seed runs. No matter where I set the air dampener the bottom runs have way more air pressure and the top run just seems too wimpy.

Any ideas ?

I read in the manual that on a tow behind the damper crank should be on the bottom, but this on is on the top, could someone have put it in upside down ?

Should there be any difference in airflow between the top and bottom runs?

I'm new to john Deere and I'm already got not liking this thing. Any help appreciated

 

[scottyheps]

Only ever seen the cranks on the bottom so i would guess yours is upside down. Not sure that would make the difference you are describing tho. I would flip that around and take the opportunity while its off to check its operation and if there are any obstructions in it.

 

[Price]

Same thing on my 1910... Pull three hose clamps off right in front of damper and small pipe between damper and last meter will pull out... Will be a bunch of fertilzer plugging the runs.

 

[coogan]

Yep, took the fan and plenum off and didn't see anything obvious until I tried to shove a broom handle down the top runs. Everyone was plugged with a block of solid fertilizer cement. Was probably my fault, last fall when I bought it I washed out the tank with water , not realizing how it works, or maybe the former owner didn't clean all the fertilizer out. I washed the middle tank too but no problems there so I'm thinking he left a bit in the bottom. Waiting on a couple of seals for the fan housing before I can bolt it back together. I hate the learning curve that comes with buying new equipment. I'm missing the simplicity of my old single shoot Bourgalt:sFun_DeadHorse:

 

[scottyheps]

At least it is a simple fix! Once its all cleaned up things should work good for you. they are a very basic cart and with a proper clean out they rarely skip a beat. I never use water on mine anymore, just blow them out from the top down and put the meters back in and park it. The tanks seal very very well so I avoid introducing moisture to them as best i can.

 

[coogan]

Simple enough once you know what it is !
John Deere for some reason uses huge metric bolts with locking nuts on the plenum , all of which were rusty and a bear to get off. I pulled all the tubes between the rear and 3rd meter , off course every hose clamp was so rusty I had to cut them off long story short , new bolts and clamps and it's going back together, but it kicked my ass pretty hard. I hope things go smoother once I actually get seeding

 

[coogan]

While I have you I have aquestion about settings. On cereals I'm putting on about 170 lbs of fertilizer and 100 lbs of barley and red spring wheat.

What fan speed are you using and what color on the dampener for cereals ?

What do you do different when seeding canola so you don't strip the seed ?

 

[snapper21]

For canola. Go by the recommended fan speed. My fan setting on my 40' is around 3600 so 4700 for yours is maybe that. Now the trick with canola is to set the plenum so it comes out of the opener the same as if you're blowing on your hand.

 

[scottyheps]

i usually run the dampener at 1.5" out for canola and about 1/3 2/3 s[lit on cereals. But id suggest getting someone to turn the crank with a hose off and turned up into the air at frame height and see how it comes out. Pick the longest secondary on an outer wing.

 

[Price]

Same here just feel the wind at the boot on the wings.... I find I don't need as much wind as the book recommends. Canola just enough wind to get it out. Damper on canola i turn it all the way down and still get enough air. If you have all run blockage... And it starts to plug you need more wind?

 

[coogan]

My worry about turning the wind down too much is spending another 2 hours unplugging the primary fertilizer hoses. The book says to set the fan speed for the higher rate product and for the 170 total pounds I'm putting on it recommends 4200-4700 rpm. The greenstar display says 3500 rpm and set the dampener in the yellow zone. Not sure which to follow but since it's 52 feet and uses the same cart as a smaller drill I would think the higher rpm will be safer......except for canola. I'm not sure if the damper is enough to slow down the wind on the canola runs ?

 

[CM]

My worry about turning the wind down too much is spending another 2 hours unplugging the primary fertilizer hoses. The book says to set the fan speed for the higher rate product and for the 170 total pounds I'm putting on it recommends 4200-4700 rpm. The greenstar display says 3500 rpm and set the dampener in the yellow zone. Not sure which to follow but since it's 52 feet and uses the same cart as a smaller drill I would think the higher rpm will be safer......except for canola. I'm not sure if the damper is enough to slow down the wind on the canola runs ?

I have a 50' 1830 and 1910. I Put down 400lbs fert with my canola. All fert goes down the fert line and I run the fan around 47-4800.

Don't worry about the book or monitor or colour. Unless your seeding at 7 mph 4-4200 would be lots I think for you and just set the damper to where canola is just lightly coming out, just not too low or it won't be very even. Rest of the air to the fert!

 

[coogan]

Well it's back together and blowing hard on the fertilizer runs now. It's taken a lot of years working up to this level of equipment , and this is well worn. I remember I started out with an old Frigstad cultivator that had been converted to an air seeder with a flexi-coil force V 150 bushel seed tank with ground drive hydraulics....

 

[coogan]

I have a few questions about this 1900 tank.

Does it look like the 430 bushel? That's what the former owner said but I can't find any markings.

I have a bad back and with the seed treater tank it's a struggle to lift the auger back on the cradle. Has anyone built a counterbalance, and how did you attach it?

The back tires make it look dated , what size of treaded tire would fit this ?

I was looking at some used JD drills on a lot yesterday and they were asking three times what I paid for this one and in similar condition, so I'm thinking if I like the drill this spring I will rebuild the meter boxes and get the rusty parts powder coated.