Let's Talk Cole Planters

[workinonit]

Over the last couple of years I've been picking up one row fast hitch planters or at least all of them but one and that one will be easy to convert. I have 2 IH and 3 Cole. 2 of the Cole are duplex but very different. The better one and what looks to be newer one has 1200 on the hopper. It's a solid planter that uses the larger plates. It is a counter rotation planter. It also appears to not use the seed barriers or at least it doesn't have them. The other duplex is in decent shape but not as good. The plates for it are quite a bit smaller and it uses the seed barriers. I have several sets of plates for this one. It is also a counter rotation planter. So by counter rotation, if you stand at the back and turn the wheel the left plate turns CW and the right plate turns CCW. I understand there are models of this planter that both boxes turn the same way. The ladder one is the one that I am going to use since I have plates. I'm waiting on some rain and I'm going to try it out. The single hopper I have uses the same plates as the 1200 which I don't have. It's in fair condition. The IH planters are piecemeal at best.
I called Southern Equipment Company in Union Grove, NC this morning about buying a Cole 12MX planter. He will have 24 of them in July. I'm thinking I will buy one. My plan is to get a solid planter, probably a new one and keep one of these for a backup.
So, this is the extent of my knowledge of Cole planters. I'm curious what I'm missing about these planters other than plates for them.

[customcutter]

I used an old mule drawn Cole Duplex planter to plant the corn with a couple of months ago. I temporarily rigged it up at the back of my 92 year old FIL's Super AV. It was crude at best, but did work to plant 12 400' rows of corn. LOL

I got the "red fever" and bought a Super A and picked up an A178 or A180 belly planter that goes under the Super A. A few days later I got an IH Duplex seed hopper and plates. I've been spraying it with penetrating oil for the last 6 weeks and no luck on any of the fasteners. Today I decided it was time to start grinding, drilling, and hammering out the old fasteners.

I've seen videos of the Cole 12MX and it looks great. I can't justify that kind of money for a small garden though. Lots of YT video's on the different planters and set-up.

Good luck, Ken

[Super A]

As far as actual planting, I have never been a big fan of Cole planters. They are like the IH Cub/Super A planters--they get the seed in the general direction of the ground, but that's it.

IMO a JD 71, IH 185 or 295 is the way to go. Much simpler and more accurate.

Al