If
you are installing Keetons for the first time, or replacing
a worn-out set, we would encourage you to go to the Universal
(wrap-around) mounting. Once upon a time, we shied away from
the wrap-around Keetons because the maximum pressure obtainable
was less than the original seed-tube-mounted Keeton (P100 /
100T)—but the Mojo Wire takes care of that. The Universal
mounting takes the pressure off the seed tube, which becomes
more important with the Mojo Wire (5 times the pressure).
With Mojo Wires, you ensure a very high rate of germination,
and the rate of germination is similar for adjacent seeds,
since all seeds are securely embedded in the moist soil at
the furrow bottom.
T-wheel
Xtra Series
For ’07, Exapta has made a full-blown introduction of
the T4X, which has 33% thicker spokes for Xtra wear life. Since
the wheel still only measures 0.25-inch thick, the slicing
of the soil and shedding of mud are not greatly affected. (The
T4X fits Deere 60- and 90-series drills.)
For the bearing-type Thompson wheels (for most planters, and
the Case SDX and Deere 750 / 1850 drills), we are making a
limited introduction of T2X and T3X wheels, which again are
0.25-inch-thick high-carbon steel. The original T2 / T3 (and
T4) wheels were introduced in ’02, so some sets now have
5 seasons and tens of thousands of acres on them—in
general, the reports of wear rates have been good to excellent,
although a few areas with highly abrasive soils have shown
some ‘premature’ wear. For producers in those areas,
we now recommend the Xtra series.
In reviewing the T2 and T3 performance over 5 years, we’d
like to take a moment to crow about how durable the bearings
have proven. They keep going and going...
Exapta's
Light Spring
Another addition for ’07 is our light closing
bracket spring (M.4433), which has about 30% of the pressure
of the OEM spring. All spoked closing wheels benefit
from reduced pressure on the closing bracket, since
the spoke wheel’s footprint (area contacting the soil)
is a fraction of what the smooth wheels had, and because seed
firming is now accomplished from within the furrow (using
a Keeton or in-furrow ‘seed-lock’ firming wheel)
instead of compressing all the soil from the surface down to
the seed.
Planter
Closing Bracket
Previously, customers of the Thompson wheel (and other spoked
closing wheels) either took all the spring pressure off the
tailpiece, or ran in the lowest notch setting (which was still
too much pressure in many cases), or attempted to create an
even lower setting on the tailpiece. However, this method was
using the very beginning of the stroke on the heavy OEM extension
spring, and tiny undulations in the terrain changed the pressure
radically. Furthermore, no fine adjustment existed, which would
be quite useful as soil textures and moisture conditions change.
This is why we brought out our light closing bracket spring,
which fits AGCO White 6000 & 8000-series tailpieces, Kinze
models with bolt-on closing wheels, and JD 7200 – 1700-series
tailpieces. |