The first thing to evaluate is the condition of your tires. Does the tire still have a square lip that contacts the opener blade to make a seal to keep out dirt? What is the condition of the tire? Splits or checks in the material from stubble abrasion. Are chunks
Yes, whether you call it a tab, strap, deflector or tab, preventing seed bounce is most definitely necessary and here is why: All John Deere 50/60/90 drills use a seed bounce flap, attached to the end of the seed boot, for the purpose of eliminating seed bounce and assuring seed
What are the most important items to repair and/or replace when the budget is tight? While Exapta has a multitude of solutions to completely rebuild and transform your JD openers for improved seeding performance, we understand sometimes the budget requires a step-by-step approach. So, if you’re ballin’ on a budget, there
On JD and CIH P-500/NH P-2080/85 single disc drills (with 18″ blades), blades should be replaced at 17 3/8″ diameter or sooner. At Exapta, we encourage blade replacement sooner rather than later, because at this point over half the bevel is gone and very dull. The bevel is 3/4″ new.
Our customer in Eastern Nebraska shared side-by-side comparisons of Valions and OEM guards on a John Deere XP 24-row and a Kinze 3000-series 16 row. The differences in wear are undeniable. Photo 1: John Deere XP, 24-row 1) Valion (top and left) measures 3/4” versus OEM guard measures 5/8” after 2000
Laying to rest the negativity towards Seed Firmers Struggling to get good emergence with your planter in no-till? Inadequate seed firming is often the culprit. Seeds should be securely embedded into the bottom of the furrow. You might be pleasantly surprised at how well your crops emerge with the Keeton
Here at Exapta, we field lots of questions about closing wheels and whether they affect yields. It’s easy to start with the closing wheel when trying to improve the planter because it’s the first thing you see when you walk behind it. However, closing wheels are part of the final
‘Tis the season many of you are making equipment upgrades and repairs. You’ve no doubt noticed the vast array of planter and drill products—all clamoring for your attention. Are you confused by the mixed messages? Frustrated by the many claims that cannot possibly all be true? Where do you find
In today’s competitive and uncertain market, maximizing margins is vital to improving your profit potential. With so many factors affecting your yields, you can’t always control what you get out of every acre. But you can control what you put in. Have you ever calculated how much overlap seeding is
Many have fall crops to harvest yet and some are still fighting the mud to wrap up fall seeding. We are facing one of the wettest fall seasons in recent history. We at Exapta feel your pain—we have our own crops to get in and out of the fields. Precipitation
by Matt Hagny The Exapta crew has gotten quite a few questions from our customers as to Precision Tillage Tech’s STP/Sabre-Tooth opener blades, so we tested them this spring [2019] on a JD 1770 planter with XP row units in central Kansas in 25-year no-till on mellow creek-bottom soil. While I
Many of you in North America are fighting mud and might find it difficult to contemplate needing more frame weight at the moment. But we’ve been down this road before—when it stops raining and gets sunny and hot, the soil goes from too soft to too hard in a matter of
Derek is Kansas native who grew up in a 100% no-till farming operation. From an early age the benefits of no-till were made known to Derek by his father and by attending no-till conferences. From there he furthered his passion for soils while at Kansas State University getting his agronomy degree. He has had the experience of working in various roles and sectors of agriculture from sales and consulting to management, which have all been within production agriculture. Derek has also worked in specialty ag markets such as turf and ornamentals.
Sales & Service Representative
Prior to joining Exapta, Bob Pagel was an Agricultural Territory Sales Manager for Ritchie Brothers, serving parts of MN, WI and IA. He continues to support his family farm in SE Minnesota.
Current Product Engineer
He brings hands-on experience in no-till planting equipment, agricultural research, and design engineering. With a background in farming in NE Kansas and an engineering degree, he spent seven years at Kansas State University and three at Landoll Company. He’s passionate about solving engineering challenges and developing durable, user-friendly products.
