Earthway Seeder Fix
In small scale vegetable farming there’s a discrepancy between low end push seeders and high end seeders. There isn’t a seeder built that is precision, costs under $1000, and actually works. (If you know of something I’m missing please let me know)
The Earthway’s are pretty good considering they cost around $90. But one of the biggest problems is that small seeds work their way behind the plate and start pulverizing the seed. Not so good if you’re looking for decent germination.
At this great annual get together here in Oregon, known as the Farmer to Farmer Exchange (I’ll write more on this in an upcoming post) great ideas are passed around. This Fix was given at one of those round table discussions.
It’s pretty easy:
Take a 3″ PVC end cap. Saw about an inch or so off the end, basically leaving you with a shorter cap. Drill a hole in the center. Then remove the central bolt holding the seed plate assembly to the seeder and replace it with a 1/4″ bolt that is 2 1/4″ long. The bolt should go all the way through the seeder and the new cap. Place a wingnut on the end (for easy plate removal/replacement), and tighten just snug enough to allow plate to still spin freely.
This fix basically just keeps the seed plate against the body of the seeder and helps prevent crushed seeds. As with most things it takes some adjusting, but once you get it, it works like a charm.
Check the pictures for before and after.
7 comments
Excellent idea and description. Thanks for putting this up!
Glad it helped! If you have any other ideas of what you’d like to see here let me know.
That’s excellent…I’m in! Someone called the Earthway the Brassica Grinder. I do have most problem with brassicas. When I use it for lettuce for mesclun, the seed gets behind a bit, but it doesn’t seem to get in the way. I have a couple of Earthways. I’ll try this on one of them, and it can stay more or less fixed on the brassica plate.
There are a couple of other seeders of under $1K seeders that may be worth a look. There’s the Planet Jr, they still sell a push model for around $500, that’s supposed to be really precise, the seed drops instead of being carried up by a wheel. I have a a real old one that I’m going to finally try this season. It’s really heavy compared to the Earthway, but if it’s as good as I’ve heard, I’ll use it for beans, peas, corn, where I’m doing relatively a lot of seeding at a time (few hundred feet).
There’s also a pricey new one, Thilot Holland HZ423, from the Netherlands. It’s about $1,000 US, haven’t heard any first-hand stories, but it may be the SuperEarthway…!
Mike-
I wouldn’t call the Planet Jr. a precision seeder. More of a drill seeder where the seed funnels down a tube and falls on the ground. No singulation. (Not that the earthway really does any better.)
I’d probably go for the Planet Jr. though if I came across a used one.
Yes, the Thilot is pricey. Does it actually work?
Here is another seeder that I ran across. I haven’t used it, but am considering it.
Jeff..
http://www.mechanicaltransplanter.com/seeder.html
I hadn’t seen those seeders before. They must be new from Mechanical. If you buy one please let me know how it is and we can put a full review up here.
[...] family, can get behind the seed plate, in turn causing less even seed distribution. Here’s an interesting fix (haven’t tried it yet, but I will). Bookmark: These icons link to social bookmarking sites [...]
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