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| We have been running Smartbox since 2004. The system is a lot better than the old instecticide boxes as far as accuracy but still not perfect. As mx270a said, they need calibrated sevral times. Son runs the planter & does several calibrations throughout the planting season. We have had to replace several meters & they seem to run in spurts. Some years go the whole season without replacing a meter & another season will replace several.
On our current planter we are running 2 systems. One system is for the refuge & the other for the traited corn on which we are running a reduced rate of insecticide. One sytem can be settup to control more than one rate but it's easier when it comes to calibration to do it with two controllers. I believe the second controller was only around $300.
Biggest problem I see is trying to end up with all the containers empty at the end of the season. Last day of planting seems to go slow as we are moving one or two containers back & forth trying to keep the meters feed with product. A metering unit by itself will hold enough product for several acres so we try to get them as empty as possible as well. At the end of planting we will run all the product out of the meters as it will draw moisture during the off-season.
When we got our original system you had to guarantee to buy so much product over a 3 year period & they would sell you the system at a reduced cost, 1/3 of cost if I remember correctly. The original system has been on a JD 1790, Kinze 3600 & now a CIH 1240. Only thing we had to change was mounting brackets for the row units.
Edited by boog 12/9/2009 00:36
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smart box
