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Guymon, OK | I don't know about Deere hydraulic drives, but I've been running the same Rawson Accu-Rate system since the '90s and would never go back to a mechanical drive. It's very easy to calibrate, and I don't have to compromise on planting rates by finding the closest fit in the rate chart. The drives start as soon as the radar sees movement, stop right when the tractor does, and react quickly enough to keep up with changing ground speed. I can be planting in 9th gear at 5mph and slow down to 5th to cross a sprinkler track and not see any difference in population.
Reliability has never been an issue; off the top of my head I can think of two blown hydraulic hoses which cost me a couple hours apiece, and a problem with the controller that was entirely my fault (long story short, a little washer got in the controller and shorted out the the circuit board). We sent the controller and motors off for a rebuild in 2008, and they came back good as new. I can easily see losing more time in a season maintaining drive tires than what the Rawson has cost in its lifetime. If the Deere system fails more often than that, then they're doing something wrong. | |
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Hyd drive vs. mech. drive on JD planters?
