The 4700 will be available for the 2020 planting season
By Diego Flammini
Staff Writer
Farms.com
A planter manufacturer is bringing a narrow row spacing offering to the market in time for the 2020 season.
Kinze’s 4700 planter is a newly designed 20-inch model on a 60-foot (18-metre) bar that has a three-section frame with 15 degrees of tool bar flex for greater ground contact.
For next year’s growing season, Kinze will offer the planter in a 36-row, 20-inch configuration. Future models will include a 24-row, 20-inch model and a 24-row, 30-inch model. Other planters in the series will use a 40-foot (12-metre) bar.
This series of products is the most sophisticated of all Kinze’s offerings, said Eric Broadbent, director of sales for North America.
“It’s positioned as our highest technology planter,” he told Farms.com. “It’s equipped with Blue Drive, which is our electric drive, and Blue Vantage, which is Kinze’s own user interface. We’re also able to put 600 gallons of fertilizer on this planter, which gives it another best-in-class feature.”
In addition, Kinze is developing tracks to replace the wheels on the planter.
Equipment dealers and farm customers have asked for these kinds of innovations, Broadbent said.
“Growers are so concerned about compaction that we want to develop something that will minimize the impact on the soil,” he said. “That’s why we’re looking at the track option.”
Other needs from growers include higher transport and lift heights.
Giving farmers more clearance from the road during transport will help protect the planter, Broadbent said.
“With all the different things you can put on a planter with seed firmers and different closing systems, farmers are looking for the ability to transport (it) safely down and the peace of mind to protect the equipment,” he said. “It has definitely become a hot-button issue recently.”