Shop-Vac Supplies Vacuum Power To Row Crop Planter

Jonas Shirk makes 2-row Deere planters and is experimenting with Shop-Vacs as an alternative to drive vacuum meters. The original hydraulic fan drive is an option on the 7200 and newer planters available from JM Shirk Mfg. (Vol. 41, No. 6). However, if hydraulics are not available, the Shop-Vac equipped with an inverter provides an electric power option. "Most planters have hydraulic drives, but the Shop-Vac drive is quieter, and the components are lower cost,” says Shirk.

Shirk says the option can work as well with eSet or vSet meters from Precision Planting as it does with OEM Deere meters. While most of the planters he sells are equipped with finger meters for corn, the vacuum meter works with any size plates for other crops.

"A Shop-Vac system will only work with a 2-row planter," says Shirk. "There can be an issue with the Shop Vac drawing down the battery faster than it gets recharged, especially with a weak battery. I am playing around with a variable speed fan control to reduce the speed of the Shop-Vac blower. That should reduce the amp draw for a longer run time."

Shirk is also planning to experiment running a vac system using a battery- powered blower. He points out that adapting a vac system to a non-conventional system requires a flow control.

"You need something to regulate the vacuum flow," he says. "I use a simple ball valve, opening it up to let in more air in."

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