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The 05 Series offers options, tech and a range of innovations, and there's news on the Mach Till front.

Willie Vogt

March 11, 2020

4 Min Read
4905 planter from Kinze at the National Farm Machinery Show
BIG RIG: The new 4905 planter from Kinze was on display at the National Farm Machinery Show. The 05 Series offers a range of new features.Photos by Willie Vogt

The planter is the start of your annual payday. These machines must perform in what can often be an eccentric environment where you move from go, go, go to stop. And in every way, the machine must be ready to perform.

These days, planter tech has been enhanced with tools that allow for faster planting, and there are other productivity innovations on tap, too. For Kinze, an early adopter of faster-planting tech, and focused on its proprietary Blue Drive technology, 2021 promises buyers some interesting innovations.

The company is launching what it calls the 05 Series of planters, with several enhancements to boost wear life, simplify maintenance and improve performance. Here’s a list of key changes:

• row unit double-parallel arm bushing with impregnated lubrication and double-row bearing disk openers for longer wear life

• high-efficiency vacuum fans that run quieter and require less hydraulic demand, using 1.5-inch-diameter vacuum hoses.

• redesigned bulk-fill seed delivery system that works with more crop types and at higher planting rates

• large-frame models, the 4905 and 4705, with a variable-displacement-piston PTO pump to provide simpler planter operation and higher efficiency, reducing tractor horsepower demands

• simplified hydraulics on the 4905 planter improves serviceability and decreases planter lift times

• Firestone IVF radial tires on the 4905 for reduced compaction

Eric Broadbent, Kinze director of sales, North America, recently offered a look at the 4905. “This machine uses our new True Speed high-speed planting system,” he says. The True Speed system works with the Blue Drive system and offers accurate planting from 3 mph to 12 mph, he says.

PTO hydraulic pump provides the power needed to run the new '05 Series' planters from Kinze

ANY TRACTOR: This PTO hydraulic pump provides the power needed to run the new 05 Series of planters from Kinze. Only two selective control valves are needed for this planter — to open and close the machine, and raise and lower markers. All other power is provided by the PTO pump.

Farm Progress covered the new True Speed unit when announced. Developed in partnership with Ag Leader, the unit is available linked to Kinze Blue Drive tech on planters. Aftermarket buyers can turn to Ag Leader to upgrade their row units.

First stop on a walk-around with Broadbent starts at the back of the tractor, where a visitor immediately sees that the planter is connected with just two remotes. “Those are only needed to run the markers, and open and close the planter,” he notes. “We use a PTO hydraulic pump to run the planter.”

Not a new idea — it’s a choice Kinze has made to make sure this planter can work not only with your newest tractor, but also older muscle machines in your fleet. Broadbent says the new planter will retain a higher value at trade-in since it can be used with a wider range, and age, of equipment.

Design and innovation

For this new planter line, Kinze engineers looked over the entire design to clean up lines and provide better access for maintenance. Air intakes for the metering system are “bee-friendly,” a feature Broadbent points out.

“We worked through the entire machine for this new model,” he says.

The 05 designation might signify a few upgrades, but users will find this is a new planter with a range of added features. It works with the Blue Drive system, which Kinze introduced two years ago. This planter control system has a simple design that reports critical planter information to the company’s proprietary monitor.

And to add to productivity, the company announced a new partnership with SureFire Ag Systems to install liquid fertilizer planter solutions on Kinze machines. The program, which starts with the 2021 season, will allow SureFire to execute transactions with Kinze dealers and install the systems on the blue machines in space rented within Kinze’s manufacturing facility in Williamsburg, Iowa.

In announcing the news, Susanne Veatch, Kinze president, notes the agreement will allow Kinze dealers access to a SureFire product expert assist in configuring liquid fertilizer systems to meet specific customer needs.

Customizations of SureFire systems include a number of application needs, including multiple product applications, high-speed planting, row monitoring, and application rates from under 1 gallon per acre to more than 50 gpa.

Kinze will continue to offer its own factory-installed systems, but the custom fertilizer industry is changing, and Veatch notes it’s difficult for the company to meet all those farmer needs. “SureFire is the liquid fertilizer industry expert, so this agreement allows them to keep developing leading-edge solutions to meet changing demand,” she says. 

Kinze continues to expand the Mach-Till line with three new configurations with a narrow transport design. The new 30-, 36- and 41-foot sizes feature a three-section frame. They will fold for transport to 13 feet, 2 inches for the 30- and 36-foot models, and 16 feet for the 41-foot unit. Model numbers are 302, 362 and 412, with the “2” designating the second-generation design.

To learn more about the 05 Series, options for SureFire equipment or details on the new Mach Till machines, visit kinze.com.

 

About the Author(s)

Willie Vogt

Willie Vogt has been covering agricultural technology for more than 40 years, with most of that time as editorial director for Farm Progress. He is passionate about helping farmers better understand how technology can help them succeed, when appropriately applied.

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