In February, Iowa-based implement manufacturer Kinze announced its plans to introduce its new 3505 True Speed high-speed planter; however, it will be a few months yet before one arrives on dealers’ lots. But the company says it will be available in time for the 2023 growing season, and it will offer advanced technology and improved productivity for smaller-scale producers or for use in small fields.
“The 3505 pivot fold planter is the newest addition to Kinze’s True Speed high-speed planter lineup,” says Kinze president, Susanne Veatch. “It is simple to operate, high performing and offered with or without split eight-row and six-row, 30-inch configurations.”
High-speed ability
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Kinze claims the True Speed technology, which uses a high-speed meter and seed tube with Kevlar reinforced belt, will allow the 3505 to accurately place seeds at speeds of up to 12 miles per hour (19 kilometres per hour). That high-speed ability could allow growers to double the number of acres they can cover in a typical day compared with many conventional planters. And the company says the 3505 can do that without compromising singulation accuracy or seed spacing.
The brand’s True Rate vacuum meter is the other meter option on the 3505s, but it won’t allow for working speeds quite as fast as the True Speed meter. The company says the True Rate vacuum meter is 99 per cent accurate at speeds up to eight miles per hour depending on field conditions. To help prevent seed bounce in the trench, the meter drops seeds at zero velocity no matter what ground speed the planter is operating at.
Three click setup
Eight-row units are available with the brand’s Blue Drive electric drive, which can work reliably from three to 12 miles per hour. It uses a proprietary software that is not ISOBUS compatible, so it won’t play nicely with a standard tractor monitor. It will need to work together with Kinze’s Blue Vantage display monitor, which is compatible with shared coverage data and up to four planter-mounted cameras. The monitor is a “ruggedized” touch screen tablet, using what the company calls a simple “three click setup” to start planting.
The 3505s also offer the True Depth hydraulic down force system the company claims helps improve the planter’s performance in rocky fields or at higher planting speeds.
The planters have a bulk fill seed capacity of 50 bushels, and there are on-board fertilizer options for up to 300 gallons (1,135 litres) of liquid or 2,200 pounds (997 kilograms) of dry fertilizer. The 3505 models use the brand’s 05 series row units, which have seen some recent upgrades. And they allow the planter to handle 11 crop types, including soybeans, corn, wheat and sunflowers. Kinze says the upgraded row units also offer improved durability with longer wear life built into some components.
The planter has a narrow-fold design for road transport with a lift and pivot fold double frame design.
Kinze also announced in 2023 it will offer Yetter 2940 Air Adjust series row cleaners on its 4905 and 4705 Blue Drive planters. They come factory installed and are controlled by the company’s Blue Vantage display. Using the dedicated row cleaner display screen, operators can change row air settings and operating depth from the tractor cab.
The parallel linkage row cleaner and coulter and row cleaner combo are both equipped with air bags to more precisely follow ground contours and clear a path for the seedbed. They use a hydraulically driven air compressor and SharkTooth row cleaner wheels.
