With all of the action that skip row planters get each planting season, it is expected that issues will come up from time to time, with older planters being particularly vulnerable to any number of various operational malfunctions. Fortunately, your local cotton harvester parts company is here with a guide to some of the most common maintenance issues, large and small, to be on the lookout for, so that you are able to keep your skip row planter in optimal condition:
Drill shaft bearings: Special attention must be paid to the drill shaft bearings, as they can quietly cause a whole host of problems. If the drill shaft has become stiff, it will jerk excessively, causing sporadic and uneven seed distribution in the rows. If the shaft is frozen or locked up, the seed meter will likely stop working altogether.
Row cleaners: The row cleaner is another area of the planter that can eventually fall prey to the effects of heavy usage. The coulter blade will become dull over time, reducing both the effectiveness and diameter of the part. Alternatively, the tine on tined row cleaners can either become too short or too thin, directly affecting your planter’s ability to efficiently clear the row. When the tine wears short, there is less space between the tips and the hubs, which can lead to difficulty clearing solid objects such as rocks or root bulbs. When the tine becomes thin, it bends easily and won’t form the mesh needed to correctly collect and drag the dirt.
Check the connections: While you are making sure that all of the larger components are in good shape, don’t forget to check on some of the smaller items that are just as important to the operation of your machine. For example, there may be either zip ties or electrical tape that keep the wires away from all of the planter’s moving parts. Over time, these connections can either loosen or become brittle, freeing up the wires to potentially get pinched or snapped while the machine is in motion. With the positioning of the wiring disrupted, the sensor’s readings may be off, affecting the planting of an individual row or multiple rows.
Suction doors: In addition to sustaining a significant amount of wear as the doors open and close, the rubber seals on a closed vacuum meter door can create grooves in the seed plates. This can lead to problems with both the door and the seed disk.
To avoid downtime that could be damaging to your operations and ultimately your bottom line, you will need to make sure that all of the necessary maintenance is tended to regularly, especially if your planter is more than 10 years old. Fortunately, Certi-Pik, USA has exactly what you need to keep your planter going all season long. We specialize in high-quality replacement parts that have been put through a rigorous quality control process. To browse our extensive inventory of reliable skip row planter parts, make sure you give us a call today.
Do you need to rebuild your harvester? If you want reliability and efficiency, John Deere cotton harvester parts are the way to go. Not sure what they have to offer? As an industry leader, John Deere is a trusted brand that can provide the solutions you need to rebuild your harvester.
If you’re considering options for your next rebuild, keep this top resource in mind. You’ll find everything you need to create a reliable harvester. John Deere cotton harvester parts include:
Spindles and bushings: These two parts are crucial to the cotton-picking process. They work together to grab the cotton, separate it from the plant and put it into the harvester. The spindles stick out from the bushings as the bushings rotate to gather the cotton. Rebuilt spindles and bushings are typically stripped, straightened, inspected and reinstalled to provide a like-new product for harvesters.
Row units: The row units are the claw-like structures at the front of the cotton harvester. They collect cotton plants and push them through the rest of the harvester’s parts, where the cotton is separated.
Picker ribs: Within the row units are picker ribs. These are used for clearing leaves and other debris from the spindles. They separate the spindles as they spin during the harvest.
Plant lifters: Located at the bottom of the row units, plant lifters funnel cotton plants into the row units. Situated just one inch off the ground, these John Deere cotton harvester parts are designed to grab the cotton plant and feed it into the harvester.
Doffers: These parts spin at a rate three times faster than the spindles. As they rotate, they remove the cotton from the spindles. As the spindles are emptied, they are able to move on to collect more cotton. Before modern machines were invented, this term was used to describe the person who removed the full spindles from a spinning frame and replaced them with fresh ones.
Quality Parts
As you look for John Deere cotton harvester parts for your rebuild, be sure to partner with a trusted source. Look for a company that has a track record of success and extensive experience in the industry. Parts must be carefully processed to ensure they deliver quality solutions for your machinery. Before you partner with a part provider, ask about their process of preparing John Deere cotton harvester parts for rebuilding.
Quality Service
A company worthy of your business offers superior service. Look for a company that is knowledgeable about John Deere cotton harvester parts and is willing to share that knowledge with you. They should be willing to answer questions and educate you about the parts so you can make informed decisions about rebuilding harvesters.
Find It All Here
Where can you find quality products and superior service for harvester rebuilding? Certi-Pik, USA is a premier source for John Deere cotton harvester parts. We fabricate replacement parts for picking units and offer a broad list of specialty items and sheet metal parts for rebuilding units. Contact our experts today to see what solutions we can provide for you!
The cotton industry has played a major part in the history of the United States. This crop has influenced the economy, war, migration and more. As cotton harvesting and cotton harvester parts changed over the decades, cotton helped shape the nation.
Are you familiar with this history? Following is a brief overview of the development of cotton harvester parts and how these inventions affected the industry as a whole.
The Challenge
In the early 1900s, the U.S. was producing more than 16 million bales of raw cotton each year. These were processed and used to create products such as clothing. The challenge with this high level of production was the difficulty in harvesting the plant.
Removing the cotton from the mature boll (the protective case) is a difficult task. Before modern machinery was invented, cotton was picked by hand. Because the plants matured at different rates, this hand-picking had to occur several times each harvest season.
Pickers did not have cotton harvester parts and the combines of today. They simply walked through the fields, removing the mature cotton fibers by hand and placing them in large sacks which they dragged behind them. This was difficult work, as the bags could weigh up to 100 pounds when full, and the sharp spikes on the plants left their fingers bloody and sore.
The Attempts
To improve on this labor-intensive process, harvesters started working on cotton harvester parts to introduce to the industry. Early efforts included a variety of solutions. Between 1850 and 1950, over 1,800 patents were issued for cotton harvesting parts. None were successful until International Harvester’s Model H-10-H in 1942.
Before this model was introduced, inventors tried pneumatic mechanisms to vacuum up the cotton. Other inventions included adaptations of grain threshing machines. Still others tried to use static electricity to collect the cotton. Using mechanical fingers to pluck the cotton seemed like a promising idea, but it too failed. None of these solutions harvested enough of the cotton to be worthwhile, and most damaged the crops, making further harvesting impossible.
The Success
The successful prototype was a spindle-style mechanism. A series of moistened spindles turned at high speed and, when encountering an open boll, the fibers wrapped around the spindles. A doffer (roller) then removed the fibers for transport to a hopper.
Around the time that these cotton harvester parts were introduced, the industry saw three other critical advances. Cotton breeders developed hybrid plants that produced bolls higher off the ground and that ripened uniformly. This made harvesting by combine easier and more efficient. Additionally, herbicides were introduced that could cause the plants to drop their leaves, so the harvest would be cleaner. This combination of new techniques dramatically improved cotton production and changed the industry forever.
Learn More
Would you like to discover more about cotton harvesting and cotton harvester parts? The professionals at Certi-Pik, USA are your go-to source. We fabricate replacement parts for picking units and offer a broad list of specialty items and sheet metal parts for rebuilding units. Contact us today!
Cotton pickers rejoice—cotton picking season is almost upon us! It’s time to do some hard work and reap the rewards. We wish everyone a safe and bountiful cotton picking season, and we know that having properly maintained, effective equipment is a major factor in a successful cotton harvest.
Keeping your cotton harvester and cotton harvester parts in good shape doesn’t have to be very difficult. In fact, once you get used to the different safety precautions and maintenance procedures, they will soon become second nature.
With that in mind, here is an overview of how you can keep your cotton harvester in good condition, and avoid needing emergency cotton harvester replacement parts this cotton picking season.
Keep it safe
Above all else, you need to make the safety of yourself and your crew a priority this picking season, and at all times. That means avoiding dry, windy picking conditions, and avoiding other common hazards, such as scrap metal, rocks and bricks blocking your path, trash and lint accumulation on your equipment and inexperienced or careless machine operators.
Fires are a major concern for any cotton picker, and for good reason: they can wipe out your entire crop, not to mention put you and your crew and loved ones in danger. Take some time to really study fire safety before this picking season begins, and consult an expert if necessary.
Maintenance and cleaning
Another major factor in having a successful cotton picking season is ensuring that your cotton picker is properly cleaned and maintained.
You can find a lot of cotton picker maintenance and cleaning tips in the other posts on this blog. Whether you use high water pressure, low water pressure or high air pressure to clean your cotton picker, make sure you follow proper safety protocol. And remember: having a well-maintained cotton picker means you have a good chance of making it through picking season without needing any emergency repairs or part replacements.
Moisture considerations
Whether you are a seasoned cotton farmer or this is your very first cotton season, knowing exactly when to begin picking can be tough. This decision depends largely on moisture conditions—if it’s too dry outside, then a fire can easily start, but too much moisture can damage your product and result in a lot of lint buildup on your machine.
Here’s a good general rule of thumb: assess the moisture content of your cotton each morning before picking, so you can closely track where it’s at.
Here to help
Now that you know the basics of how to keep your cotton harvester and cotton harvester parts in good shape during picking season, you are set up to have a bountiful and relatively stress-free season! That said, unexpected things can come up, and we are here for you when that does occur.
If you find yourself in need of maintenance or new Case IH cotton harvester parts this cotton picking season, please feel free to get in touch with Certi-Pik, USA. With years of experience and a helpful, highly knowledgeable staff, we can help get your picking season back on track in no time.
Have you ever wondered how that cotton shirt you’re sporting went from a wild plant in the field to a finished product you can wear? Cotton production is a unique and intriguing process. It involves specialized knowledge and equipment such as cotton harvester parts.
To beef up your knowledge of this process, use the following seasonal schedule of cotton planting, growth and production. If you have additional questions, feel free to contact an expert in cotton harvester parts for answers.
Spring
In the spring, cotton seeds are planted. Farmers organize these plantings into long rows called furrows. After a few weeks, the plant begins to emerge from the soil. Growers must faithfully water the crops if rainfall is insufficient for growth. They must also remove weeds to ensure they do not choke the cotton plants, as well as check for bugs or other pest invasions and take steps to control for them. Fertilizer is also typically added at this time. By the end of spring, cotton flowers appear. Bees and other insects pollinate the flowers.
Summer
During the summer, cotton farmers must continue to water the crop and check it for pests. Throughout this season, the plant grows into a bushy shrub that is about three feet tall. Cotton bolls also appear, splitting to reveal seeds and the white fluffy cotton that will be used for cotton products.
Fall
Fall is the time for harvest. Growers pick the cotton and pack it into bales or modules. It is then sent to the cotton gin, where it is separated into seed and fluff. The fluffy lint is then packed into bales.
Winter
Once the cotton has been packed, it is sent to spinning mills. Farmers prepare their fields for the next season’s crop, and manufacturers start working on the fresh batch of cotton.
Year-Round Manufacturing
Once the cotton reaches textile mills, it is crafted into a variety of products we use every day. It is spun, dyed, knitted and woven into fabrics. Using these processes, manufacturers transform cotton into clothing, diapers, filters, beauty products, blankets and more.
In addition to these uses for the fluffy material of the plant, other byproducts of cotton can be applied for a variety of uses. In fact, most of what is harvested is useful in some way. For example, the oil from the cotton plant is used in products such as cereal and potato chips. The leftover meal is used as animal feed.
With so many uses, it’s easy to see why cotton is such a popular commodity and why the cotton industry remains a major player in the world economy.
Learn More
Do you have questions about the cotton production process or cotton harvester parts? Certi-Pik, USA is your go-to source. We fabricate replacement parts for picking units and offer a broad list of specialty items and sheet metal parts for rebuilding units, including camtracks, drumheads, spindles and spindle nuts, picker and grid bars, slip clutches, lubrication hoses, stalk lifters and more. Contact us today to find out about our 50 percent savings!
