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In A Class of Its Own

The latest White planter breaks new ground in more ways than one.

By Tharran E. Gaines

The new White 8936-30 planteroffers more capacity, superior control for both planting depth and metering, and, despite its size, less soil compaction than any other similarly classed planter. “The features and capacities that are standard on the 8936-30 not only surpass those found on any previous White planter, but also exceed those offered by competitive 36-row planters,” says Gary Hamilton, senior marketing specialist for AGCO. “Never before has a 36-row planter offered better flotation or more capacity to meet the needs of today’s time-pressed, large-acreage farmers.” Here’s a breakdown of the advanced features and benefits offered by the White 8936-30.

Less Soil Compaction
The 8936-30 is the first planter of its kind in the industry to offer high-flotation rubber tracks. The 30- x 67-inch tracks, supplemented by four 33- x 15.5- to 16.5-gauge wheels on each frame wing, exert as little as 12 to 15 pounds per square inch of ground pressure, or about half that of flotation tires. That means less compaction, better plant root development and earlier planting.

More Capacity
“For maximum versatility, all row units on the 8936-30 accept row-unit-mounted tillage and granular chemical attachments. Two 750-gallon liquid fertilizer tanks can also be added ahead of the two 75-bushel CFS [central fill system] seed hoppers for added versatility,” Hamilton says. He notes that, at average rates, the 150-bushel seed capacity is enough to plant around 400 acres of corn before refilling. “The capacity to plant up to 60 acres per hour adds up to greater productivity, because the producer can plant more ground between fill-ups of seed and fertilizer.”

Size and Performance
Equally impressive is the planter’s 90-foot frame. It’s equipped with 36 row units on 30-inch spacing, yet folds to a transport width of only 15 feet. “The new 8936-30 LF [large-frame] planter was designed to provide convenience in transport, as well as excellent performance in the field that large-acreage producers demand,” says Hamilton. “Each wing consists of two sections. Each section flexes 21 degrees up and 21 degrees down for a total of 42 degrees of flex across each half of the planter. That, despite the wide planting width, provides consistent planting depth and uniform seed placement over irregular terrain.”

Variable Rates and Accurate Metering
Automatic row unit shutoff is standard equipment. In effect, automatic row air clutches start and stop the seed meters using commands from the C1000 terminal/monitor combined with a GPS input. This feature not only prevents plant overcrowding, but saves seed and fertilizer on headlands and point rows.

“The 8936 is also offered with a variable-rate hydraulic seed meter drive that provides a full range of seeding rates,” Hamilton says. “We’ve also made pneumatic row unit down pressure a standard feature on the 8936-30. Each row unit has a single airbag linked in parallel to provide a convenient method of adjusting and maintaining row unit down pressure from 0 to 480 pounds.

“In the meantime,” Hamilton continues, “three seed metering blowers supply positive air to the individual seed meter located on each row unit to ensure accurate metering.”