Description
Older Case-IH SDX 30 & 40 Air-Seeders had a very good feature which was unfortunately not continued on the new Case IH 500/500T or New Holland 2080/2085. This feature was the ability to adjust down-pressure individually on each opener. This was accomplished by simply pulling a pin and selecting one of the 3 hole positions. This feature was most beneficial when trying to seed the same depth into tractor or air-cart wheel tracks, which were often lower and more compacted. Openers in these wheel tracks require more down-pressure than all the other openers within the same frame section. Depending on the tire configuration and row spacing on an SDX, around 8-12 openers were often set in the maximum down pressure setting while all the others across the seeder were set in the medium position.
Many growers using the 500/500T and 2080/2085 have reported that they have struggled to achieve acceptable soil penetration and consistent seeding depth behind tractor and air-cart tracks, especially in softer or wetter soils, and just like the SDX, the 500/500T and 2080/2085 openers need extra down pressure.
We have a solution, and it comes in the form of 1/2″ thick spring spacers which easily install between the spring and the cast housing as shown in the image below. Spring spacers match the profile of the housing and the spring, providing an additional 80-100 lb. of down pressure per row. Installation is achieved by supporting the opener with a floor jack, then unscrewing the bolt which holds the spring assembly together. Once the bolt is removed, the spring spacer can be inserted between the housing and the spring. Once installed, tighten the locking bolt back up.
One spring spacer is required per row, behind tractor and tow-between air cart tires.
