Machinery Harvesting Steal Deals - Row Planters By Jodi Henke Jodi Henke Jodi Henke was the writer and host of the Successful Farming/Living the Country Life National Radio programs and producer of the Successful Farming podcasts. Occasionally she writes an article and produces photography for Successful Farming magazine. Successful Farming's Editorial Guidelines Published on March 5, 2018 Close As you're preparing for the planting season, this is a good time to look at late-model used row planters. Prices hit rock bottom last year, but are still a good value. Dave Mowitz is the machinery and technology editor for Successful Farming magazine, and researches the price trends of machinery. He highly recommends searching for equipment at dealer sites online to see what meets your specifications. "Now why I emphasize that is, planters used to be just a planter. You went and bought an 8-row planter, or a 16-row or 12-row planter, and it had maybe a few accessories. Planters are really specked out these days," says Mowitz. "They can have a dozen or more ancillary accessories that are part of the planter that have a huge impact on their price." These accessories can include liquid fertilizer applicators, row cleaners, pneumatic down-pressure force, electric row clutches, and more. Mowitz says the internet allows you to shop for equipment that meets your needs, but your local dealer is still the first person to contact. "They can always to go their local dealer and say, hey the guy three counties over has a planter that I want, I'd like to buy it through you. They can make arrangements for that, and I think that's important with the relationship. Your local dealer is crucial to your operation that he provides you," he says. "Prompt service when you need it, a lot of assistance in setting up the planter, they can help you with financing, and you know, they're just good guys to work with anyway." Read more of Mowitz's report on used planters Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit