Optimise your row cleaner settings
The row cleaner helps clear the furrow before the seeding unit, ensuring a seedbed without the risk of hairpinning. It also reduces the amount of stones or clods, providing a smoothe ride for the gauge wheels, which in turn improves the depth control of the planter.
The biggest challenge with row cleaners is setting the optimal pressure. This can be adjusted either by depth or by the weight release spring. There is no one-size-fits-all recommendation, as it varies depending on soil types and conditions. Generally, the pressure should be sufficient but not excessive. When working in stubble, a higher load can be used, but too much pressure leads to unnecessary wear; the row cleaner should only clean the row, not work it.
In cultivated soil, greater care is required as errors occur more easily. In this case, the setting should be as light as possible while still maintaining disc rotation. Going too deep in loose soil may result in shoveling soil, which risks planting too deeply. If the soil is moist beneath the surface, it can cause buildup on the gauge wheels, altering planting depth and causing vibrations. It’s important to understand that the rubber depth keeper serves as a limit for the absolute maximum; the row cleaner should only ride on them in extremely light soils.
When asked about the most common error, Lars Thylen, planter specialist at Väderstad, responds, “Too much downforce on the row cleaner in cultivated land. This creates variable conditions for the row unit.“