Saturday afternoon I was out planting beans. All at once the planter monitor was screaming at me that row 12 had failed. I went back to check row 12 and found that the radial bean meter (see picture) was jammed and would not turn. The radial bean meter takes beans from the seed hopper and drops them into the seed tube. The seed tube drops them into the ground. I took the radial bean meter off the planter and headed to the nearest John Deere dealer in Minnesota Lake.

The technician took the radial bean meter apart and found a bearing had worn out. It would be difficult to try and replace the bearing so the technician said it would be best if I just bought a new radial bean meter. They did not have one at the Minnesota Lake store but Mankato did so I headed to Mankato. As it turned out Mankato had one, just not the one I needed! Radial bean meters were used on model 7000 and 7200 planters. The only difference is the drive on the meter. They had one for a 7000 planter and I had a 7200.

I remember years ago John Deere Dealers would be calling other dealers to try and find the part you needed. Now the parts person in Mankato just got on his computer and found the part I needed in Red Wood Falls and Wabasha. I asked him to check Ag Power Enterprises too. Ag Power in Owatonna had one. So, I went from the farm to Minnesota Lake, Mankato, Owatonna and back to the farm. It was 5PM by the time I got rolling again, but I got another 50 acres of beans planted yet that night.

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