Whether you are an experienced no-tiller or just a beginner gearing up for next spring, getting your planter properly leveled is a real key to your overall no-till success.

In fact, several machinery companies are taking steps to help you properly set up their products for no-till conditions.

What to Look For

 “As a supplier to the no-till market, we are concentrating our efforts on how to properly set a planter or drill for no-till,” says Pat Whalen, vice president at Yetter Manufacturing Co. in Colchester, Ill.

“Our goal is to show farmers specifically what to look for when properly setting up their machines. We’re trying to give them a 95% success rate by answering the most critical concerns.

“They will probably have to find the other 5% on their own.”

Bob Harwick, field service representative at Yetter, says a typical problem occurs when a farmer adds attachments to a no-till planter. He may have used the rig for a half-dozen years without any problems, but the planter stops working properly when new attachments are added.

Another problem is when a farmer tries to run his coulters shallower than the double disk openers. This normally can’t be done if the planter isn’t properly leveled.

The key, say Yetter officials, is to keep the planter running level. Maintaining the proper drawbar height, not letting your planter run downhill and not operating too deep are also critical.

“You may be able to adjust your planter once a year due to a particular…