Closing Wheels Archives - Schaffert Mfg. Co.

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Product Type: Closing Wheels

MOUNTING INSTRUCTIONS

Closing Wheels

Assembling the Mohawk

Assembling the Zipper

CLOSING WHEELS

FURROW V CLOSER

 G3 WALKING BEAM ARM

Please see 2×2 Side Placement section

learn more about closing wheels

ZIPPER™

Angled spiked closing wheels

Closing Wheels — Complete Parts & Price List
Zipper
complete wheel

 90/wheel

Cast Zipper
complete wheel

110/wheel

Zipper Spyder™
complete wheel

130/wheel

Standard, rubber closing wheels have a tendency to press the soil closed causing a smooth effect, especially when the soil is wet. On a hot, dry windy day, the furrow will crack back open exposing the seed. The Zipper Closing Wheel will eliminate this problem.

mounting instructions — Zipper
brochure — Zipper
brochure — Cast Zipper
brochure — New Zipper Spyder

About the Zipper

The Zipper is a 13″ angled spiked closing wheel designed to take the place of standard, rubber closing wheels. It works in all soil types, and is the go-to wheel for the toughest of no-till conditions.

The non-aggressive, 1″ angled spikes on the Zipper feather the soil in the furrow while simultaneously applying pressure to ensure the furrow is zipped shut.

As the spikes close they create indentations which allow moisture to sink in, increasing seed-to-soil contact.

Zipper closing wheels are angled so that when they engage the soil at the 5, 6, and 7 o’clock positions, they are breaking the side wall down over the seed plus compacting the soil around the seed. Then, when they exit the soil at the 8 o’clock position, they are angled such that they release the soil, leaving it compacted around the seed. Because of this, you will not need to drag a chain behind them.

Other closing wheels on the market are aggressive and have the potential of actually flipping seeds out of the furrow. You will not have that problem with the Zipper.

Benefits of the Zipper

Features—Design—Benefits

  • Longer wear, heavy duty cast metal rims & wheels
  • Breaks down sidewall and zips seed V shut at the same time
  • Tubular design of spike allows it to release soil and eliminate plugging while compacting the soil around the seed
  • Angle design doesn’t flip or throw soil out; it allows for accurate release
  • As the Zipper closes it creates indentations which allow moisture to sink in
  • Feathers the soil in the seed V with its wide track design
  • Designed to break up compaction without being too aggressive
  • 1″ spike will not get too close to or disturb seed
  • Allows for better seed-to-soil contact

Eliminates Common Problems

  • Compacts the soil better than straight-fingered wheels
  • Moves soil with minimal compaction into the furrow
  • Eliminates air pockets
  • On a hot windy day the trench will not break back open

Where They Work—Suitable for Many Soils

  • Made to work in tough soils
  • Works in no-till or conventional

Ease of Installation

These photos were taken comparing two fields right across the road from each other at the same time.

The planter planting corn into corn stubble had regular press wheels. The planter planting corn into wheat stubble had Zipper closing wheels. The ground was muddy when these plants were planted, the soil heavy and wet.

The weather turned hot and windy after planting, and you can see where the seed V closed with the regular press wheels has cracked back open. Here, the corn plants are leaning, and unable to throw out good root systems.

This study was performed in wet, less than ideal conditions by Beck’s Hybrids 2015 Practical Research.

“Wheels that crumbled the seed trench shut from the sides generally outperformed wheels that applied more pressure above the seed. In the wet conditions we were planting into, this action helped decrease compaction above the seedling and allowed for more even and uninterrupted emergence.” – Beck’s

All-Cast Zipper

The NEW all-cast Zipper Closing Wheel won’t build up with mud due to not having plastic rims catching mud on each side.

We experimented with these in 2019 in very wet soils and farmers were impressed with how clean they stayed in wet sticky soils.

Hub Covers help prevent wrapping of vining cover crops

COVER CROPS

Many of the spiked wheels on the market wrap or plug in cover crops. The cast Mohawk is less likely to plug or wrap in heavy cover crops.

If they do start to wrap, one can order Hub Covers (shown here) as an option to prevent wrapping of cereal rye, vetch and other vining crops

We have even had farmers switch the Zippers around (shown below), running the right on the left side of the planter and the left wheel on the right with the fingers turned inward, to eliminate wrapping of cover crops.

Zippers have been switched around to help eliminate wrapping

CAST WHEELS FOR DRILLS

Schaffert Mfg.’s all-cast wheels are an excellent option for John Deere and Case IH drills.

Cast Zipper on a Case IH 500 drill
Cast Mohawk on Case IH 500 with eccentric bolt
Cast Zipper on a John Deere drill

Included in the cast wheel kit for these drills is an eccentric bolt that changes the pitch in on the back side of the closing wheel. This allows the wheel to bring soil in into the furrow behind the wheel, compacting it down around the seed.

brochure — Cast Zipper

Zipper Spyder™

The NEW Zipper Spyder is a self-cleaning wheel in wetter soils. They weigh 11 pounds each.

Many of the spiked wheels on the market wrap or plug. We have had farmers switch the Zipper Spyders around, running the right on the left side of the planter and the left wheel on the right with the fingers turned inward and interlocking, to eliminate plugging.

brochure — Zipper Spyder

MOHAWK AFTER 9000 ACRES

The following photos show a used Mohawk closing wheel next to a brand new Mohawk ring. The wheel has been run 9000 acres and is still in good working condition. Wheel courtesy of John Yeutter, Eustis, NE.

Zipper Distinct Features over the Mohawk

  • More aggressive
  • Breaks up sidewall compaction better
  • Rototills soil in for better compaction
  • Pulls more soil from the sidewall in over the seed because the spikes are angled out and down
  • Creates an ice cream cone shape with the soil in and above the seed V (the Mohawk creates a flat ice cream cone shape)
  • Less mud build-up
  • Rocks or root balls will not stick
learn more about the Mohawk
Zippers
Mohawks
Zipper (left) wheels create an ice cream cone shape with the soil in and above the seed V. Mohawks (right) create a flat ice cream cone shape.

Testimonials

  • On a mid-March day in northern Ohio when conditions were far from perfect, we took the planter to the field. 12 rows with smooth closing wheels, 2 rows with Schaffert Zippers, and 2 rows with a competitor’s wheel. The smooth closing wheels closed about 40% of the seed furrow. The competitor’s wheel closed about 70% of the seed furrow. The Zippers closed 100%. It was beautiful. Never seen anything like it. We ordered 14 more rows of Zippers. We had the evenest emergence we have ever had this year. Several neighbors ordered them and had the same results.

    R.N., Ohio

  • We have three John Deere DB- 60 planters with the Zipper closing wheel on one side of the units. We like the condition of the sidewall behind the Zipper when we first start planting. When the ground is a little more heavy we see that the Zipper closes better. The furrow is closed better on top and eliminates air pockets around the seed. We have used spike closing wheels in the past but they seemed to move the seed in the furrow, not allowing for proper seed placement. The Zipper won't do that. We believe we are getting better seed placement and better emergence behind the Zipper.

    J.Y., Indiana

  • I was having problems with rocks in the spiked closing wheels last year and was getting mad... Called Schaffert Mfg to get some more Rebounders and fertilizer tubes. They asked if I would try the "Zipper" closing wheel. I was impressed with the Zippers and they didn't pick any rocks up. Problem solved.

    B.M., South Dakota

  • In 2014 I purchased 16 rows of Zippers for one John Deere 1770 planter. I planted cotton in one side (shown in left side of photos below) of the field with regular V closing wheels and the other side (shown in right side of photos below) with Zipper Closing Wheels. We got a hard rain a day or two after planting. Normally with a hard rain, the cotton plants will have a hard time coming up or getting through the firmed soils. Cotton is very susceptible to crusting. The Zipper Closing Wheels left the soil over the seed row mellower and more cushioned than the soil over the rows planted with regular closing wheels. After the hard rain, the mellower soil didn't crust as bad as the flatter soil surface left by the regular wheels. Five days later, cotton began to emerge from the rows planted with Zippers (see photo below). It was not yet coming up in the other rows. We later took an aerial photo of the field (see below). The stand was much better where the Zipper wheels ran. There were more skips in the left side where the rubber wheels ran. My son attributes this difference to quicker emergence and less crusting with the Zipper Closing Wheels. This year, I equipped four more planters with Zippers.

    D.G., Texas

  • We have ran the zippers on about 500 acres of no-till beans into corn stalks and are quite pleased with the results so far. I have attached some pictures I took of a wet spot that had last year’s grass matted down on it. I believe that the crumbling action of the spikes combined with the firming action of the solid portion of the wheel is key in getting rid of air pockets in our soil conditions. This holds true in drier areas as well. The spikes tend to break up chunks that the no-till coulters throw out and move that soil back over the seed trench. The wheels then firm the soil without packing it over the seed. Thanks again for a well-designed product and EXCELLENT service!

    C.S., Missouri

  • I have run the G2 system with the Rebounders for two years, going on my third. I previously ran another brand of firmers and coulter system, and wasn't satisfied with the results. When I bought my 9220 12 row White planter I found your system and really liked the way it looked. The first season I ran it I knew I had made the right choice. The Rebounder seed covers do a great job of sealing/firming the seed trench without any dirt buildup, and the Zipper closing wheels do a really nice job of closing things up without the compaction of standard smooth wheels or even other spike wheels I've tried. I did run one smooth wheel/one Zipper for part of the first season and noticed after the corn came up that the sprouts had come up through the side where the Zippers were. Where I had switched to running both Zippers, the corn pushed right up through the center with no problem at all. It made me a believer real fast. Thanks for all your help getting me started originally, and I appreciate all you do if I have questions or need parts. It's nice to have a manufacturer that works hard to make their product work no matter what your situation is. Great products, great company.

    J.F., Illinois

MOHAWK™

Angled spiked closing wheels

Closing Wheels — Complete Parts & Price List
Mohawk  ring only

 60/ring

Mohawk  Wheel

 85/Wheel

Cast Mohawk

 100/Wheel

Standard, rubber closing wheels have a tendency to press the soil closed causing a smooth effect, especially when the soil is wet. On a hot, dry windy day, the furrow will crack back open exposing the seed. Eliminate this problem with the Mohawk Closing Wheel.

mounting instructions — Mohawk ring
mounting instructions — Mohawk wheel
brochure — Mohawk
brochure — Cast Mohawk

About the Mohawk

The Mohawk is a 13″ angled spiked closing wheel designed to take the place of standard, rubber closing wheels. It works in all soil types, most notably in the toughest of no-till conditions.

The non-aggressive, 1″ angled blunt spikes on the Mohawk feather the soil in the furrow while simultaneously applying light pressure to ensure the furrow is stitched shut.

As the spikes close they create indentations which allow moisture to sink in, increasing seed-to-soil contact.

Mohawk closing wheels are angled so that when they engage the soil at the 5, 6, and 7 o’clock positions, they are breaking the side wall down over the seed plus compacting the soil around the seed. Then, when they exit the soil at the 8 o’clock position, they are angled such that they release the soil, leaving it compacted around the seed. Because of this, you will not need to drag a chain behind them.

Other closing wheels on the market are aggressive and have the potential of actually flipping seeds out of the furrow. You will not have that problem with the Mohawk.

Farm Journal agronomist Ken Ferrie conducted a three-year study examining closing wheel designs, including the Mohawk. He classified the Mohawk as a firming spiked closing wheel, which are designed to provide both crushing action of the sidewall and firming above and around the seed. Ferrie concluded that in the toughest no-till conditions, wheels like the Mohawk get the job done the best.

Source: Eckelkamp, Margy. “Test Plots: Close and Seal the Deal.” Farm Journal Magazine. 9 Feb 2013. www.agweb.com/farmjournal/article/test_plots_close_and_seal_the_deal

Benefits of the Mohawk

Features—Design—Benefits

  • Stitches seed V shut
  • Uses existing wheels and bearings, and replaces tire with the Mohawk ring, saving you $$$
  • Breaks down compacted sidewall and closes the furrow at the same time
  • Longer wear, heavy duty cast steel spikes
  • Feathers the soil in the seed V with its wide track design
  • Designed to break up compaction without being too aggressive
  • 1″ spike will not get too close to or disturb seed
  • Allows for better seed-to-soil contact

Eliminates Common Problems

  • Compacts the soil better than straight-fingered wheels
  • Moves soil with minimal compaction into the furrow
  • Eliminates air pockets
  • On a hot windy day the trench will not break back open

Where They Work—Suitable for Many Soils

  • Made to work in tough soils
  • Works in no-till or conventional

Ease of Installation


The NEW all-cast Mohawk Closing Wheel won’t build up with mud due to not having plastic rims catching mud on each side.

We experimented with these in 2019 in very wet soils and farmers were impressed with how clean they stayed in wet sticky soils.

Hub Covers help prevent wrapping of vining cover crops

COVER CROPS

Many of the spiked wheels on the market wrap or plug in cover crops. The cast Mohawk is less likely to plug or wrap in heavy cover crops.

If they do start to wrap, one can order Hub Covers (shown here) as an option to prevent wrapping of cereal rye, vetch and other vining crops

CAST WHEELS FOR DRILLS

Schaffert Mfg.’s all-cast wheels are an excellent option for John Deere and Case IH drills.

Cast Mohawk on a Case IH 500 drill
Case IH 500 with eccentric bolt
Cast Mohawk on a John Deere drill

Included in the cast wheel kit for these drills is an eccentric bolt that changes the pitch in on the back side of the closing wheel. This allows the wheel to bring soil in into the furrow behind the wheel, compacting it down around the seed.

brochure — Cast Mohawk

In the Field Performance

MOHAWKS VS STANDARD CLOSING WHEELS

This graph shows data from a field of soybeans planted on May 29, 2013 near Ponca City, OK with Black Machine tool bar equipped with John Deere 7200 Max Emerge II row units. Some rows had standard rubber closing wheels and some had Mohawk Closing Wheels.

2.5″ of rain fell on the field a week after planting, causing erosion down the rows even though the farm had not been cultivated in 5 years.

Stand counts were taken June 15, 2013 on varying degrees of slope down 36′ row.

The steeper the slope the greater the erosion of the soil down the furrow, and the less stand counts behind the regular closing wheels.

MOHAWK AFTER 1500 ACRES

The following photos show a Mohawk closing wheel that has been run 1500 acres and is still in excellent condition.

MOHAWK AFTER 9000 ACRES

The following photos show a used Mohawk closing wheel next to a brand new Mohawk ring. The wheel has been run 9000 acres and is still in good working condition. Wheel courtesy of John Yeutter, Eustis, NE.

Mohawk Distinct Features Over The Zipper

  • Creates a flat ice cream cone shape with the soil in and above the seed V (the Zipper creates a more rounded ice cream cone shape)
  • The Mohawk takes a plastic rim while the Zipper takes a metal rim
  • Slightly less aggressive than the Zipper
  • Mohawks are more economical when using your existing wheels and bearings
Mohawk ring mounted to John Deere 7000 metal rims
learn more about the Zipper
Zippers
Mohawks
Zipper (left) wheels create an ice cream cone shape with the soil in and above the seed V. Mohawks (right) create a flat ice cream cone shape.

Testimonials

  • David is here today picking up 12 rows of Mohawk Complete closing wheels. He mentioned he has run rebounders over 20 years on John Deere planters. David started out with white rebounders; he has now upgraded to high-speed running the orange rebounder. David likes the orange rebounders because they knock the loose dirt in over the seed and places his fertilizer, that he runs 5 gallons per acre, in the furrow.

    David Christensen, Nebraska

  • I have used the "Out the Back" fertilizer system from Schaffert for six years now and plan to keep using them. The staff and owner at Schaffert are top notch. You couldn't ask for better service. Great product!

    B.D., Michigan

  • We bought 12 Mohawks to run on our corn planter next to the factory rubber closing wheel. We are mostly no-till and all terraced and hilly ground. We felt like the Mohawks maintained ground contact way better than the rubber tires. They also broke up the sidewall, which helped reduce erosion in the seed trench on the hilly ground. Another added benefit was they helped to close the seed trench when following contours with sharper corners. We will replace the other 12 wheels and will be purchasing more products in the future. Paul and Kris are very helpful and willing to answer any questions you may have!

    K.W., Nebraska

  • I planted corn with one Mohawk Closing Wheel and one regular press wheel on each row. The soil on the Mohawk side of the rows was soft, while the soil on the regular press wheel side was hard and compacted. When the seeds sprouted and grew, the plants all emerged through the softer soil on the side where the Mohawk wheels had gone.

    T.W., Ohio

  • The Mohawk closing wheel versus John Deere rubber closing wheel performance was very evident. No side wall compaction with the Mohawks compared to a compacted side wall with the rubber John Deere wheels closing the seed trench.

    R.S., Nebraska

  • I do 50% no-till. I bought Mohawks 3 years ago and ran 1 rubber wheel and 1 Mohawk wheel. The Mohawk broke the seed wall better and helped it to not crust. It works good in conventional planting too.

    S.C., Michigan

  • I purchased two rows of Mohawk wheels, and put them on my 16 row planter the same time I installed 14 rows of Exapta's Thompson wheels. The Mohawk wheels have always left the row covered better, and did a smoother job. They were also about $20 per row cheaper. And while the Thompson wheels are worn out after 3 seasons, the Mohawk wheels show practically no wear.

    D.S., Nebraska

  • I used to use cast wheels in everything. In conventional it pushed the seeds back up in seed furrow, even on the lightest setting. I even tried the straight finger wheels on my John Deere planter and they would go too deep and bring seeds up in the seed V. They’d also loosen the seed trench up too much, causing reduction in stand counts in dry weather. Then, I found the Mohawks and have been using them ever since. I’ve taken most all of the spring pressure off the press wheels and only run in the first notch. They break the side wall compaction and compact the soil around the seed better than the cast wheel or the straight spike wheels. With cast sometimes it plugs up with root balls and then the press wheels would slide and not roll over the residue. About every other year we had to rebuild the tail sections with new bushings and bolts when running the cast wheels because of the heavy wheels planting on contours.  With the Mohawks there is less wear and tear on the press wheel brackets. There is still at least another 9,000 to 10,000 acres left in wear on our present Mohawk wheels and we’ve been running them for 9 years at 1,000+ acres every year.

    J.Y., Nebraska

  • The best addition I added to the planter this winter has been the Mohawk Closing Wheels. Half of my planter were Copperheads and the other Mohawks. Both of these wheels do a better job than the stock closing wheels, but the Mohawks have a distinct edge. The Mohawks sealed the seed slot better and with less pressure while crumbling the top soil. The Copperheads mostly pushed the slot together which made it prone to open back up with lack of rain. The Mohawks never had that problem. In heavy residue, the Mohawks always sealed the slot while I had to crank down the pressure on the Copperheads to achieve the same results and sometimes still not seal the slot.

    M.D., Kentucky

  • I installed Mohawk closing wheels last year. I was very happy with the performance. OEM are sometimes not aggressive enough and the after markets I've been around can be too aggressive. The Mohawk seems to be more forgiving under varying field conditions. Wet–they seal nicely without packing. Dry–seeds are not disturbed and cloddy soil is broken up and firmed nicely. Very happy with performance and durability.

    D.A., Illinois

  • I have a great appreciation for the Mohawk closing wheel's ability to crumble side wall compaction without lifting or disturbing seed placement. While testing the effects of the Mohawk verses OEM rubber closing wheel, one could not find the trench when digging for seeds from the Mohawk side; however, compaction and side wall smearing is easily found on the side of the OEM rubber closing wheel. We’re totally sold on the Mohawk Closing Wheel System and use them on no-till and conventional tillage with great results

    A.B., Iowa

  • We farm no-till soybeans in clay hills using a 3650 Kinze©. (We do not use row cleaners in planting soybeans.) This past Spring we planted with the Kinze for the first time; the Kinze came with Schlagel planter wheels. Before selling our 7000 John Deere© we moved the 12 rows of Mohawks™ off it, and bought 4 new rows of Zippers™ for the back 16 rows. We left the Schlagels on the front 15 rows. The Mohawks have done an excellent job for us over other closing wheels we have tried in prior years; and this year it proved again. The Mohawks leave a feathered light close to the seed trench while also breaking through any no-till trash outside the seed walls. The Mohawks work well in dry or damp soil conditions and play a good balance between the two; where some closing wheels work well in one condition and not the other. The Schlagels seemed to leave more of pinching affect and didn’t close the trench as well, leaving the seed uncovered, especially in damper soil conditions. Schlagels also tend to ball up in muddy soils vs the Mohawks. The Mohawks gave us better stands by about 20-30,000 population vs the Schlagels on soybeans. I recommend 100% to use Mohawks in similar soil conditions! We defiantly will next year!

    Nathan Brabec; Schuyler, NE

CHICKEN TRACKER™

Press & Gauge Wheels for Planters & Drills

Closing Wheels — Complete Parts & Price List
mounting instructions -Chicken Tracker
Case IH
mounting instructions — Chicken Tracker John Deere – Kinze – White
mounting instructions — Chicken Tracker John Deere drills – older White

Standard, rubber closing wheels have a tendency to press the soil closed causing a smooth effect, especially when the soil is wet. On a hot, dry windy day, the furrow will crack back open exposing the seed. The Chicken Tracker will eliminate this problem.

About the Chicken Tracker

Schaffert Mfg.’s Chicken Tracker was designed to take the place of the original Case IH planter press wheel. It has been modified to fit most other planters and drills.

Unlike the original solid press wheel which can smear soil, the Chicken Tracker mulches and mellows soil over the seed bed.

Pressure is applied at three points over the tread on the chicken tracks at all time, firming soil around the seed.

The application of pressure on 3 points provides good seed to soil contact, leading to more even emergence and higher yields.

Photo courtesy of a customer in Illinois

The Chicken Tracker helps eliminate mud build-up and will not plug up with rootballs.

It is easy to install. Just pull the bolt—the bearings are all there.

Benefits of the Chicken Tracker

Prepares the Seed Bed

  • Mulches and mellows the soil over the seed bed
  • Firms soil over the row
  • Does not smear soil like rubber press wheels can
  • Pressure is applied at 3 points on the tracks at all times
  • Eliminates air pockets

Eliminate Common Problems

  • Helps eliminate mud build-up
  • Will not plug with root balls
  • On a hot windy day the trench will not crack back open

Where They Work—Suitable for Many Soils

  • Made to work in tough soils
  • Works in no-till or conventional

Ease of Installation

  • Takes the place of your original press wheel
  • Easy to install, less than 5 minutes per row

Benefits of the Chicken Tracker

Problem

A producer in Texas with a John Deere 455 drill was having problems with the regular press wheels building up with mud and also not putting enough dirt over the seed. The regular press wheels were leaving tracks too deep in the furrow.
The farmer stated that many years he does not get enough soil over the seed.

When they get a hard rain and the wheat is emerging in the trenches made by the regular press wheels, they lose some stand from crusting and burying plants that were already emerging and leafing out.

Solution

We shortened the Chicken Tracker’s spokes from 6″ to 4″ and beveled them to fit the John Deere 455 drill unit.

We wanted the Chicken Tracker to mellow the soil over the seed row and also hold the drill units up at the planting depth for uniform seed depth placement.

Results

In the rows in tilled soil with the regular press wheel the seed depth is almost 1″ deeper with very little cover over the seed. The press wheel is the depth control on these drills. The rows with the regular press wheels are running 1″ deeper than the row with the Chicken Tracker.

Unlike the regular press wheels, the Chicken Tracker is not building up with mud.

The Tracker holds the drill unit at the correct set planting depth, giving uniform seed depth placement. The rows with the Chicken Tracker show the proper amount of mellow, mulched soil left over the furrow.

Testimonials

  • I ran one Chicken Tracker in the spring of 2014 on my 24R Case, over approx. 3,000 acres. And loved it! It crumbled the top soil in all conditions. Here in southern Wisconsin, we have variable conditions—throughout all or many fields. The Chicken Tracker helps eliminate any variables without plugging. They're easy to install, just the one factory bolt. If the spring would turn super dry, switch back to the factory rubber wheel. I would recommend the Chicken Tracker to anyone with minimum or no-till and any varying soil type.

    J.A., Wisconsin

  • I ran the Chicken Tracker wheels over 1000 acres of no-till corn and 800 acres of no-till beans. I was very impressed with emergence of crops behind the Chicken Trackers. When I ran my row cleaners deeper into wetter soils, the Chicken Tracker collected some mud. Then when I ran the row cleaners shallow, just moving residue away, the Chicken Tracker worked great. So, as with anything, work until you find the Trackers are doing their job. Overall I was impressed with this product.

    K.K., Illinois

  • With the Chicken Tracker wheels, I noticed they left no ridge between the rows like the original press wheel left. This proved to be very beneficial because when we got a rain after planting with the Chicken Trackers, the ridges didn’t wash down like they did with the regular press wheels and put a crust on the wheat plants that were emerging or ready to emerge. After all the rain we had this past spring, a better stand emerged with the Chicken Trackers, and we didn’t have to replant due to crusting problems. The Chicken Tracker wheels also did not build up with mud like the regular press wheels did after the abundance of rain during planting. Schaffert Mfg. Co. made the Chicken Track rods 5 1/2″ between spokes. On the side with the arm coming down alongside the spokes they angle cut the rods so they run parallel with the arm, which left from 1/2″ to 3/4″ of room between the arm and Chicken Tracker wheel. This kept them from plugging with trash and residue. To mount the new Chicken Tracker wheels, I used a 5/8″ x 4″ bolt with a 7/8″ nut over the bolt for a spacer bushing between the press wheel arm and the Chicken Tracker wheel hub. It was one of the best things I did to improve the John Deere 455 grain drill.

    L.W., Texas

  • The center of the picture is the Chicken Tracker row and the other are the normal press wheels (Case IH press wheels on a Kinze planter). When I planted this the conditions where good and this picture is after two small rains of about a half inch or less. If we had gotten more rain, the rows planted with normal press wheels would have crusted. The Chicken Tracker clumps soil so it does not crust as easy.

    D.V., Illinois

  • The Chicken Trackers work really well. Helped a lot in sticky conditions and allows us to plant a little faster in good conditions. Pretty much eliminated the air pocket in the seed trench we were seeing.

    D.C., Nebraska

  • If you don’t want to plug your press wheels, try Chicken Trackers. They really help if you are putting down fertilizer with your planter and greatly reduce soil crusting for better emergence.

    J.S.

  • We purchased 4″ chicken trackers in the spring of 2018 for our 12 row 30″ front fold Case IH 1250 planter. Right away I noticed they did not build up with moist soil like the original rubber press wheels. I like how they mulch the soil over the seed bed and are very well built. We are a no-till operation and are always planting into moist soils. This new addition to our planter has helped with even uniform seed bed finishing and better emergance. We also purchased gauge wheel scrapers for the 12 rows. I'm extremely happy with Schaffert Mfg's products and would highly recommend them to anyone.

    E.M., Canada

  • We used 4″ Chicken Trackers and were pleased with the soil contact that they produce and believe it helped prevent washing down the row in hilly ground after a hard rain. We were also very pleased with the stand and spacing with the Rebounders–had 98% accurate spacing.

    J.V., Iowa

  • “We have clay soils, planting conditions not always ideal; but the Chicken Tracker really helps to make sure that trench is closed. A lot of times it looks good right after you plant, but a day or two later it doesn’t look how you thought it should. With the Chicken Tracker you get a lot more pounds per square inch, on the Case planter it’s so easy to take on and off. They’re just awesome.”

    J.A., Nebraska

Closing Wheels

Becks Studies

Eliminate Sidewall Compaction and Increase Seed to Soil Contact

If you use no-till or other alternative till planting methods, you know how difficult it is to properly close seed furrows.

Sidewall compaction left from double disc openers on planters makes it hard for standard closing wheels to close the seed V properly in all soil types and conditions.

Especially in wet heavy textured soils, standard press wheels tend to smear the soil over the seeds and do not break up the sidewall compaction left by the double disc openers. Then when a hot windy day comes after planting in wet soil conditions, the seed V will often crack back open, exposing the seeds.

If the seed V does stay shut after planting with standard closing wheels, many times the sidewalls of the seed V stay compacted, not letting the roots of the plants penetrate the sidewalls. If they cannot penetrate the sidewall, the roots will not build a good brace root system, and the plants will tend to fall over later in the season.

Schaffert Mfg.’s closing wheels address these problems, and more. We offer a variety of closing wheels that work in all soil types.

OUR CLOSING WHEELS

MOHAWK

Mohawk Wheels compact the soil better than straight-fingered wheels. It feathers the soil in the furrow with its wide track design, and is made to work in tough soils.

Mohawk spikes are made of heavy duty cast steel for longer wear, and they penetrate 1″ deep to not disturb the seed.

The Mohawk Wheel is easy to install, using existing wheels and bearings and replacing the original tire with a Mohawk ring, saving you !

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ZIPPER

Zipper Wheels share many features with the Mohawk. They are designed to break up compaction without being too aggressive, and work in no-till or conventional soil.

The spike’s tubular design allows it to release mud and eliminate plugging. The spike’s angle design does not flip or throw soil out—it allows for accurate release.

As the Zipper closes it creates indentations which allow moisture to sink in.

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CHICKEN TRACKER

The Chicken Tracker takes the place of the original press wheel on drills and Case IH planters.

Unlike this original solid press wheel which can smear soil, the Chicken Tracker mulches and mellows soil over the seed bed.

Pressure is applied at three points over the tread on the chicken tracks at all time, firming soil around the seed. This provides good seed to soil contact, leading to more even emergence and higher yields.

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FURROW V CLOSER

The Furrow V Closer closes the seed trench ahead of the press wheels in heavy, wet soils.

The FVC does not run in the seed trench, but rather to the side of the seed V opening, making it easier to place starter fertilizer and/or chemicals in the furrow with the seed. Its poly discs are resistant to herbicide, pesticide, fertilizer, and mud build-up.

We have models available for most planters.

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WEIGHT CHART

Testimonials

  • I have used the Mohawk closing wheels, and more recently added some Zipper wheels, for several seasons now in both no-till and tilled ground, and have planted corn, soybeans, and milo with good results. I like how the wheels still maintain the same depth of penetration even if I’m a little too heavy on the down pressure. No flipping chunks of soil and seed out. In watching the planter run this spring, it seems like the Zipper wheel might have a little faster “sewing” action than the Mohawk, meaning when the soil was a little heavy or no tilling into fall killed sod, the Zipper rows seemed to have a little more fluff to them. In normal no tilling situations, both wheels performed great. An advantage for the Mohawk is if your planter closing wheels are in good shape, you swap the rubber tire for the Mohawk and you’re ready to go at an attractive cost. I don’t see how anybody can go wrong with either wheel.

    P.R., IL

  • Last year we ran our Kinze 3600 16/32 planter with Mohawk closing wheels over nearly 2000 acres of no-till soybeans. We saw a real improvement over cast iron wheels in performance - closing the seed trench, preventing the slot from opening when the soil dried out, and in seed emergence. We used my Kinze 3800 corn planter for some trials on tilled and no-till fields; rubber tires, Mohawks, Zippers, Thompson wheels, and Martin spike closers. While the Martin spikes have always performed fairly well in no-till, and still performed the best in planting no-till corn into a dry June hayfield, the Mohawks and Zippers performed best overall. They handled tilled soil, they handled no-till, they firmed the seed while leaving loose soil above it, and they didn't tip out seed in the most challenging conditions. The Zippers also did fairly well in the hard dry hay field in June. The Mohawks and Zippers still look almost new, they should last many years more than the plastic spikes some companies sell. We will be all Mohawks and Zippers this year.

    Ed Yanos, IN