I’ve run 13 rows of Mohawk spiked closing wheels on my 16 row John Deere 1770 NT planter for the past two years, alongside three rows of competing brands. This year, I switched the final three rows to Mohawks after seeing their performance side by side. The adaptability of the Mohawks to fit onto an OEM will is a huge plus. Also, their light weight allows for flexibility in varying field conditions if you have adjustable pressure on your closing wheels.
Testimonials Type: Mohawk Closing Wheels
Samuel T. Gerke
I have switched to no till 2 years ago and with regular rubber press wheels on my John Deere 7000 planter the seed trench would only close in perfect soil conditions. I looked at many different press wheel designs and decided to purchase the cast Schaffert mohawks. The job they do, even in wet soil is outstanding. By having the mohawks I was able to plant much earlier than in the past and the seed trench is nice and loose.
Alex Z.
We swapped out all the closing wheels on our corn and bean planters in 2020. We put Zippers on the corn planter. And Mohawks on the bean planter. Our Martin closers were getting worn on our corn planter. And I didn’t like the rubber closing wheels that were on our bean planter. Both planters are Kinze 3600 with a no till set up. We no till 100% of our acres. And we plant cover crops on all the acres as well.
We found the zippers to be a big upgrade over the martins. Especially going up a hillside, or planting contours. A lot less erosion from water. And it doesn’t disturb the seed bed on contours. The Mohawks were a big upgrade as well. We deal with a lot of surface residue. And getting good compaction has been a challenge. But the mohawks have done an exceptional job closing the seed furrow while keeping the compaction down. We also noticed that we didn’t need to make changes to down pressure on the closing wheel when soil conditions changed.
I won’t claim a huge increase in yields or anything, as there are many aspects to consider, especially with no till and cover crops.
David Christensen, Nebraska
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.
B.D., Michigan
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!
K.W., Nebraska
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!
T.W., Ohio
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.
R.S., Nebraska
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.
S.C., Michigan
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.
D.S., Nebraska
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.
