It will work if you open the row with another implement so the soil is "fluffy" soft. The planter drive wheel is the front wheel. it is larger than the rear. To get the planter to operate, you have to put downward pressure on the front wheel. This causes the rear wheel, that is supposed to be compacting the seed, to rise and not touch the ground, therefore it does not compact the seed very well. Another gripe is the handle design. All the down force required to get it to work requires a firm grip on a sufficient handle. This unit has a very uncomfortable handle made out of bent aluminum bar stock. (My hands are designed to grip round objects, not bar stock). The poorly designed handles will allow me to grip them with only 3 of my fingers. Because I need a lot of down force to get it to operate, I need all of my hand on the handle, not just part of it. The seeds drop ok. It works in ideal soil conditions and for people younger than 66 that probably have less arthritis than I do in their hands. I almost put it up for sale on Craig's List, but decided it does have some use, and future, with limitations, for me.
It will work if you open the row with another implement so the soil is "fluffy" soft. The planter drive wheel is the front wheel. it is larger than the rear. To get the planter to operate, you have to put downward pressure on the front wheel. This causes the rear wheel, that is supposed to be compacting the seed, to rise and not touch the ground, therefore it does not compact the seed very well. Another gripe is the handle design. All the down force required to get it to work requires a firm grip on a sufficient handle. This unit has a very uncomfortable handle made out of bent aluminum bar stock. (My hands are designed to grip round objects, not bar stock). The poorly designed handles will allow me to grip them with only 3 of my fingers. Because I need a lot of down force to get it to operate, I need all of my hand on the handle, not just part of it. The seeds drop ok. It works in ideal soil conditions and for people younger than 66 that probably have less arthritis than I do in their hands. I almost put it up for sale on Craig's List, but decided it does have some use, and future, with limitations, for me.