Precision Planting has released a new frame-mounted row cleaner product, Reveal, for nationwide commercial availability through its Premier Dealer network.

“Row-unit-mounted row cleaners can hurt row unit ride and affect down force requirements,” said Bryce Baker, Precision Planting marketing manager. “Reveal is frame mounted, removing its impact on the row unit. With its own internal gauge wheel, Reveal precisely controls the depth of the cleaning tines to create a consistently clean and ideal seeding environment for even emergence to occur.” 

Carl Dodge farms in Masonville, IA. He field tested two rows of Reveal row cleaners this spring.

“The biggest thing that surprised me about running Reveal was when I started to look at all of the planting data that we collected,” said Dodge. “Every metric that we are tracking that makes a difference — singulation, spacing, good ride quality — the number one row unit was one of the two rows that we had the Reveal row cleaners on. And I just know that that's because they are not mounted onto the row unit.” 

Baker adds that Reveal is able to set the depth of row cleaning tines from cleaned soil, unlike traditional row cleaners, which set the depth of cleaning times from soil combined with residue. A traditional row cleaner configuration can make it difficult to fully penetrate the residue mat and sufficiently clean the row. 

“Traditional row cleaners have limited tine engagement, so they are often unable to clear the full depth of thick residue,” said Baker. “Reveal has independent pressure adjustment and cleaning tine depth adjustment, so you can set the pressure you need to keep the internal gauge wheel on the ground.

"This helps eliminate bounce of the row cleaner, and allows you to then use a T-handle to set exactly how deep the cleaning tines should operate in a particular field, and ensure excellent row cleaning.”

“The big difference with Reveal is that it’s mounted on the actual planter bar, so it's completely separate from the row unit,” said Dodge. “Also it doesn't have treader wheels on the actual row cleaner wheels. It has a gauge wheel behind it, and it creates a pretty smooth path that way.” 

Dodge has partnered with Precision Planting to create and share videos about his experience using Reveal.

He posted a video on his YouTube channel, Dodge Brothers Farm and Ranch, on July 17, where shares more about adding Reveal to the planter, as well as other upgrades he made to the farm’s 12-year-old planter six years ago for around $40,000, instead of trading it for a newer one.