Brinly/Cole Planter

[J-Mech]

So.... several years ago, I bought a Brinly/Cole planter. I honestly didn't know what it was for quite some time, but finally got around to wanting to use it bad enough that I starting digging around. It didn't look quite like the Brinly planter we see now and again, and after a tiring amount of searching, I found out it was made by Cole, but apparently sold by Brinly. Now, I can't find any others that are just like it, and I'm not saying someone couldn't have done it, but it does appear to have original paint on it, and it has one of those original gold leaf looking "Brinly" stickers on it. So... if anyone has any more info as in when Brinly rebadged and sold these I'd like to know more.

Pic on it mounted to my (then mine) 125:

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When I bought it, it only had one plate. The one that was in it. Now, would I be so lucky as to get a corn or bean plate... no. Of coarse not. It was some small seed plate (I don't recall what) but it wasn't anything I'll probably ever use. But, I couldn't find plates for it. I thought is was a Brinly planter, but the hole size was off. It was just different. Well... this year I finally got up enough gumption and time to dig it out of hiding and go on the hunt. I found out that the seed plates aren't all that hard to find at all, but they are what I would consider costly. Now, in dollar terms, they aren't that bad. But when compared to other seed plates in other planters, they are. I can buy a whole pack of plastic plates for an IH planter for the cost of 1 of these stupid things. But, I forked over the $35 and bought one.

Ok. So the plate was on it's way. Next up, I had to get it freed up. I don't honestly think this thing was ever really used. Maybe never used. I don't know. But it sure hadn't been drug over even acres if it had. It had been sitting a long, long time. Mouse nest under the plate cover when I got it, and rot from the mouse pi$$. The chains were stiff and so was all the rotating parts. So, I took to taking them apart, cleaning them, and lubing everything back up. It really didn't take long at all, and now I can roll the wheel across a concrete floor and drive the plate!

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I was going to try and plant with it tonight.... but it blew up a popcorn shower and I chickened out. Didn't really rain at all, but lightening and thunder galore! It started to rain, and I put everything up. Of coarse, it didn't last long and the sun came back out. I only keep one Cub here at the house. The rest of my stuff is in a shed about a mile down the road, so I wasn't going back down there to get it. I'll try again tomorrow. If I'm successful, I'll upload some pics. Wait till you see what I'm going to use as a marker.... I needed something, and I'm not building any real ones until I know how this thing is going to work.

[Terry C]

That's pretty cool! Got any idea how old it is?

[Dirty Steve]

Slick planter set up. And very cool that they are still in business!

[J-Mech]

Originally Posted by Terry C

That's pretty cool! Got any idea how old it is?

No real idea. But going off the design, I'm going to say early to mid '80's.

Originally Posted by Dirty Steve

Slick planter set up. And very cool that they are still in business!

Yeah. But I paid like $100 or $125 for it. (I really don't remember.) The new ones are $1,300!!!!!

[barkerwc4362]

Haven't seen one like that before. Most of the ones I have seen have the seed hopper over the press wheel. That also has a "foot" like the newer Cole 12MX planter. A very late Brinly? I assume it uses the 6 3/4-6 7/8 diameter seed plate with a round drive center with 4 notches? The Covington plates of the same diameter will work in the round drive plates. Covington now owns Cole. Cole still has a limited selection of plates this size and drive type. I bought a few two years ago. Burch Tractors usually has some for sale. They also show up on E-Bay occasionally. You only want the right hand plates. They should be marked "OR" then a number. The left hand plates will not work and are markes "OL" then a number. The plates for the 11/12MX planters will not work. They are larger diameter. The Brinly planter I have is a KK-200. I also have a Cole 11MX that I have upgraded to 12MX by adding the fertilizer hopper and parts to apply fertilizer. Cole has a listing of plates on their website. If you can't find it PM me and I'll send you one.

[john hall]

Wonder if it shares any parts with the older Cole planters--some were horse drawn. I think that is the one that is real popular with the IH fast-hitch tractor gardeners. Those things sell pretty easy and pricey around here, especially in the spring.

Your plate price isn't too bad, Lustrand plates for IH are about $20-25 ea.

[J-Mech]

So, I want to give an update, then I'll go back and post responses to a couple of you guys. Thanks for the interest. I'm hoping that there aren't many responses because it's kind of "uncharted territory" here. There seems to be a lot more info on the planter over on MTF. Not being snotty about it, but it just seems more Deere guys use them. All the googling I've done with the Brinly planter since I've gotten this one, most all the hits were on MTF. I am a member over there.... maybe I ought to ask that group if they know more. bakerwc4362, thanks for the info! I'll get back to you shortly after a brief story.


I've had a bad day. That is also another story, but it's just one of those days that everything I did went wrong. Nothing to rant about..... except I have been trying to get into the garden for 3 days now with no success. The first night, I ran out of daylight, and had 5 kids wanting daddy/papa time, plus it was trying to rain. (I'm daddy to my kids, and papa to my step kids.) I do love hanging with my kids!! I don't get to do it often enough. So, spent time with them. Next night, last night, I just got home too late to get anything done. Tonight, I got home kind of late (again, bad day) but thought I had time. Unhooked from the construction/tool trailer and headed down to the barn to get the 1050 that stays loaded up all the time on one of the other trailers. Get home, unload it... wife calls me for dinner. Which I had actually told her not to make me because of time... as in daylight. But, alas, she didn't hear me say that, and overall stopping to eat didn't cost me that much time. Went out, tilled only the area I wanted to plant. I unhooked the tiller and went to put the planter on. Got it mounted. Hitch needed adjustment. Take it back off, reposition everything, but now I need to mount up the "marker" I made. Damn. Now it's dark. Way dark. No lights on the 1050. Plenty of lights on the 1811! No lower hitch bracket on that tractor. Wouldn't that be handy! One of these days.... one of these days I will get all my tractors set up with everything I need so that they can each be capable of each job, so that when the time comes I need them to do it, they can!! But... I'm not there yet. SO..... tractors back in the shed, and maybe, just maybe it won't rain tonight and I can plant in the morning. Arrrrrgggggg..... long day.

But I'll be ok.....

[J-Mech]

Originally Posted by barkerwc4362

Haven't seen one like that before. Most of the ones I have seen have the seed hopper over the press wheel. That also has a "foot" like the newer Cole 12MX planter. A very late Brinly?

I can't find another like it either. Yes, the true Brinly planters had the hopper over the rear wheel. It does look very much like the 11/12MX Cole planters. The "foot" is a little different on mine than the newer ones, that's why I think it's a very early one. No, I don't think it's a Brinly, I think it's a Cole, but was sold by Brinly. That's my assumption, but only because of the Brinly sticker on the hopper. HOWEVER, I am open to the possiblity that the hopper if off a Brinly planter, but the Brinly hoppers seem to be taller. That's why I'm going with sold by Brinly, made by Cole. I'm thinking it was sold after Brinly quit making planters, but still wanted to make some sales.... purely speculation on my part.

Originally Posted by barkerwc4362

I assume it uses the 6 3/4-6 7/8 diameter seed plate with a round drive center with 4 notches? The Covington plates of the same diameter will work in the round drive plates. Covington now owns Cole. Cole still has a limited selection of plates this size and drive type. I bought a few two years ago. Burch Tractors usually has some for sale. They also show up on E-Bay occasionally.

Yes, it uses the 6 3/4" (close enough) plate size with the 3" (?) round 4 square drive. I figured out that the matching Covington plate will work. I did know (figured out during my research) Covington owns Cole. I found both the Burch Tractor site and a place called Georgia Equipment Company that sells them. I bought the plate I just got from E-Bay because it was the same price, but lower shipping cost. I think it came from Birch, but I'll have to check.

Originally Posted by barkerwc4362

You only want the right hand plates. They should be marked "OR" then a number. The left hand plates will not work and are markes "OL" then a number. The plates for the 11/12MX planters will not work. They are larger diameter. The Brinly planter I have is a KK-200. I also have a Cole 11MX that I have upgraded to 12MX by adding the fertilizer hopper and parts to apply fertilizer. Cole has a listing of plates on their website. If you can't find it PM me and I'll send you one.

Now, I didn't know that there were right and left hand rotation plates. That's interesting. I saw the different numbers, but never paid any attention to that. I think I also figured out that the MX plates wouldn't work. The plate I took out was an OR-??? (I don't have it in front of me, sorry) and the one I got is a TP-XXX corn plate. Do you know the anything about the TP plate, as it is correct... maybe what planter it was made for?

Does your Brinly use the same plates as this planter of mine does? If I understand correctly, it does not share the same plate as your MX though, correct?

Just for the record, you don't have to get too in depth on planter workings. I've farmed all my life, and I worked for IH. I've been around planters. Just having trouble finding info, or even a parts pic for this one. Plate listing... anything. I will add, my seed meter chart is still intact on the divider plate in the hopper. THAT is a life saver!! Which reminds me, I need to take a pic of in just in case of damage to it. It is in pristine condition, and I need to save a pic, and make a chart on Excell and save it in my planter file in case something happens to the one on the planter.

Thanks for responding!!!
BTW, my last name is Baker..... your username has baker in it. That your last name also? Just curious.

Originally Posted by john hall

Wonder if it shares any parts with the older Cole planters--some were horse drawn. I think that is the one that is real popular with the IH fast-hitch tractor gardeners. Those things sell pretty easy and pricey around here, especially in the spring.

Your plate price isn't too bad, Lustrand plates for IH are about $20-25 ea.

I don't think it shares any parts with the Coles from that era, but it seems to share both Brinly and Cole plates, depending on model. Yes, This is the same planter that can be mounted to a fast hitch. For the record, you can still buy new an adapter to the single point fast hitch. I've looked at those planters before, because I realized that the hitch could be removed and a Brinly style hitch installed. They can be mounted with several different styles of hitches including toolbar style. Pricey.... holy crap yes!!! Both those single units, and the new ones. I don't know why anyone would be willing to pay $1300 for one of these new! There isn't much to them, and I'm sure they make a killing. I could build one with old planter parts. It's not hard.... I'm just haven't done it. I am always on the lookout for the self drive IH, Deere and Yetter units. But those things are outrageous unless you find one that a dealer has and hasn't made it into a single or 2 row. I found one about 3 hours from me the other day. 4 row, mounted model 295 IH. Self drive row units.... $1000. That's not bad considering you appear to be able to sell a single row unit set of for Brinly or Cat 0/1 for the same price. I really should buy it. But... If I blew $1000 on it, I'd probably end up making one for me, one for my buddy, and never getting around to building 2 more for sale. I just have no spare time to do anything "fun" it seems. Just at that point in life. My kids are getting to that age when they are in school, baseball, starting to get friends, want to come spend time with me, but not quite old enough to come work with me (while I'm doing construction or farming). They come, but aren't old enough to help, and usually end up getting bored, which leads to bickering among themselves, or getting into mischief. Then "mom" has to come get them, take them home... then mamma's unhappy.... you get the point. Kinda off topic there... but anywho.

Tomorrow's another day.

[DeltaCub]

Jonathan, this is an interesting topic! I am learning a great deal about these planters.

[J-Mech]

Originally Posted by DeltaCub

Jonathan, this is an interesting topic! I am learning a great deal about these planters.

It is interesting!

Wait till I dig the other one out I have...... I've never seen one like it before either. That will be another thread though....
I know nothing about it. Not even who built it. I did find pics of others similar to it. (Later.... later we'll get to that one.)