Agriculture and Farm Equipment Blog!

The longevity and efficiency of your John Deere air seeder heavily rely on the condition of its components. Among these, the gauge wheels and their related parts are crucial for maintaining the correct seeding depth and ensuring consistent furrow creation. In this blog, we will discuss the importance of these components, how to inspect them, and why incorporating them into your John Deere air seeder rebuild plan is essential for optimal performance.

 » Read more about: Why Gauge Wheels Are Vital in Your John Deere Air Seeder Rebuild  »

In modern farming, efficiency is everything—every second spent adjusting, fixing, or clearing out equipment problems is lost time and revenue. A common culprit for downtime during planting is plugging, especially around the gauge wheels. Enter MudSmith Gauge Wheels, a heavy-duty, American-made solution designed to tackle plugging at its source. In this article, we’ll explore how MudSmith Gauge Wheels compare to and stand out in a market that includes other spoked gauge wheel options like Yetter,

 » Read more about: Why MudSmith Gauge Wheels Outperform the Competition (and Solve Your Plugging Issues)  »

When maintaining the efficiency of your John Deere air seeder, one of the most critical components to focus on is the discs. These discs are essential John Deere air seeder parts that play a significant role in creating the perfect seed furrow. In this post, we’ll explore why maintaining these discs is vital, how to inspect them, and the importance of timely replacement to ensure consistent seeding performance.

 » Read more about: The Critical Role of Discs in Your John Deere Air Seeder and How to Maintain Them  »

When it comes to maintaining the precision and effectiveness of your John Deere drill, the importance of quality John Deere drill parts, like the Main Pin and Bush Kits, cannot be overstated. These components are vital for ensuring smooth operation, accurate seed placement, and long-term durability of your equipment. In this blog, we’ll delve into why these John Deere drill parts are crucial, how to inspect them, and when replacement becomes necessary.

 » Read more about: Maximizing Drill Efficiency: How Main Pin and Bush Kits Keep Your John Deere Drill Running Smoothly  »

We know that farmers are always looking to boost their harvest efficiency and often ask if there are specific combine models that see better compatibility or performance. With the Razors Edge Concaves the good news is that they’re designed for broad compatibility, making them an ideal choice for a wide range of combine models. 

 » Read more about: Unlocking Maximum Performance: Which Combines Work Best with the Razors Edge Concaves?  »

When it comes to maximizing harvest efficiency, two critical factors to consider are reducing rotor loss and increasing grain capture. As you know, the ability to recover more grain and prevent loss directly impacts profitability, making concave selection a crucial decision. The Razors Edge Concaves have emerged as a top choice, outshining competitor products in these areas. Here’s how they stack up when it comes to reducing rotor loss and increasing grain capture.

 » Read more about: Why Razors Edge Concaves Are Leading the Way in Reducing Rotor Loss and Increasing Grain Capture  »

The Razors Edge Concaves stand out not only for their efficiency but also for their long-lasting durability. Designed with high-performance features like a hardened edge and innovative variable spacing, these concaves are built to withstand challenging harvest conditions, reducing stress on your combine and extending the lifespan of both the concaves and your equipment. Let’s dive into what makes these concaves a long-term investment and how they contribute to machine longevity.

 » Read more about: Maximizing Combine Lifespan: How Razors Edge Concaves Reduce Stress and Last Longer  »

The elimination of cover plates is possible thanks to the advanced engineering behind the Razors Edge Concaves. Traditional concave systems often require cover plates to control the flow of material and adjust threshing intensity based on the crop being harvested. These plates block off sections of the concave to increase threshing force or slow down material flow, depending on the crop. While effective, cover plates add an extra step to the harvest process and require constant adjustment as crop conditions change.

 » Read more about: Why do I not need to run cover plates in the Razors Edge?  »

The Razors Edge Concaves have quickly established themselves as a top-tier solution for farmers looking to maximize efficiency and performance during harvest. From their innovative design to their versatile functionality, the Razors Edge Concaves offer numerous advantages over traditional concave systems, making them the best concaves on the market. Let’s talk about why they stand out.

 » Read more about: What makes the Razors Edge the best Concave on the market?  »

The laser-cladding process creates an extremely hard, durable, and sharp edge that maintains its integrity and sharpness far longer than conventional materials. The key benefit of laser cladding is its precision and durability. The process allows for very specific sharpening of the notched edge, ensuring it performs at peak efficiency in the most demanding conditions.

 » Read more about: How Laser-Clad Notched Bars Enhance Threshing in Tough Conditions  »

The Razors Edge Concaves by Thunderstruck Ag Equipment have been rigorously tested across a variety of crops in field trials, showing exceptional improvements in both performance and efficiency. Designed with an innovative variable spacing system, these concaves have proven their versatility and ability to handle multiple crops without the need for additional adjustments, such as cover plates. Let’s take a closer look at the specific crops that have shown significant improvements during field trials with the Razors Edge Concaves.

 » Read more about: What Crops Have Shown Significant Improvements In Performance With The Razors Edge Concaves?  »

Short answer: No! 

Long answer: No, you don’t need to run cover plates with the Razors Edge Concaves, this feature is one of the standout advantages of this innovative product. Cover plates have traditionally been a necessary component of conventional concave systems, used to fine-tune threshing intensity for different crops. However, they often add an extra layer of complexity to harvesting, requiring installation, adjustment, and removal depending on crop types and conditions.

 » Read more about: Do I need to run cover plates with the Razors Edge Concaves?  »

The name “Razors Edge” isn’t just catchy, it perfectly encapsulates the concaves’ core qualities of precision, sharp performance, and cutting-edge innovation. Just like a razor’s edge is honed to perfection for sharpness and control, these concaves have been designed with meticulous precision to deliver maximum threshing efficiency without compromising the quality of the crop.

 » Read more about: Why are they called Razors Edge?  »

A Farmer’s Guide to Inspecting Your Drill: What to Look for to Keep Your Equipment in Top Shape

As planting season nears, making sure your drill is in top shape is critical for success. A well-maintained drill ensures accurate seed placement, uniform crop emergence, and maximum yield. Regular inspections can prevent costly breakdowns and reduce downtime during peak planting. Here’s a streamlined guide to help you inspect key components of your drill before the season kicks off.

 » Read more about: Drill Inspection: Things to look out for  »

Winter brings its own set of challenges, especially when it comes to managing snow. Whether you’re clearing pathways, parking lots, or wide-open areas, choosing the right snow attachment can make a big difference. At Thunderstruck Ag, we offer a wide selection of Jenkins snow attachments to meet various needs, from light snowfalls to heavy-duty snow removal. Here’s a quick guide to help you find the right tool for the job.

 » Read more about: Mastering Winter: Choosing the Best Jenkins Snow Attachment for Your Needs  »

When it comes to ensuring your grain is stored safely, moisture and temperature monitoring is key, especially with grain bin moisture sensors. At Thunderstruck Ag, we recommend PGA Moisture & Temperature Cables to help you keep your grain in peak condition during storage. Figuring out how many cables you need for your bin can be tough. We ask four simple questions to guide you to the right setup.

 » Read more about: How Many PGA Moisture & Temperature Cables do I need for my bin?  »

Harvest season is always a busy time, and when you’re out in the field, every minute counts. But nothing throws a wrench in your plans quite like unexpected delays. One of the most frustrating culprits? Chain slippage on your header’s feed drum. If you’ve been there, you know how quickly it can bring your operation to a halt, leaving you scrambling to get things back on track. 

 » Read more about: Tired of Chain Slippage Causing Harvest Delays? There’s a Simple Solution  »

We’ve heard it before: “Why can’t I just try a couple of Duck Foot Paddle Tines and see how it goes?” It’s a fair question, but the truth is, using just a few Duck Foot attachments will actually do more harm than good. Let us explain why going all-in is the only way to get the efficiency and results you want.

Wad Feeding: The Problem You Want to Avoid

The biggest issue with using only a couple of Duck Foot Paddle Tines is what we call “wad feeding.”

 » Read more about: Don’t Risk Header Loss: Why Full Coverage with Duck Foot Paddle Tines Matters  »

Harvest season is a critical time, and if you’re running a MacDon header or a Case IH harvester, you know every minute counts. However, dealing with delays caused by issues with your header’s drum can quickly turn a smooth operation into a series of frustrating setbacks. Uneven feeding, crop compression, and frequent plugging are common challenges that many operators face. Let’s explore why these problems occur and how upgrading your drum can lead to a more efficient harvest.

 » Read more about: Overcoming Header Feeding Challenges: How the Right Drum Can Make All the Difference for Your MacDon Header  »

When you’re out in the field, every bit of crop matters. We all know that keeping crop loss to a minimum is crucial, especially right at the front of your header. That’s where the battle really starts. As your crops get cut and pulled into the header, traditional tines often leave a bit too much on the table—or in this case, on the ground.

 » Read more about: Paddle Tines vs. Traditional Tines: What’s the Real Difference?  »

Crop loss during harvest is a significant but often overlooked issue in modern agriculture. Many farmers are unaware of the true extent of their losses, which can have a substantial impact on your bottom line. In this article we’ll explore this problem and how tools like the ScherGain Solution System can help address it.

 » Read more about: Understanding and Minimizing Crop Loss: The ScherGain Solution System  »

Farming is one of the world’s oldest professions, and one of the few that is still as necessary today as it was when it started. While agriculture and farming in North America, as an occupation, has dropped from 90% in Colonial times to only 11% today, it is still the largest industry in the world, employing over 1 billion people globally and generating over $1.3 trillion worth of food annually.

Farmers are some of the hardest working men and women out there and their ability to adapt to changing times has kept them in business for centuries.

 » Read more about: Your 2024 Harvest Guide  »

Upgrading your John Deere Air Seeder with the Aricks Residue Managers is a decision that could significantly improve your efficiency and crop yields. This integration not only enhances your machinery; it is also a step towards modernizing agricultural practices, ensuring sustainability, and maximizing profitability. Let’s talk about the multitude of benefits that come with this upgrade, compelling reasons that make this investment worthwhile for farmers.

 » Read more about: Why Should I Choose The Aricks Residue Manager?  »

In the heart of Australia’s rich agricultural lands, innovation thrives not just as a concept but as a tangible reality. Thunderstruck Ag Equipment is thrilled to spotlight a partnership that epitomizes this spirit of innovation and introduce Jacqui and Colin Wemyss from Aricks Australia. Over a decade ago, they embarked on a mission to redefine the standards of durability and efficiency in John Deere Air Disc Drills, leading to the creation of a complete lineup of wear part solutions designed to outlast and outperform.

 » Read more about: Aricks Australia: Pioneering Durability in John Deere Air Disc Drill Solutions  »

As a farmer, you understand that achieving optimal yields starts with precision in planting practices. One crucial component that often plays a pivotal role in this process is the row cleaner. In this guide, we’ll address some fundamental questions to help you make informed decisions about whether you need Row Cleaners, what type suits your needs, and which blade style is most appropriate for your field conditions.

 » Read more about: Pin Adjust or Floating Row Cleaners, which One is Right For Me?  »

In today’s modern farming practices, precision and efficiency are essential components of a successful harvest. While farmers often focus on seeding and spraying, recognizing the importance of precision at the harvesting stage is crucial. Steve Kastning, the Founder and President of Duck Foot Parts Inc., has revolutionized harvest precision with the invention of Duck Foot® Slip Over Paddle Tines.

 » Read more about: Harvest Precision Starts at the Header: Introducing Duck Foot® Slip Over Paddle Tines  »

One of the biggest issues facing farmers at harvest is the limited capacity that they encounter with their draper header feed drum. As OEM header drums force material towards the center of the drum and only feed through at the center of the drum, this limits the capacity to feed crops into the combine,and ultimately reduces the capacity of the header. In addition farmers run the risk of plugging their machine, as well as increasing rotor loss as often the material will clump when feeding with the OEM drums.

 » Read more about: Increase Combine Header Feeding Drum Capacity – Thunderstruck Ag  »

The original purpose of a seed firmer was to make sure that when the seed was dropped into the furrow or seed trench that it would make it to the bottom of the trench and not get stuck in the sidewalls on the way in.

 » Read more about: What is the Purpose of a Seed Firmer?  »

One of the biggest questions that we get asked is whether or not there is an advantage to going with a narrow gauge wheel on a planter.

 » Read more about: Things to consider when deciding between a 3” or 4.5” wheel for your planter  »

The iPaddock Typhoon™ was designed to maximize capacity and minimize downtime. This heavy-duty feed drum is designed with strength and adaptability. It is one of the highest and most efficient combine harvest equipment in the market.

The iPaddock Typhoon™ grabs crops and pulls it through in a continuous even flow, allowing you to go faster and get the crop off fast.

 » Read more about: The iPaddock Typhoon  »

The iPaddock Twister™ chain tensioner is the latest product from iPaddock (a management system farm based in the south east of Western Australia founded in 1992). This chain tensioner solution fixes the problem of the drive chain coming off the feed drum on the Macdon fronts. It has a slot that is cam shaped that makes precise adjustment of chain tension possible with just manual pressure, while preventing the tensioner from sliding loose in the way when it is tightened up again.

 » Read more about: iPaddock Twister  »