The In-Season Planter Spare Parts Kit Every Farmer Should Have Before April

Corn and soybean planting windows are unforgiving. When your planter goes down at 6 AM on a Tuesday in April, the difference between a half-day delay and a full-day loss often comes down to a $15 bearing or a worn disc blade you meant to replace last fall.

The most common cause of mid-season planter failure isn't catastrophic — it's small wear parts that were "good enough" at planting but never replaced. Bearings, bushings, springs, and guards account for the majority of in-field downtime. The farmers who keep moving are the ones who stocked the right parts before the season started.

At Quality Farm Supply, we've put together this spare parts kit checklist covering the most common mid-season failures — the parts your row units, gauge wheels, and closing assemblies depend on every single pass. Review the list below, build your kit now, and be ready before the field calls.

1. Bearings

Bearings are the #1 in-season failure. One seized bearing can destroy a hub or arm in minutes — and finding a replacement at 7 AM in a rural county is rarely an option.

Carry per planter:

• (2–4) Disc opener bearings
• (2–4) Gauge wheel bearings
• (2) Closing wheel bearings
• (1–2) Row cleaner bearings (if equipped)

2. Seed Tubes & Seed Delivery Parts

Cracked or worn seed tubes cause skips and doubles that are nearly impossible to spot until stand loss appears at emergence — by then, it's too late to recover the yield.

Carry per 2–4 rows:

• (1) Seed tube
• (1) Seed tube guard
• (1) Seed tube retaining clip/spring
• (1) Seed tube sensor (if equipped)

3. Parallel Arm & Row Unit Hardware

Excess play in parallel arms is easy to overlook in the shop but shows up fast mid-season when soils firm up and field speed increases. A loose arm means inconsistent depth — and inconsistent depth means inconsistent yield.

Carry per planter:

• (2) Parallel arm bushings
• (2) Parallel arm bolts/pins
• (2) Grease zerks (assorted sizes)

4. Gauge Wheel & Depth Control Hardware

A bent gauge wheel arm or a lost shim instantly ruins depth control on that row. You won't know it's happening from the cab until the stand tells you.

Carry per 4–6 rows:

• (1) Gauge wheel arm
• (1) Gauge wheel shim kit
• (1) Gauge wheel bolt & nut set

5. Drive System (Chains, Sprockets & Springs)

A broken spring or stretched chain quietly shuts off a row. No alarm, no warning — just a row that stops planting while everything else keeps moving.

Carry per planter:

• (1) Primary drive chain
• (1) Seed meter drive chain
• (1) Chain tensioner spring
• (1) Idler sprocket

6. Downforce System Parts

Loss of downforce causes instant depth inconsistency across the affected row. Whether you're running mechanical springs, air bags, or hydraulic downforce, carry the parts to get back to spec in the field.

Carry per planter:

• (1) Down pressure spring
• (1) Air bag repair kit (if air downforce)
• (1) Hydraulic hose (common size)

7. Seed Meter Wear Parts

Meter wear shows up as population errors long before a full failure — and population errors cost yield without ever triggering a fault code. Don't wait for the meter to fail completely.

Carry per planter:

• (1) Meter brush or knock-off
• (1) Vacuum seal/gasket
• (1) Meter belt or finger set

8. Electrical & Sensor Parts

Vibration, residue, and moisture kill connectors mid-season. A failed seed sensor or a corroded pigtail can take a row monitor offline and leave you guessing on population for the rest of the field.

Carry per planter:

• (1) Seed sensor
• (1) Short wiring pigtail
• (2–3) Weather-Pack connectors
• (Assorted) Zip ties

9. Closing System Parts

Broken closing wheel springs or wobbling wheels leave open seed trenches you won't see from the cab. Poor trench closure means poor seed-to-soil contact — and that costs germination.

Carry per 4–6 rows:

• (1) Closing wheel
• (1) Closing wheel arm bolt
• (1) Closing wheel spring

10. Hardware & "Save the Day" Items

No kit is complete without the basics. These are the items that bridge the gap between a field repair and a tow back to the shop.

Always carry:

• Grade 8 bolts, nuts & washers
• Cotter pins & roll pins
• Duct tape & electrical tape
• Graphite lubricant
• Penetrating oil
• Grease cartridges

Build Your Spare Parts Kit Before the Season Starts

The farmers who lose the least time during planting season aren't lucky — they're prepared. A well-stocked spare parts kit costs a fraction of what a single day of downtime costs in lost planting acres, hired labor, and yield drag from late emergence.

Quality Farm Supply stocks all of the parts on this list, with fast shipping and deep inventory across major planter brands including John Deere, Case IH, Kinze, Great Plains, and more.

Build Your Spare Parts Kit Now — Shop Planter Parts at Quality Farm Supply →

Don't wait for the field to tell you what you're missing.