How to Choose a Rice Transplanter? This Article Is All Farmers Need to Read

The spring plowing season has arrived. Are farmers still worrying about purchasing agricultural machinery? There are many types of transplanters on the market, and choosing the right one has become a headache. We need to consider that rice transplanters are affected during use by factors such as seedling fields, seedlings and rice varieties, and different production conditions place different demands on transplanters. When selecting a transplanter, users must strictly comply with the conditions of use first, and only then consider the principle of cost-effectiveness, so as to truly achieve “usable and good to use.” Below is an introduction to the <strong><span style="color:#0000FF">rice transplanter selection guide</span></strong>, mainly looking at five aspects:</p> <p style="text-indent:2em;"><strong>1. Seedling conditions</strong></p> <p style="text-indent:2em;">The “mat-type seedlings” used by transplanters have high requirements for bed soil thickness, seedling height, seedling root entanglement and sowing uniformity. The standard bed soil thickness is 2.0—2.5 cm and the seedling height is 15—25 cm. Uniformly sown, high-quality machine-transplanted seedlings can be lifted with one hand without scattering seedlings or dropping soil when the seedlings are pulled.</p> <p style="text-indent:2em;">Selection: High-speed riding transplanters operate quickly and have higher requirements for seedlings. If there are phenomena such as uneven bed soil thickness, poor seedling root entanglement, or uneven sowing in the seedling tray, seedling door blockage and seedling damage are very likely to occur during transplanting. At the same time, because the seedling table is located at the rear, when the operator notices a lack of seedlings, a stretch of missing seedlings has often already been created, easily leading to problems such as excessive manual replanting.</p> <p style="text-indent:2em;">Walking-type hand-guided and three-wheel sled riding transplanters operate more slowly, making it easy to observe the seedling feeding status of the planting table. Even when seedlings are in poor condition, problems can be discovered and adjusted in time, thereby maintaining continuous transplanting.</p> <p style="text-indent:2em;">Recommendation: In areas where transplanters are promoted, especially in areas carrying out standardized seedling raising for the first time, it is recommended to start with walking-type hand-guided or sled riding transplanters, so that the impact of non-standard seedlings and fields on machine transplanting can be artificially reduced.</p> <p style="text-indent:2em;"><strong>2. Field conditions</strong></p> <p style="text-indent:2em;">1. The distance over which the field can be transplanted without re-loading seedlings</p> <p style="text-indent:2em;">In machine transplanting operations, the number of seedlings carried on board is affected by the machine load and loading space, and the transplanting distance is basically about 100 m. At this point, the machine must stop at the field edge to prepare seedlings. Ensuring a certain straight-line transplanting distance is the key to improving operation efficiency. The ideal distance is about 200 m. If the field ridge distance is too long and seedlings cannot be reloaded in the middle, the transplanter will inevitably carry too many seedlings, the machine will be overloaded, the body will sink seriously, and it may even be unable to work.</p> <p style="text-indent:2em;">Recommendation: If the field is too large, the transplanter may be overloaded with seedlings, and the seedling-loading distance of the field needs to be adjusted. At the same time, a high-power model should be selected.</p> <p style="text-indent:2em;">2. Deep plowing conditions of the field</p> <p style="text-indent:2em;">Riding transplanters have high requirements for the mud-foot depth of the seedling field. Generally, suitable operating conditions require a mud-foot depth within 20 cm; once it exceeds 30 cm, the transplanter under load may sink to 40 cm, directly making operation impossible, and other power machinery will be needed to pull it out of the sunken area. Although transplanters are all four-wheel drive, once the mud-foot depth exceeds the radius of the front wheels, the machine will find it difficult to climb and normal operation cannot be guaranteed.</p> <p style="text-indent:2em;">Recommendation: High-speed transplanters are limited by mud-foot depth. When plowing the land for the first time, this requirement should be taken into account. Once the mud-foot depth exceeds the standard, only walking-type transplanters or floating-boat type (sled type) transplanters can be used.</p> <p style="text-indent:2em;">3. Soil viscosity</p> <p style="text-indent:2em;">The power consumption of the transplanter is affected to a certain extent by the soil. Sandy soil settles well, and the walking load of the transplanter is relatively low; clay sticks to the machine chassis, making the walking load greater, and in serious cases it directly affects efficiency and induces machine faults.</p> <p style="text-indent:2em;">Recommendation: For seedling fields with high soil viscosity, when using riding transplanters, it is necessary to consider using a higher-power engine.</p> <p style="text-indent:2em;">4. Reasonable configuration of the planting table balance device</p> <p style="text-indent:2em;">Transplanting quality is reflected to a certain extent in transplanting depth, and stable shallow planting is the guarantee of transplanting quality. When the transplanter is traveling and working, affected by field leveling and mud-foot depth, the left-right fluctuation and shaking of the planting table easily causes uneven left-right transplanting depth, affecting operation quality. Among the types of planting table balance devices on transplanters, there are three methods: mechanical balance, electric balance and electro-hydraulic balance, and their prices and effects differ to a certain extent.</p> <p style="text-indent:2em;">Mechanical balance: Through the action of balance springs on the left and right of the planting table and the floating boat at the bottom, the shaking of the seedling table during operation tends to become stable. This is a passive balance device and is also the conventional standard configuration of high-speed transplanters.</p> <p style="text-indent:2em;">Electric balance: On the basis of mechanical balance, a drive motor is controlled through signals, and the motor pulls the balance spring to act, so that the seedling table quickly adjusts its balance during periods of relatively large shaking. This is an active balance device for high-speed transplanters.</p> <p style="text-indent:2em;">Electro-hydraulic balance: A computer chip memorizes the balance position, and during operation, according to the tilt angle of the seedling table, an electronic signal is formulated and sent to a hydraulic solenoid valve to control the action of a drive hydraulic cylinder, locking the balance position of the seedling table. This is the most sensitive balance control method for high-speed transplanters.</p> <p style="text-indent:2em;">Recommendation: Among the three balance devices, choose the configuration reasonably according to the land where the machine will be used and the conditions of the mud base and mud surface after puddling.</p> <p style="text-indent:2em;"><strong>3. Basic seedling requirements</strong></p> <p style="text-indent:2em;">Transplanters differ greatly in the link of seedling pickup quantity. At present, most high-speed riding transplanters on the market have a row spacing of 30 cm and a hill spacing of 12—28 cm, with basic seedlings of 120,000—315,000 hills/hectare. According to specific dense-planting needs, some manufacturers have also developed transplanters with a row spacing of 25 cm and a hill spacing of 10—22 cm, with basic seedlings of 180,000—378,000 hills/hectare. This is also the main model promoted in the double-cropping rice areas of Hunan Province.</p> <p style="text-indent:2em;">Recommendation: Each region has its own requirements for the basic seedlings of machine transplanting according to agronomic characteristics. Choose transplanter parameters within the range that suits your needs. Especially regarding basic seedling requirements, when purchasing a transplanter, you must understand the model's manual in detail.</p> <p style="text-indent:2em;"><strong>4. Investment return calculation</strong></p> <p style="text-indent:2em;">Under the above conditions of use, the cost-effectiveness of the transplanter should be considered. Cost-effectiveness is reflected in product effectiveness, purchase price and use cost, from which the investment payback period is calculated.</p> <p style="text-indent:2em;">(1) Product effectiveness refers to function and efficiency. The basic configuration that ensures the quality of machine transplanting operations is the prerequisite for purchase, and operation efficiency is the key to generating income.</p> <p style="text-indent:2em;">(2) Whole-machine price, accessory prices and durability of parts. The whole-machine price is already clearly stated at the time of purchase, but comparing the costs of key components is crucial. Therefore, it is necessary to check the list of accessories supplied with the machine and the instruction manual, and compare items such as the prices of consumable parts and the reference replacement times of wear parts.</p> <p style="text-indent:2em;">Recommendation: The whole-machine price is basically clear. For accessory prices and accessory replacement cycles, you can refer to the “Product Instruction Manual” and the list of accessories supplied with the machine to learn about the models you intend to purchase.</p> <p style="text-indent:2em;"><strong>5. Service guarantee</strong></p> <p style="text-indent:2em;">When selecting a model, users need to investigate the seller's service capabilities, including service personnel, accessory inventory, tools and vehicles. At the same time, confirm the service commitments given by the manufacturer, such as delivery methods, user training, busy-season service and post-season maintenance.</p> <p style="text-indent:2em;">Recommendation: Buyers should choose machines from well-known brands as much as possible, so that after-sales service is more guaranteed. Brand products have strict requirements for pre-sale, in-sale and after-sales service to users, and service commitments should be confirmed in detail when purchasing. In concrete terms, service guarantees include the number of technical personnel and qualification certification, the quantity and variety of accessory inventory, the number of busy-season service vehicles, and repair service telephone numbers. Service guarantee matters should be agreed in advance before purchase.</p> <p style="text-indent:2em;">In summary, with the increase in national agricultural machinery purchase subsidies and the improvement of farmers' purchasing power, “machine transplanting,” the key link in rice production mechanization, has gradually been accepted by farmers. Selecting rice production machinery with complete functions, strong adaptability and high cost-effectiveness has become a project of common concern to agricultural machinery management departments and farmers. The various specifications of transplanters are designed and produced according to the requirements of specific conditions of use, and are the result of the combination of agronomy and agricultural machinery. Affected by place of origin, quality and functional configuration, product prices vary greatly. Now, everyone knows how to choose a rice transplanter, right.</p>