How big of a planter?

If you can lift it without, Id ditch the lift assist, its much nicer. 

Plenty of 12-16 row planters without lift assist, some 24-30" without them, but I hear they are hard on the bolts that mount the 3pt arms to the tractor, the JD tractors are real bad about it I guess, the solution is to change the bolts every year or put lift assist on, sounds like the guys that have them are changing bolts.