I understand your frustration. However coulters in hard ground take even MORE downpressure!

I would forget the 15", raise the splitter units and use them as additional frame weight. Use just a set of double Trashwheels unit mounted, NOT floating! And slow down to maybe 3 mph.

A planter row unit is like a water skier - it wants to come up on plane at speed. 3 mph, 30" and double, preferably intersecting Trashwheels will get the beans in the ground.

If you can, maybe even throw a bit of dry soil out of the way with the row cleaners to see if you can get the beans into moisture. Yes they may be in a depression but that mostly goes away by harvest in most soils. This is not the time for theories, it is time to get the beans in the ground and shallow but into moisture - if there is no rain in the forcast, move some dry soil out of the way and get them up and growing. The Case planters "should" be able to do it like this.

As far as opener bearings, there is no answer here. No OEM is willing to put the dollars into a planter (and most customers are not willing to pay) to make one designed for these conditions. Just keep a supply on hand. Slowing down and 30" will help reduce the costs. jmho.

Good Luck.

Jim at Dawn