Quote:

Have noticed that the gauge wheels are touching the ground but can be lifted up and spun easily. 

 

The fact that gage wheels are touching the ground means nothing. They can hang down but not be on the depth stops. 

The fact they can be spun easily means a lot.

 The 7100 is a very light 3-point mounted unit. Even though you have heavy duty down pressure springs, the springs are only a weight transfer system. At some point you will lift the toolbar rather than transfer weight to the row unit.

Another factor is that planters in wheat stubble especially behave very differently than planters in tilled ground or other residue. They also behave differently when stopped for inspection than they do when crossing hard wheat stubble at 5 mph.

Sort of the same way a water skier behaves differently at speed rather than when you stop to look at him!  A planter in wheat will come "on plane" dynamically similar to a boat in water.

The 7100 also did not come standard with equallizer beams in the gage wheels. You don't mention adding them. You also dont mention row cleaners to create a more uniform surface for the gage wheels, esp with no equalizers.

You mention the wings worked "better" than the center and have 20 lb more filler....

My advice:

1) add a LOT more weight to each row unit somehow. 60 lb may seem like a lot but if you look at the JD HD springs for example on the newer planters, the 4th notch is 400 lb!  Guys with airbags are running close to 100 psi in some of those wheat conditions.

2) slow down to reduce the planing effect, start at 1 mph and increase until you see the depth consistency go away

In that condition, when you stop you should not be able to easily turn one gage wheel at all. With no equalizer, one wheel must be more than firmly on the ground, especaily when stopped.  Again one side may be liftable but at least one should be FIRMLY on the ground. Note this is a little different than I recommended earlier in other threads because of the 7100/no equalizer and the unique needs of hard wheat stubble.

Sounds like you took care of the bushings and openers. ***uming your depth is set correctly on the planter selector, adding WEIGHT (lots) to each row unit and slowing speed is about all it can be.

Good luck.

Jim at Dawn