Kifco T40x1320 380,540 - 400,110 Operator Manual - Manual (Page 10)

11
Handling The Polyethylene Tube
The polyethylene irrigation tube is a durable product that will operate reliably for many
years if handled properly and given a reasonable amount of care.
Unlike rubber hose or hose with a woven jacket (lay flat hose), polyethylene is a semi-
ridged product that retains its shape when it is not pressurized. This characteristic makes it
feasible to pump fluid through it while it is rolled up on a reel.
A few simple precautions need to be observed to prevent damaging the tube when
operating your Water-Reel.
When starting a new Water-Reel for the first time, you must pull the tube all the way
out in order to correctly tighten the new tube on the spool.
1. Never transport the Water-Reel with the anti-return pawl disengaged! The tubing
will become loose and tangled. Do not attempt to operate if there are any coils of
tube that are loose or misplaced. If loose coils of tube are noticed after pulling
the tube out, they must be tightened up by rotating the spool with the hand crank.
If this is not possible then pull all of the tube out before attempting to rewind the
tube.
2. Never try to move or relocate the machine if the tube is not fully rewound onto
the machine.
3. Never pull the tube off the machine other than by pulling on the sprinkler cart
(straight out from the machine).
4. Never run over the tube with any kind of vehicle and avoid pinching or pulling the
tube around objects. Never bend the tube sharper than 25 times the diameter of
the tube.
5. Be careful when operating other equipment near the tube. Make sure the tube
doesn’t get gouged or punctured.
6. Avoid using the PTO or engine drive to rewind the tube when it is not
pressurized. When the tube is not pressurized during rewind the tube will flatten
and the rewind mechanism cannot function properly. Keep the tube pressurized
when rewinding!
Remember, polyethylene tube is semi-rigid and subject to being kinked. These
precautions will reduce the possibility of kinking or damaging your tube. Throughout the
irrigation industry the words “tube” and “hose” are used interchangeably in connection with
hard-hose traveling irrigation machines.