Great Plains 2000 Operator Manual - Manual (Page 15)

12
Section 2 Operating Instructions
12, 15 and 20 Foot Series Three-Point Drills 118-389M-A 2012-03-27
Great Plains Mfg., Inc.
Section 2
Operating Instructions
The following section will give you general operating pro-
cedures. Experience, machine familiarity and the following
information will lead to efficient operation and good work-
ing habits. Always operate farm machinery with safety in
mind.
Prestart Checklist
1. Carefully read “Important Safety Information,” page
1.
2. Lubricate drill as indicated under Lubrication, “Main-
tenance and Lubrication,” page 29.
3. Check all tires for proper inflation as indicated on Tire
Inflation Chart, “Appendix,” page 39.
4. Check all bolts, pins and fasteners. Torque as speci-
fied on Torque Values Chart, “Appendix,” page 39.
5. Check drill for worn or damaged parts. Repair or re-
place parts before going to the field.
6. Check hydraulic hoses, fittings and cylinders for leaks.
Repair or replace before going to the field.
7. Check disk scrapers for proper adjustment. Refer to
Disk Scraper Adjustment, “Adjustments,” page 25.
8. Rotate drive wheels to see that seed cups and drive
are working properly and free from foreign material.
Field Operation
1. Hitch drill to a suitable tractor. Refer to Tractor Re-
quirements and Hitching Tractor to Drill, “Preparation
and Setup,” page 9. Adjust top three-point link so top
edge of drill box is parallel to the ground when drilling.
2. Set and calibrate seeding rate as explained under
Seeding Rate, “Adjustments,” page 15.
3. Check that seed-cup-door handles are set the same
across the drill. Refer to Seeding Rate, “Adjust-
ments,” page 15.
NOTE: If you notice excessive cracking on large seeds,
adjust all seed-cup doors to a wider setting. Use the wid-
est setting only for seed-cup clean out.
4. Load box with clean seed.
5. Record acremeter readout. Subtract initial reading
from later readings to determine area drilled.
6. Pull forward, lower drill and begin seeding.
7. Always lift drill out of the ground when turning at row
ends and for other short-radius turns. Seeding will
stop automatically as drill is raised in the field.
Opener Operation
Never back up with openers in ground. If you do, check all
openers to be sure none are clogged or damaged.
For information on opener adjustments, refer to Opener
Down Pressure and Opener Adjustments, “Adjustments”
starting on page 14. For more information on trouble-
shooting opener problems, see “Troubleshooting,” page
26.
Marker Operation
Optional marker attachments are available from your
Great Plains dealer. Before operating the markers, make
sure the hydraulics have been bled properly as described
under Marker Adjustments, “Adjustments,” page 24.
Some markers packages include a sequence valve to
ease marker operation. Starting with both markers folded,
the sequence is:
1. Activate lever. Right unfolds; left stays folded.
2. Reverse lever. Right folds up; left stays folded.
3. Activate lever. Left unfolds; right stays folded.
4. Reverse lever. Left folds up; right stays folded.
5. Sequence repeats.
Markers are equipped with valve to set folding speed. Re-
fer to Marker Adjustments, “Adjustments,” page 23, and
adjust folding speed to a safe rate. Folding markers at high
speed can damage markers.
Optional Pull Package Operation
When in field position, raise transport wheels off the
ground to ensure proper drill operation.
Shaft Monitor Operation
To operate the optional shaft monitor, turn system on by
activating on-off switch on monitor. If the seed-cup shaft
stops for 30 seconds or more, an alarm will sound and the
light on the monitor will flash.
The 30-second delay is to prevent nuisance alarms when
turning at the end of the field. If a failure does occur and
the alarm sounds, remember you have traveled for 30
seconds without planting.