Great Plains AS20 Operator Manual - Manual (Page 23)

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21 4/14/05 Great Plains Mfg., Inc.
Section 4 Hitch, Drill, & Planter Adjustments For No-Till Planting Conditions
AS15 and AS20 Planting System 148-153M
out first marking their original position. It is important that
the coulters are always returned to their original lateral
position to provide a tilled path for drill openers to follow.
Coulter penetration is dependent on the soil condition,
the weight available to force the coulters into the soil,
and the coulter spring preload. In hard soil conditions,
additional weight may have to be added to the All Seed
Hitch and the coulter spring preload may have to be
increased.
The following steps should be used to achieve the de-
sired coulter penetration. All adjustments and settings
should made with a half full seed box.
1. The depth of the All Seeds Coulters is controlled by
the Front hydraulic tongue cylinder. In most condi-
tions, the coulters will penetrate to a desirable depth
by running with the coulter hitch main 8" X 8" beam
level with the ground. To achieve the desired coulter
penetration, retract the front tongue cylinder to
transfer tractor weight to coulter tool bar. When the
desired coulter depth is achieved on level ground,
take note of the stroke pointer location on the front
tongue cylinder, Figure 4-9. This amount of cylinder
extension can be used when drilling in level fields.
Tongue Cylinder With Depth Gauge Decal
Figure 4-9
10741
2. In hard soil conditions where coulter penetration is
limited or where maintaining coulter penetration
tends to lift the drill box, suitcase weights can be
added to the weight brackets located on the All
Seeds transport frame. No more than 2000 pounds
should ever be added to the transport frame weight
brackets, (1000 pounds per weight bracket). Adding
weight on the transport frame provides the best
weight distribution for the no-till drilling system. Be
sure to place an equal amount of weight on each
weight bracket. If your All Seeds Hitch is equipped
with the liquid fertilizer option, liquid fertilizer tanks
replace the weight brackets. If the tanks are not be-
ing used for fertilizer, water can be added to the liq-
uid tanks to provide the needed weight for coulter
penetration. Generally each tank should not have to
be more than half full to provide sufficient weight for
coulter penetration. Be sure to add an equal amount
of water to each liquid tank.
3. The coulter spring length is preset at the factory to
10" which gives the coulters an initial operating force
of 400 pounds. This setting is adequate for many dif-
ficult no-till planting conditions. For lighter no-till
conditions where rocks or other obstructions are a
problem, it may be desirable to reduce the initial
coulter preload to give the coulters better impact
protection. Refer to the chart below for adjusting the
initial coulter force setting.
!
CAUTION!
Any attempt to reset the coulter spring length shorter than
9 3/4" may contribute to premature failure of parts and
warranty shall be voided.
NOTE: The cylinder stroke gauge on the front
tongue cylinder is to be used only as a reference to
the amount of front cylinder extension. It does not
designate inches of coulter depth.
Coulter Down Pressure Chart
Spring Length Initial Vertical
Coulter Force
10 1/2" 175 lbs.
10 1/4" 300 lbs.
10" 400 lbs.
9 3/4" 525 lbs.