Great Plains 3000 Operator Manual - Manual (Page 11)

9
Section 2 Operating Instructions
9/9/10 2700 and 3000 Three-Point Drill 118-365M-A
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 the drill as indicated under Lubrication,
“Maintenance and Lubrication,” page 22.
3. Check all tires for proper inflation as indicated on Tire
Inflation Chart, “Appendix,” page 29.
4. Check all bolts, pins and fasteners. Torque as speci-
fied on Torque Values Chart, “Appendix,” page 29.
5. Check the drill for worn or damaged parts. Repair or
replace them before going to the field.
6. Check hydraulic hoses, fittings and cylinders for leaks.
Repair or replace them before going to the field.
7. Check disk scrapers for proper adjustment. Refer to
Disk Scraper Adjustment, “Adjustments,” page 19.
8. Rotate both gauge wheels to see that seed cups and
drive are working properly and free from foreign mate-
rial.
Field Operation
!
CAUTION!
Do not allow anyone to ride on the drill.
1. Hitch the drill to a suitable tractor before filling the drill.
Refer to Tractor Requirements and Hitching Tractor to
Drill, “Preparation and Setup,” page 8. Adjust the top
link so it remains loose in normal drilling conditions.
2. Set and calibrate the seeding rate as explained under
Seeding Rate, “Adjustments,” page 12.
3. Load box with clean seed.
4. Record the acremeter readout. Subtract the initial
reading from later readings to determine acres drilled.
5. Check that the seed-cup-door handles are set the
same across the drill. Refer to Seeding Rate, “Adjust-
ments,” page 12.
NOTE: If you notice excessive cracking on large seeds,
adjust all seed-cup doors to a wider setting. Use the wid-
est setting for seed-cup clean out only.
6. Lift the drill out of the ground when turning at end of
the field and for other short turns. Do not back up with
openers in ground. If you do, check all openers for
clogging.
Shaft Monitor Operation
To operate the optional shaft monitor, turn system on by
activating on-off switch on monitor head. If the seed-cup
shaft stops for 20 seconds or more, an alarm will sound
and the light on the monitor will flash.
The 20-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.
Transporting
!
WARNING!
Never tow the drill faster than 20 mph.
You can transport the drill with a full box of grain, but it is
not recommended. The increased weight will make steer-
ing more difficult and increase the risk of road accidents.
To maintain steering control, you may need to add ballast
to your tractor front end. Refer to your tractor operator’s
manual for the amount of ballast required.
Before transporting the drill, check the following.
1. Check that all 3-point hitch links are securely pinned
to the tractor.
2. Comply with all federal, state and local laws when
traveling on public roads.
3. Remember that the drill is wider than the tractor. Al-
ways allow for drill clearance.
Transporting with Markers
Always transport the drill with the markers folded. Check
that the second marker section rests securely on the
transport carrier. If it does not, refer to Marker Adjust-
ments, “Adjustments,” page 19 for transport carrier ad-
justments.