GP/LP 3P600 or 3P606NT user thread

[Foggy47]

^ I have run radish in both the large and small seed box.....with similar results out of both.

 

[Foggy47]

Yeah, ive seen the rods that run inside the tension springs get bent to shit on great plains drills that have been on my jobsites. I could see that being the delicate part. Id think if not going too fast or turning hard they'd hold up well unless that bar is hitting your gears like @Foggy47's, more weight isn't going to help that situation!



You read my mind. The bar for hanging weights on my esch was too thick for the suitcase weights I have and I had a heck of a time looking for some to fit it. Would want to have weights before to make sure the hangers fit them well. I also wonder if a guy couldn't just make a simple T sticking out to only weld in one spot per hanger? The "stem" of the T would just need to be long enough to fit the width of a weight.

I have a number of good cast Iron JD weights. I think they weigh 60 or 70 lbs each. (see the pics above). I may have a dozen of those dudes.....and would sell a few if someone locally needs em. Not a give-away price....but would be reasonable. Cast iron weights are not "cheap".

At one time I used these weights to anchor my box blade when leveling some ground....but do not use them anymore. I want to keep a few (4 - for my drill).

FWIW....I often see barbell weights for sale on places like CL or Marketplace. These can be useful for our purposes....and would be relatively easy to mount on machines.

 

[Brian662]

Ok, update.

Those weights I had tipped the scale at 66# a piece which means 4 per side plus a little bracket steel comes in right at 265#, I'm willing to ride with that.

Now, the bad news and looking for input...

I mixed up a batch of -
50# rye
100# oats
50# AWP
50# winter wheat
50# buckwheat
8# radish
8# hairy vetch

Plan is to seed heavy and put that down at around 150#/acre on gear box #3 with the dial at 80, it was coming just short of that but there was a bigger problem. About every 10 cranks on the calibration wheel, the seed would stop flowing and I would have to flip the little flap between the disc openers and it would come rushing out. Seed is NOT getting stuck anywhere in the seed tubes except right at the bottom. Did I miss something in my drill setup that would stop this problem from happening or is it a seed rate problem with too much seed flowing into the opening at one time? I would hate to deal with this problem intermittently while planting, so I'm going to have to come up with something to fix it. Any help appreciated!!

 

[Brian662]

Good news is they all but cancelled tonight's rain chances from the forecast so I don't think I missed an opportunity. Bad news is the next 10 days looks bleak for precipitation if I do get this problem figured out.

 

[Wind Gypsy]

Ok, update.

Those weights I had tipped the scale at 66# a piece which means 4 per side plus a little bracket steel comes in right at 265#, I'm willing to ride with that.

Now, the bad news and looking for input...

I mixed up a batch of -
50# rye
100# oats
50# AWP
50# winter wheat
50# buckwheat
8# radish
8# hairy vetch

Plan is to seed heavy and put that down at around 150#/acre on gear box #3 with the dial at 80, it was coming just short of that but there was a bigger problem. About every 10 cranks on the calibration wheel, the seed would stop flowing and I would have to flip the little flap between the disc openers and it would come rushing out. Seed is NOT getting stuck anywhere in the seed tubes except right at the bottom. Did I miss something in my drill setup that would stop this problem from happening or is it a seed rate problem with too much seed flowing into the opening at one time? I would hate to deal with this problem intermittently while planting, so I'm going to have to come up with something to fix it. Any help appreciated!!

I’ve not seen anything like that but that is a lot of seed too!

I have a number of good cast Iron JD weights. I think they weigh 60 or 70 lbs each. (see the pics above). I may have a dozen of those dudes.....and would sell a few if someone locally needs em. Not a give-away price....but would be reasonable. Cast iron weights are not "cheap".

At one time I used these weights to anchor my box blade when leveling some ground....but do not use them anymore. I want to keep a few (4 - for my drill).

FWIW....I often see barbell weights for sale on places like CL or Marketplace. These can be useful for our purposes....and would be relatively easy to mount on machines.

I seem to recall $1/lb being a ballpark # on a lot of suitcase weights when I was looking last year.

 

[Foggy47]

^^ Are you doing all that seed out of the large box? Can you split some to the small box? I suppose I have done nearly that much seed.....but have never had anything plug up. Are all the rows plugging?... or just one??

Some have said spider webs in the tubes to be an issue. Never been an issue to me. I got some long tube brushes for this purpose.....but never have used them.

 

[Wind Gypsy]

^^ Are you doing all that seed out of the large box? Can you split some to the small box? I suppose I have done nearly that much seed.....but have never had anything plug up. Are all the rows plugging?... or just one??

Some have said spider webs in the tubes to be an issue. Never been an issue to me. I got some long tube brushes for this purpose.....but never have used them.

I’ve had to use the brushes in mine to prevent jams if it’s been sitting a while.

 

[Brian662]

I’ve had to use the brushes in mine to prevent jams if it’s been sitting a while.

Where were the tubes clogging? In mine it is right at the bottom flapper between the double disc openers...every row.

I'm going to call GP again tomorrow to see if they've heard of this before. Hard to believe the tubes are plugged when all I have to do to release the plugging is pull back on that little rubber flapper.

 

[Foggy47]

Where were the tubes clogging? In mine it is right at the bottom flapper between the double disc openers...every row.

I'm going to call GP again tomorrow to see if they've heard of this before. Hard to believe the tubes are plugged when all I have to do to release the plugging is pull back on that little rubber flapper.

Who do you talk to at GP on issues like this?

 

[Brian662]

Who do you talk to at GP on issues like this?

1-800 customer service, I don't know. I call and ask for a service tech for the min till drills and today I talked to Doug :)

 

[Wind Gypsy]

Where were the tubes clogging? In mine it is right at the bottom flapper between the double disc openers...every row.

Seemed like at the transition between the rubber tube and metal drop in the row unit. I think it was just spider web stuff there because I did not have continued issues ones I ran a tube brush through them.

 

[Brian662]

GP said that when planting in the field, the vibration/movement of those discs and the rubber flap being pulled back from soil contact should alleviate my problem. They also said that they calibrate with the seed tubes off for those reasons.

He did say I could remove or modify those rubber flaps but I'd have to take off one side of the double discs to remove that rubber piece. He said that piece is there to guide the seed into the trench and reduce seed bounce. He assured me the same seed delivery system is used on thousands of their grain drills and I won't have that problem when planting.

 

[Wind Gypsy]

Those rubber flaps are a great feature to combat seed bouncing out of the furrow IMO.

 

[Foggy47]

Those rubber flaps are a great feature to combat seed bouncing out of the furrow IMO.

Yeah....kind of. But ahead of the rubber flap is a plastic "finger" that provides more function in this regard. I had a few rubber flaps missing when I got my drill.....and I bought replacements from Great Plains. The replacements are made to thick to fit into the slot designed for them. Expensive little dudes and they won't work. I cut some of my own out of a sheet of rubber roofing material I have.....but have not gotten around to replacing them.

 

[Foggy47]

I had a local steel supply warehouse fabricate some Z brackets to hold some suitcase weights on ny drill. They did a nice job and four brackets cost me $45. Not bad. I primed and painted them yesterday and drilled holes and mounted the brackets today. I already owned some cast iron weights so this was an inexpensive way to add some weight. My weights are 43 lbs each......so I figure with my brackets, weights, walkboard / step, foam marker set up......I am adding about 200 + lbs to the drill. I like the mounting locations as they do not interfere with anything and could come off or on in a hurry. I could add another weight on each side......but I think it's overkill for me.

I never seem to leave "well enough" alone........and I don't think I badly NEED the weight on my sandy soils......but with more thatch to plant thru all the time.....it sure will not hurt to have this weight. Pic's tell the tale. John Deere Green is pretty close match to Great Plains.....FWIW.

 

[omicron1792]

Where were the tubes clogging? In mine it is right at the bottom flapper between the double disc openers...every row.

I'm going to call GP again tomorrow to see if they've heard of this before. Hard to believe the tubes are plugged when all I have to do to release the plugging is pull back on that little rubber flapper.

That’s usually because spiders have made little webs In there Brian. Take a wire brush and clean them out.

 

[Foggy47]

I've put 136 lbs / acre down......and I've never had plugged tube. knock on wood. I did see a spray at Fleet farm or Menards....that was made to prevent spiders.

 

[Brian662]

That’s usually because spiders have made little webs In there Brian. Take a wire brush and clean them out.

So @Wind Gypsy sent me a link to a brush and i got one. I took the seed drop tubes off to calibrate today as GP recommends, calibration on gear 4 and setting 52 got me 150#/acre.
Before reconnecting the tubes, I used the brush on those three calibration tubes that were plugging. I ran about 12-15 cranks and two of the three tubes had already plugged up. I'm going to drill tomorrow evening with rain expected late Friday/early Saturday.

We'll see how the weight of the seed and brackets do to help get ground penetration. I'd guess I have about 800# in extra weight fully loaded more than I had when drilling brassicas. With 9 rows that's about an extra 90# of weight per row, if this doesn't get it done, there may be a drill for sale.

 

[Foggy47]

The tubes from the large seed box are plugging???? Did you find any webs / nests? Yowsir.


Brian, are you increasing the tension on those springs? That is one thing that controls how deep your openers can go.

 

[Brian662]

The tubes from the large seed box are plugging???? Did you find any webs / nests? Yowsir.

No the tubes aren't plugging. It's the seed delivery system between the double discs. Barely touch that rubber flapper and the stored up seed drops to the ground. GP said that the drill moving and vibration will keep that from happening during planting. I will find out tomorrow!