Foggy47
5 year old buck +
Awaiting your report......
GP/LP 3P600 or 3P606NT user thread
- Thread starter Brian662
- Start date
Brian662
5 year old buck +
So I drilled about an acre this evening. The good news is that all the way through to the end, the seed delivery system worked great and there wasn't a single row plugged. Great Plains was right, the vibration and movement of the double discs and flapper kept the seed flowing.
Other good news, the drill when my 3 pt was lowered all the way down sat pretty level, which means the added weight was beneficial!
The bad news, even though the double discs were cutting a little deeper, I'd guess that 50% of the seed didn't get buried. That's a very high percentage of seed and unacceptable amount, IMO. My ground that I was planting had some rye thatch but is generally pretty poor, rocky soil.
The only two things I can think of to improve drill performance are to drill after a rain (hasn't rained here in 3 weeks, soil is definitely crusted) so that the soil is better conditioned OR raise the drive wheel one slot from 7 to 6 in attempt to force the double discs deeper.
Here are a few pics illustrating conditions and drill level.
1/2" cutting depth?
An area where it was cutting good and most seed was buried
You can see by the stuck soil to the disc that it's getting reasonably deep and there is even some soil moisture(sticking to disc) despite the dry last several weeks.
Drill sitting much more level after added weight, which is a good thing. Tractor handled the drill weight with ease, only concern is additional stress the weight could put on the drill.
Other good news, the drill when my 3 pt was lowered all the way down sat pretty level, which means the added weight was beneficial!
The bad news, even though the double discs were cutting a little deeper, I'd guess that 50% of the seed didn't get buried. That's a very high percentage of seed and unacceptable amount, IMO. My ground that I was planting had some rye thatch but is generally pretty poor, rocky soil.
The only two things I can think of to improve drill performance are to drill after a rain (hasn't rained here in 3 weeks, soil is definitely crusted) so that the soil is better conditioned OR raise the drive wheel one slot from 7 to 6 in attempt to force the double discs deeper.
Here are a few pics illustrating conditions and drill level.
1/2" cutting depth?
An area where it was cutting good and most seed was buried
You can see by the stuck soil to the disc that it's getting reasonably deep and there is even some soil moisture(sticking to disc) despite the dry last several weeks.
Drill sitting much more level after added weight, which is a good thing. Tractor handled the drill weight with ease, only concern is additional stress the weight could put on the drill.
Brian662
5 year old buck +
I think that's an optical illusion because of the thatch and vegetation from afar. I though shortening the springs put down pressure on the closing wheels, not the openers? I'll have to review the literature.
Foggy47
5 year old buck +
Seems to me increasing the spring force will put much more weight on those openers. The closing wheels (and the front drive wheel) keep the drill from going too deep. I dont have my book at home....but I think the manual says you can adjust the springs to get from 130 lbs to 180 lbs (or something like that). In your case......you now have another 800 lbs divided by the number of openers to apply.......and the spring adjustment is the limiting factor. Shorten those springs to apply more force......and / or adjust those closing wheels to allow deeper penetration by your openers.
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Brian662
5 year old buck +
I'll check it out.
Currently have only shortened the springs on the outside four rows to account for wheel compaction from tractor tires (per the manual).
Foggy47
5 year old buck +
From the Manual:
Opener Springs
Opener springs provide the down pressure necessary for opener discs to open a seed trench. The springs allow the openers to float down into depressions and up over obstructions.
Each opener spring can be adjusted for down pressure. This is useful when planting in tractor tire tracks.
If coulter depth is altered for a row, the spring pre-compression needs to be changed to compensate for the change in row unit operating height.
To adjust the pressure, remove “W” clip at bottom of spring. Place “W” clip in a higher hole in spring rod for more pressure or in a lower hole for less pressure
.
and...
Opener Springs
Opener springs provide the down pressure necessary for opener discs to open a seed trench. The springs allow the openers to float down into depressions and up over obstructions.
Each opener spring can be adjusted for down pressure. This is useful when planting in tractor tire tracks.
If coulter depth is altered for a row, the spring pre-compression needs to be changed to compensate for the change in row unit operating height.
To adjust the pressure, remove “W” clip at bottom of spring. Place “W” clip in a higher hole in spring rod for more pressure or in a lower hole for less pressure
.
and...
HEAVY-DUTY COIL SPRINGS
Offer a range of 90 to 180 lbs. of consistent down pressure on openers. Attachments
Brian662
5 year old buck +
I've read that before and wonder what they mean by "coulter" when there are no coulters.
Foggy47
5 year old buck +
Look at it this way.......If you did not have any springs......(almost) the entire drill weight would be carried by that front drive wheel and your press wheels. Only the weight of the opener units would supply force to the openers. Three things to do: (after adding enough ballast)
1. Increase spring force to get more opener penetration.
2. Raise the press wheels to allow the openers to go deeper (before the press wheels limit the opener depth).
3. Raise the drive wheel to allow the openers to penetrate deeper.
1. Increase spring force to get more opener penetration.
2. Raise the press wheels to allow the openers to go deeper (before the press wheels limit the opener depth).
3. Raise the drive wheel to allow the openers to penetrate deeper.
Foggy47
5 year old buck +
IMO....They are interchanging the word "Coulters" with the double disk openers.....which are essentially a pair of smooth Coulters too.
Also, they may have just used boiler plate language for their minimum till and no till manuals. I've seen that multiple times. Their manuals are not well written IMO.
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Foggy47
5 year old buck +
Varying the height of the press wheel changes the seeding depth of the opener. Moving the “T” handle to the front of the opener shallows the depth; moving the “T” handle towards the rear of the opener increases the depth.
Great Plains Manufacturing
https://cdn-assets.greatplainsmfg.com › ag_files
PDF
field adjustment guide - Great Plains Manufacturing
Great Plains Manufacturing
https://cdn-assets.greatplainsmfg.com › ag_files
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Wind Gypsy
5 year old buck +
I don’t think stiffer spring settings will get the openers deeper. They help allocate more downforce to certain rows if just a couple have stiffer settings but if you set them all that way I think it will result in the higher ground getting deeper and lower ground rows planted shallower the way I understand it.
Brian662
5 year old buck +
That's the way that I interpret the manual as well.
Foggy47
5 year old buck +
"HEAVY-DUTY COIL SPRINGS
Offer a range of 90 to 180 lbs. of consistent down pressure on openers."You can't save 'em all.
<--- moves to neutral corner.
Wind Gypsy
5 year old buck +
90-180# is spring pre-load. Actual down pressure is determined by weight of the drill and how much weight is on drive wheel.
Foggy47
5 year old buck +
It seems to me that 180 lbs of consistent down pressure would be better than 90 lbs.......NO?"HEAVY-DUTY COIL SPRINGS
Offer a range of 90 to 180 lbs. of consistent down pressure on openers."
You can't save 'em all.
Any update on further efforts?
Wind Gypsy
5 year old buck +
If you have 180# of weight per row, you get 180# of down pressure. The difference with higher spring preload is when one row unit is running over higher ground it will compress the spring less and thus take more down pressure off other rows.
When I stiffen the suspension on all 4 corners of my ATV, it doesn’t create more “down pressure” on all 4 wheels.
omicron1792
5 year old buck +
There you go being all smart. Ha