GP/LP 3P600 or 3P606NT user thread

[Brian662]

Some of those cheap GPS units have drawn my attention and would work good for a tractor hood mount. I've read a few testimonials from folks who have used them and they have good reviews. More $$ than a foamer but I think maybe more versatile too?

onTrak Tractor GPS System by Agricision - Simple GPS For Farms

onTrak is a revolutionary portable GPS that can be used on any farm machine to improve efficiency. onTrak is a simple Tractor GPS system

agricision.com

This is the one I've seen good reviews from people I trust. Will run about $1,000.

 

[WKyGasDoc]

Seems I always end up with my handles all the way forward and then tweak with my hydraulic top link. I really need to adjust my drive wheel one hole lower but have not taken the time to do so. Largely this is due to the trouble I have when reinstalling that bogus drive chain tightened affair they have. I hate that sucker.

T handles toward tractor= shallower Correct? I have not seen that the t handles help much when ground is super hard. Prob more helpful in soft ground.

I also dropped the metering wheel first (think hole #7 from #6), which raised the planting disc (second one) But that just made the meter wheel unable to make contact with ground. So I changed it again. I put it in the upper hole from factory (6) I believe its #5, and that lowered the coulters and planting wheel, and allowed me to tilt front down and put more pressure on the discs to get thru the hard ground. I believe it was backward from what the manual states. Which is my normal, lol

 

[Uk0724]

Question. I typically plant at 5 MPH. I’ve got an area where I will have to slow down to 3 ish MPH due to its size and shape.

Do I need to but the transmission setting up to 4 to accommodate the slower speed? I’ve been on 3 and have had poor stands at 1 and 2.

 

[swat1018]

If the rate you are trying to accomplish calls for the transmission to be in position 3, then leave it. The drill will put down the correct #/ac regardless of ground speed. As you slow down, so will the drive wheel on the drill, making the only adjustment needed, automatically.

You saw you have had poor stands in 1 & 2. If it's good in 3 and nothing else changed, I suspect you did. Do you understand how to set the drill from the rate charts?

 

[Uk0724]

Yes. I’ve never had a problem with rates. Always end up empty when I’m supposed to. Setting 1 and 2 just never produced a consistent stand ( I plant mostly wheat and millet). Had a farmer tell me a drill was “controlled spillage”. Bumped my rates up some and moved the transmission to #3 and worked perfectly. I just thought it had something to do with the ground speed of the drill.

This is a pretty important section I’m converting to clover with cereal rye as a nurse crop so I want to make sure and do it right.

 

[Foggy47]

As swat says, the rate is going to be correct at nearly any ground speed if you have the right calibrations established. It's all automatic with the drive wheel. I think 5 MPH is pretty fast with a drill....unless you have perfectly smooth fields. OTOH....your depth may vary with changes in speed and the seed depth could certainly cause some variables in germination. Going too fast might be your problem? Farmers are pretty fussy about planting techniques.....gotta be a reason.

I use a top speed of 3.5 MPH and if I got rough ground or rocks and stumps in the area....I got pretty slow through those spots.....as it's hard on the machine...IMO. Tho...I do have a few areas I could got a tad faster. Also I just do not like bouncing around on rough ground.

 

[swat1018]

Do any of you use a JD 5055e to run a 3P606NT? Looking at picking one up to have a cab tractor, just wondering how it handles the drill?

 

[TreeDaddy]

Do any of you use a JD 5055e to run a 3P606NT? Looking at picking one up to have a cab tractor, just wondering how it handles the drill?

I do

No issues

i mostly use with my cabbed kubota 6040

the john deere 5055e is a beast in comparison

bill

 

[swat1018]

I do

No issues

i mostly use with my cabbed kubota 6040

the john deere 5055e is a beast in comparison

bill

Thank you, I just missed a deal on one. It's not really a need, more of a want. North MO is always 100 degrees and dusty as hell whenever I go to work.

 

[ufg8rmike]

Had my sights set on the pull type model, however I’m limited to the 3 point due to storage limitations and overall width. I will be keeping the tractor and drill in a 40ft high cube shipping container. It appears the center drive wheel is a pain in the rear for more than a few reasons. Riding on this wheel can make the unit tilt to either side in uneven terrain lifting one side, and if the wheel ain’t spinning it ain’t planting. Seems the most logical solution would be for Great Plains to design a shock that would allow the to follow the terrain a bit better and maintain contact with the ground?

 

[Foggy47]

Had my sights set on the pull type model, however I’m limited to the 3 point due to storage limitations and overall width. I will be keeping the tractor and drill in a 40ft high cube shipping container. It appears the center drive wheel is a pain in the rear for more than a few reasons. Riding on this wheel can make the unit tilt to either side in uneven terrain lifting to other side, and if the wheel ain’t spinning it ain’t planting. Seems to most logical solution would be to design it to ride on a shock that would allow it to follow the terrain a bit better and maintain contact with the ground?

This is a good assessment Mike. It does take a little effort to get set up correctly, but once you do these drills work quite well. I have found that the key to setting up my drill is to have a hydraulic top link. I allows the correct contact of that drive wheel and drill set up....and you can tweak it on the fly. But once I find that sweet spot.....my job is all about driving.

I have reported on the drill teeter-tottering on the drive wheel. And I first thought it was a bigger concern than it is in use. The reason is that the row units are all independent of each other and the depth of each row unit is controlled by the press wheels to a large extent. Still on ground with a side slope I find the low side of the drill planting deeper than the high side. I cannot say I have had any noticeable difference in the outcome however.....and get similar germination and growth rates across the drill.

IMO all drills are difficult to understand and quirky to set up. Perfection is difficult to attain.....but "pretty damn good" comes more easily.

 

[swat1018]

None of it is a big issue. Level the drill as explained, if the drive wheel skips, adjust it down a hole.

 

[TreeDaddy]

None of it is a big issue. Level the drill as explained, if the drive wheel skips, adjust it down a hole.

agree

Its easy to overthink the process..I know I did

bill