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As you start and end a pass, smoothly raise and lower the machine with the tractor upper linkage to
minimize damage to the surface of the soil. In an emergency, the gopher getter can be quickly raised but
may disturb a significant amount of soil. To limit damage from erosion, avoid making burrows straight
down the slope of the hill.
This machine works best in moist soil. It is rarely a problem, but if the soil is too wet, it will stick to the
knife and the packer wheels and interfere with the depth setting of the gopher getter. A more common
problem is soil that is too dry. When it is, the machine will be very hard to get into the ground and it will
refill the tunnel (reducing the effectiveness of the bait). Depending on your soil type, you may find the
gopher getter works in a huge range of soil moisture conditions or that it works well in a fairly narrow
range of conditions.
If you have certain types of soil or low soil moisture, the gopher getter may have trouble getting to full
depth (where the packer wheel will turn consistently). First try adjusting the tractor linkage length as
shown in Figure 10. Typically, it works best when the torpedo tube is sloping slightly downward into the
soil (a few degrees). Next, reduce the depth of the coulter to reduce the force required to get the machine
into the ground. If this doesn't fix the problem, you may add weight from 300 to 500 pounds, maximum.
The advice and tips above and below are generalized ones for gopher getter users throughout the
country. For information specific to your area, please speak with the dealer that you purchased the unit
from, your local extension agent, or area farmers that use gopher getters.
Operating Tips
●
Never turn or back up with the machine in the ground. This will damage the unit.
●
Never over tighten the one inch bolt attaching the knife to the frame. The large bolt must be
loose enough to allow the knife and the parts attached to it to pivot when the shear bolt fails.
●
Never over grease the seeder slide. Too much grease will cause bait to build up on the interior
surfaces of the unit when it contacts the bait traveling through the opening in the seeder slide and
cause it to plug.
●
Always replace the shear bolt with an identical grade 2 bolt
. A higher grade bolt like a grade
5 will greatly increase the risk of expensive damage to the frame when you hit a large
obstruction.
●
Always check that there are no underground pipes or other lines in the area you will be working.
There is nothing worse to hit with your gopher getter. (Yes, it’s happened.)
●
Always start slow especially if you’re new to the gopher getter or operating in an unfamiliar
field. At no point should you go faster than 5 mph. In some conditions, especially hard or rocky
ground, it will be necessary to limit your speed further.
●
Always stop quickly when the shear bolt fails. If you are moving quickly and/or the obstruction
that you hit is especially tenacious like a tree root or an oddly shaped rock, the tip can catch long
enough for the bait box to pivot around and damage itself on the frame.