Spartan
II
607
Operation
Great Plains | 166-486M | 2019/01/29
53
At ideal fan speed:
flow is more than high enough to avoid blockages
(from both meters on dual-hopper drills),
flow is even across all hoses from each meter,
and
flow is low enough to minimize seed cracking and
bounce.
Fan speed is monitored and reported by the terminal,
but is manually controlled.
If the fan cannot reach 3000 rpm, one or more hoses
may not be connected correctly. Air moves toward
the air box in either rotation direction, but reverse
spinning airflow is too low to operate the system.
If the fan is operating properly, and at desired rpm,
and the gate is correctly adjusted, but the pressure
gauge is out of limits, see “
Fan Speed Adjustments
Start with the rpm settings in the table on page 52.
Adjust for your situation.
Start with flow on low setting (3 to 45 litres/min is
average flow).
Run the fan for at least 15 minutes before seeding.
Hydraulic fluid must be warm before the fan and wing
pressure systems operate properly.
1. Check hopper lid(s) and meter-box seals for air
leaks. Adjust the latch or replace the seals to
prevent leakage.
It only takes a very small air leak to cause
large variations in the seeding rate and
pattern.
2. Watch the manifold pressure gauge(s) and
terminal. Adjust fan speed by increasing or
decreasing hydraulic flow from the tractor. Use
the guidelines and the fan speed chart to
properly adjust fan speed.
Fan speed tips:
Higher fan speeds improve seed distribution, but
high fan speeds also increase the chance of
seed damage and bounce.
At first, adjust fan speed to the high end of the
range suggested in the chart. Watch for
excessive seed cracking and seed bounce from
the furrow, then reduce fan speed if necessary.
Actual fan speeds vary with implement width, row
spacing, seeding rates, seed weights, and seed
size. Increase fan speed for heavier seeding
rates or seed. Reduce fan speed for lighter
seeding rates and seed more prone to cracking.
Fan Manifold Gate Adjustments
On dual-hopper drills, where the material in each
hopper may not be the same, the meters may require
different air flows. Dual pressure gauges, and fan
manifold gates are provided for setting unequal
flows.
For S/N C1009F- drills, there are two gates and for
S/N there is one gate. A fan manifold gate
is not present on single-hopper drills.
An example of a situation likely to need unequal flow
is:
small light seeds in hopper
I
, and
dense dry fertilizer in hopper
II
.
The need for unequal flows may be observed only
during actual field operation, as material must be
entering the airflow and generating air demand.
If applying a single material on a single-shoot drill,
Great Plains recommends loading the material into
both hoppers and using half rate. Set the manifold
gate for equal pressures to each meter.
If applying a single material on a double-shoot drill,
use a single hopper. Set the manifold gate to divert
the maximum flow to the used side. This does not
completely shut off air flow to the unused hopper,
which needs some airflow to avoid nuisance alarms.
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