OPERATION
OPERATION
8.3 Forward Speed
This is a matter of common sense and experience. It must be fast enough to maintain the correct oil flow, but slow enough to enable the cutterbar to do its job properly.
8.4 Highway Working
If it is intended to cut roadside hedged or to work in the vicinity where the public have access, it is a statutory requirement that suitable warning signs are placed at both ends of the work area. These signs should not be more than 1/2 mile (0.8 km) apart. To further promote highway safety, the use of head lamps would be beneficial. Hazard warning lamps should not be used since an oncoming vehicle could easily misjudge braking distance in assuming the tractor approaching them is stationary.
8.5 Unclogging Cutterbar, Checks or Adjustments
Before leaving the tractor seat, select “Cutterbar
Always keep fingers away from the knife as the crankshaft fly wheel, can move under gravity and activate the knife even though the tractor engine is switched off.
8.6 Breakaway
The frame of the machine is carried by two pivotally mounted suspended links, of which, the one farthest away from the work is always automatically fixed in position by the interlock bar. When encountering an obstruction and the tractor continues to move forward, the free suspended link will pivot about its mounting bar and allow the complete armhead and frame to move up and back until the obstruction is cleared or the tractor brought to a halt. Bear in mind that the breakaway geometry gives limited movement and does not remove operator responsibility for taking care when driving the tractor. Resetting of the breakaway is completely automatic with the armhead returning to the work position under gravity.
Where both sides of a roadside hedge are to cut, always cut the field side first. The uncut roadside helps to reduce the amount of debris being flung through the hedge into the road. Also by sloping the vertical cut to give an “A” shape, debris is thrown down into the hedge bottom and the spread of material is reduced.
8.7 Swingover
Always make sure there are no overheated obstructions and keep in mind that the arms when fully extended are about 14 feet high.
To “swing over” the reach ram must be fully in and the cutterbar angled towards the side to which you want to swing. This will transfer some of the weight of the machine to the correct side of the pivot and assist the ram in the swingover actions as it approaches top dead center and begins to run out of leverage.
Always if possible, carry out the “swingover” action on level ground. If swinging over on sloping ground is absolutely unavoidable always carry out the maneuver with the tractor facing directly up the slope.
Never swingover when facing either across or down a slope.
SWINGTRIM 03/09 | Operation Section |
© 2009 Alamo Group Inc.
