Land Pride 312-753M Crossing Steep Ditches & Banks, Ditch / Bank, General Operating Instructions

Table of Contents

Section 3: Operating Procedures

Land Pride

Crossing Steep Ditches & Banks

Refer to Figure 3-3:

!WARNING!

Damage to the tractor’s PTO components and/or driveline components can cause the driveline to come loose and cause bodily injury to the operator and others.

IMPORTANT: Always cross steep ditches and banks at a diagonal. Never cross straight across a steep ditch or bank and never back into a steep ditch or bank.

Cutting over ditches and backing up hills can tilt the cutter’s back side up excessively resulting in “Bottoming Out” the driveline. Bottoming out is when the driveline shaft has shorten to the point it is pressing against the gearbox and tractor PTO shafts. Once a driveline has bottomed out, it can not be shorten anymore without causing serious damage to the tractor PTO components, cutter gearbox and driveline.

Do not operate a pull-type cutter at an angle exceeding 25 degrees up or down or at any angle that will force the driveline to bind and/or hit the tractor drawbar.

Right

Ditch / Bank

Ditch / Bank

Wrong

Crossing Steep Ditches and Banks

Figure 3-3

General Operating Instructions

Now that you have familiarized yourself with the Operator’s Manual, completed the Operators Checklist, properly attached your Cutter to your tractor, made the right leveling adjustments, and preset your cutting height, you’re almost ready to begin using your Land Pride Rotary Cutter.

It’s now time to do a running operational safety check. Shut the tractor off immediately and remove the key if at any time during this safety check you detect a malfunction in either the cutter or tractor. Make necessary repairs or adjustments before continuing on.

If you have a three-point hitch model make sure the tractor’s park brake is engaged, the tractor’s PTO is disengaged, and the cutter is resting on the ground. Start

the tractor and then back the tractor throttle off until the engine is at low idle. With the tractor’s rear hydraulic lift control lever, raise the cutter to transport position making sure that the PTO shaft is not in a bind and does not come in contact with the cutter frame. Lower the cutter to the ground and, with the tractor still at low idle, engage the PTO. If everything is running smoothly at this point increase the engine rpm until the tractor’s engine reaches full PTO operating speed. The RCR2596 and RCR2510 will be 540 rpm only while the RCRM2510 is designed to operate at 1000 rpm PTO speed. Slowly raise the cutter to transport height to make sure the driveline does not bind or chatter. Then return the engine to low idle, disengage the PTO, and position the adjustable stops on the tractor’s hydraulic lift lever so the cutter can be consistently returned to the same cutting and transport height.

If you have a pull-type cutter, make sure the park brake is on and the cutter is on the ground in mowing position. Start the tractor and reduce engine speed to low idle. Engage the PTO and increase engine rpm until you reach full PTO speed. If everything is running smoothly your running safety check is complete and you may shut the tractor and cutter off.

You should now be ready to move to the cutting site to begin mowing. You should have inspected and should only be cutting in an area you are familiar with which is free of debris and unseen objects. Never assume an area is clear and extremely tall grass should be cut twice to detect potential hazards. In the event you do strike an object stop the tractor and cutter immediately to inspect the cutter and make any necessary repairs before resuming operation. It pays to inspect a new area and to develop a plan before you cut.

Normal mowing speed will be between 2-5 mph and you will need to maintain 540 rpm PTO speed to produce a clean cut, so make a tractor gear and range selection that will maintain this combination. Generally the quality of cut will be better at lower ground speeds and cutting denser ground cover will create the need to slow down. In certain conditions tractor tires will roll grasses down resulting in an uneven cutting height when the grass fails to rebound before being cut. When this happens you may need to reverse the cutting direction and double cut to achieve the desired finish. You will want to avoid very low cutting heights especially on extremely uneven terrain. Always cut downward on slopes and avoid crossing the face of steep slopes. Avoid sharp drops and cross diagonally through dips to prevent hanging up the tractor and cutter. Slow down in turns and avoid sharp turns if at all possible. Remember to look back often.

Now you’re prepared and well briefed so lets begin cutting. Reduce the tractor’s engine rpm, make sure the cutter is on the ground and in cutting position, engage the PTO, raise the engine rpm to the appropriate PTO speed, and begin mowing. When it is difficult to make a wide turn and you need to reverse direction, the three point hitch models can be lifted into transport position to make a

26 RCR2596, RCR2510 and RCRM2510 Rotary Cutters 312-753M 5/09/08