Land Pride DM36 Series manual Operating Instructions

Land Pride

Section 2 Operating

Table of Contents

Operating Instructions

By now you should have thoroughly read your Disc Mower Operator’s Manual, properly attached your Land Pride Disc Mower to your tractor, and reviewed the Operating Checklist. If you have not yet completed all of these functions, please do so now.

Now that you’re properly briefed and your Disc Mower is ready, it’s time to transport to the field.

For transport purposes, your Disc Mower should be securely locked with the cutter bar in the upright or vertical position. Make sure the support leg is in the high position. A "Slow Moving Vehicle" sign should be in place and visible from the rear, if you are using a public road or right-of-way. Select a safe speed and transport to your cutting site in such manner that faster moving vehicles can pass you safely.

Once you have safely arrived at your field, position your tractor on level ground. Make sure that no one is within 20 ft of the mower, as your prepare to lower the cutter bar from transport to working position. Lower the three-point hitch to a point where the inboard end of the cutter bar is approximately 12" off of the ground. Retract your lift cylinder and pull on the latch cord to release the transport or road-latch mechanism. Using your lift cylinder control lever, slowly lower the cutter bar until the outer end touches the ground. Adjust the three-point hitch to "working position" where the driveline is horizontal with the ground and lock the three-point hitch control lever in place. Extend the lift cylinder until there is 1" of clearance over the reach arm. Your Disc Mower is now in working position.

Controlling or setting your cutting height is accomplished by adjusting the "top link" on your three-point hitch. Extending or lengthening the top link will raise your cutting height, while shortening the top link will lower the cutting height. If you are cutting in an area you are not familiar with or believe there might be rocks or debris present, you must raise the cutting height accordingly. This will reduce the potential of personal injury and or damage to the machine. Shut the mower down immediately if someone approaches in a vehicle or on foot.

If you do hit an object when you are mowing, immediately disengage the PTO, idle the engine, stop the tractor, wait for all moving parts to come to a complete stop, shut off the tractor, set the brake, remove the keys, and inspect for damage. If damage is present, make the necessary repairs. If no damage is present, but you have tripped the Break Away Safety Latch, slowly reverse the tractor until the latch resets and proceed with mowing operations.

Prior to actually beginning cutting operations, you will want to get the mower up to full 540 rpm PTO speed by engaging the PTO with the tractor engine at idle and gradually increasing engine rpm to PTO speed. Once you reach the full 540 rpm, allow the mower to run for a few minutes at level position so the oil in the cutter bar can lubricate all internal moving parts. You will also want to take this opportunity to make a quick Operational Running Check. Listen and visually inspect for any component or part that may be loose or out of adjustment. Don’t be alarmed by the noise level of the free running Disc Mower. It will actually become quieter when you begin mowing and have some run in time on it.

If your Operational Running Check was ok, begin mowing operations by opening up the lands on your field. Make enough lands so you can easily make your turns to properly line up for each pass down the field. If your tractor and Disc Mower are set up right, you should be able to straddle the previous swath as you make each subsequent pass starting in the center of the field. If you do experience cutting problems, refer to the "Trouble Shooting" section of the Operator’s Manual for corrective action.

When you are done mowing for the day and need to transport the mower to your storage site, simply reverse the process you used to take the mower out of transport mode. When you are done mowing for the season, clean and lubricate your mower, replace warn or missing parts, release tension on the belts, install the stroke control to the tarp frame cushion spring rod and store the unit with the cutter bar in the horizontal working position. You will get longer service life out of your mower by storing it inside and repainting scratched or rusted components.

With a little practice and experience you should become very good at operating your Land Pride Disc Mower.

5/5/08 DM36 Series Disc Mowers 327-045M 15