Automatic shutoffs on sprayers

I went out this morning to work on a sprayer. Patriot sprayer and had a Raven 460 in it. After visiting with the customer a bit, he had a different idea on what he wanted the sprayer to do. We had originally discussed a Raven adapter kit - this would allow him to swap between his Insight monitor for running the autoswath and mapping, and also allow him to put the Raven back in the cab if the Insight was in use elsewhere.

We soon realized that he really had no plans of running the sprayer without the Insight, and actually was a bit bummed that his built in switches and foot pedal master switch wasn't going to work (we were going to use a switchbox so it could be swapped quickly), so we decided to also tie into the existing switches in the sprayer, which will allow him to use his foot pedal as a master switch also. At the end of the day, this will allow the customer to be more productive with the system because it will be similar in functionality to what he is already used to. Technology can be a great investment and greatly improve the productivity of the operator, while also making the equipment easier to operate, but it is important to implement it correctly. If you plan to make an investment in technology, make sure that you discuss the options with an expert to get you the most bang for your buck.

Air Clutch Systems Maintenance

There has been quite a few calls lately about air clutch systems, so I thought I would try and give some tips about the systems to clear things up a bit.

Below are the maintenance recommendations from the Manufacturer.

Maintenance of Tru Count Air Clutch System

Air Compressor Water resistant, Not waterproof. Keep in dry location during winter storage. Clean dirt from fins. Replace or clean filter element on a regular basis.

Drain tank on a regular basis. Drain tank before winter storage, close drain after draining moisture.

Valve Modules
Keep away from high pressure water.

Air Clutches
All Tru Count clutches come from the factory prelubricated. Use dry silicone spray included in the kit. Lube as needed or every 75 - 100 hours.
Symptoms of needing lubricated are: Clutch not clutching (continuous planting) Clutch slow to release (resume planting after being shut off)

Oil air cylinders at the end of every season to keep pistons lubricated. Use the oil packet included in the kit and oil cylinders with one drop each. Then activate clutches a few times before putting planter into storage. Keep away from high pressure water.

Catching up on my blog

So, I realized something today - it has been quite a while since I have posted anything to my blog. Spring has been very good so far, but extremely busy and I haven't taken the time to write or update anything on my blog. With the recent rain, I have had a brief chance to "catch my breath", and decided that I didn't have any more excuses not to write something here. There has been quite a few things happen this spring, so I will break it down into a few sections and make a few posts over the next few days.

One thing I wanted to hit on today was a new website I stumbled across. The address is www.justanswer.com This website allows you to ask professionals questions in many different industries. You log in and post your question, as well as what you are willing to pay for an answer. For legal, mechanical, or medical questions, this could be a huge savings over seeing a professional in person. Several questions were posted and answered for around $15.00. This seemed pretty fair to me, as it does take time to share answers to the posts for someone with the knowledge. I would like to know your thoughts on this website - please respond with comments and let me know if you think this is a good way to seek help or not.