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Section 4: Operating Instructions
RCF3696, RCFM3696, RCF3610, & RCFM3610 Rotary Cutters 326-600M
8/20/21
•
Hydraulic fluid under high pressure will penetrate the skin
or eyes causing a serious injury. Wear protective gloves and
safety glasses or goggles when working with hydraulic
systems. Use a piece of cardboard or wood rather than
hands when searching for leaks. If an accident occurs, seek
immediate emergency medical care or gangrene may result.
•
A rotating driveline must not exceed an angle of 25 degrees
up or down, and never engage a driveline while at an angle
exceeding 25 degrees up or down. The driveline can break
•
Always disengage power take-off before lifting cutter fully
up. Never operate cutter in the raised position. The cutter
can discharge objects at high speeds.
•
Select a safe ground speed that will allow adequate control of
steering and stopping. Never exceed 20 mph (32.2 km/h) with
attached equipment. Rough terrain requires a slower speed.
•
Always disengage power take-off, put tractor in park or set
park brake, shut tractor engine off, remove ignition key, and
wait for blades to come to a complete stop before
•
Do not exceed rated cutting capacity of your cutter. See
specifications & capacities for specified cutting capacity.
Exceeding rated cutting capacity can damage drive
components, cutter blades, and deck components.
•
Improper oil level can cause bearing failure and be a fire
hazard. Maintain proper gearbox oil level.
•
Buildup of debris around moving components and
gearboxes is a fire hazard. Keep rotating parts and
•
Do not use implement to lift objects; to pull objects such as
fence posts, stumps, etc; or to push objects. The unit is not
designed or guarded for these uses.
•
Do not use implement as a man lift or work platform. It is
not properly designed or guarded for this use.
•
Some tractors are equipped with two power take-off speeds.
Be certain your tractor’s power take-off shaft is set-up to
operate the implement at its rated power take-off speed. Do
not exceed implement’s rated power take-off speed.
Excessive speed can damage drive components, cutter
blades, and/or increase the risk of a thrown object hazard.
RC models are rated for 540 rpm and RCM models are rated
Inspect Tractor & Cutter
Make the following inspections with cutter attached to a
tractor, power take-off disengaged, and all moving
components completely stopped:
1. Park tractor and cutter on a level surface.
2. Disengage power take-off, place gear selector in
park, set park brake, shut tractor off, and remove
switch key. Make sure cutter blades have come to a
complete stop before dismounting from tractor.
3. Inspect tractor safety equipment to make sure it is
installed and in good working condition.
4. Inspect cutter safety equipment to make sure it is
installed and in good working condition.
5. Check driveline to make certain it is securely
connected to the tractor power take-off shaft and
cutter gearbox shaft. Also, make certain that the
guards are in good working condition and in place.
6. Carefully raise and lower implement to ensure that
the drawbar, tires, and other equipment on the tractor
do not contact cutter frame or driveline.
7.
Check all hoses and wires to be sure that they will not
come in contact with rotating driveline.
8. With cutter resting on solid supports, power take-off
disengaged, and blade rotation completely stopped:
•
Check for and remove foreign objects wrapped
around blade spindles.
•
Check for nicked, bent, broken, and worn cutting
blades. Replace or sharpen blades as required.
Refer to
9. Inspect Hydraulic hoses for wear, damage and
hydraulic leaks. See
“Avoid High Pressure Fluids
Hazard”
on page 3. Replace damaged and worn
hoses with genuine Land Pride parts.
The remaining inspections are made by engaging the
power take-off to check for normal operation.
WARNING
!
To avoid serious injury or death:
•
Stop power take-off immediately if vibration continues after
a few revolutions during start-up and anytime thereafter.
Wait for all components to come to a complete stop before
dismounting from tractor to check for probable causes.
Make necessary repairs and adjustments before continuing.
•
Some tractors are equipped with two power take-off speeds.
Be certain your tractor’s power take-off shaft is set-up to
operate the implement at its rated power take-off speed. Do
not exceed implement’s rated power take-off speed.
Excessive speed can damage drive components, cutter
blades, and/or increase the risk of a thrown object hazard.
See Specifications & Capacities for rated power take-off
10. Start tractor and raise cutter up enough to remove
solid supports from under the deck.
11. Lower cutter down to a height 2 to 3 inches off the
ground.
12. Set throttle to idle or slightly above idle, and slowly
engage power take-off. Initial start-up vibration is
normal and should stop after a few revolutions. Stop
power take-off rotation immediately if vibration
continues.
13. Once cutter is running smoothly, slowly increase
tractor power take-off speed to 540 rpm. Stop power
take-off rotation immediately if vibration occurs.
14. Investigate cause of vibration and make repairs
before putting cutter back into service.