Your scale is a valuable tool and will suffer if mistreated, left in the rain, or tossed about carelessly. You cannot expect the same accuracy to be available unless it is properly looked after. When traveling, keep it on the seat in the front of the truck, or if there is room, in the glove box. Calibration The scale comes with three washers on the calibrating eyebolt. If you can't get the scale to calibrate properly with the three washers, then it is all right to remove one, two, or all of them. The important thing is to get the scale to level with the empty sample container in place, and the slider weight exactly at the zero mark. Filling The Sample Container For lb/ft^3
+ lb/bu readings.
Level The Sample For lb/ft^3 + lb/bu readings. When leveling the sample in your scale, use the handle as shown. Be careful not to slope the handle for this will pack the sample and thereby give a false reading. You should make sure that the container is screwed in completely and not cross threaded. |
Density Readings |
Density over 150 lbs/ft^3 -- Fill the container to the bottom line and multiply the pounds per cubic foot reading by four. Pounds per U.S. gallon -- Divide your pounds per cubic foot reading by 7.48 and you will have pounds per U.S. gallon. |
We have found that some people like to have the bubble in the level vial touching one of the lines for greater accuracy. This is easily done by adjusting the calibration eyebolt until the bubble touches the line. Two things to remember; you should remember which line the bubble touches, and the bubble must JUST touch the line as illustrated. |
Pounds Per Acre Reading
Make sure that the sample is lying even in the sample cup. If it is lying more on one side that the other, the reading will be affected. You should test more than one run to assure that the machine is working evenly. |
Distance To Travel
Direction number 6 on the container says to travel further for lighter amounts of seed or fertilizer. This is so you have a more accurate reading under field conditions. You may, however, catch a sample from 2 spouts or 4 spouts and travel the distance that is stated for one run. REMEMBER to DIVIDE your reading by the number of spouts that you have caught. Distance Spacing For spacing other than those provided on the container, use the formula: 145.2 divided by (spacing in inches, divided by 12) equals travel distance. 145.2 / 1.333 equals distance to travel. 108.93 feet equals distance to travel. You will probably want to test each section of the drill, to assure that the right amount is being put on by each separate section. ON AIR SEEDERS - You cannot put a rag into the outlets of your equipment. We suggest that you make some small bags from nylon window screen and tie them to the ten outlets. Discers To find the spacing of you discer, measure the total
width of the cut in inches and divide by the number of spouts.
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Fan Spreader
For a fan spreader, you disconnect the fan drive and drive the distance that you get by dividing 145.2 by the width spread by the fan throw. Dump Spreader For dump spreaders with less than a 5 inch
spacing, take the spacing that your machine has and multiply by two.
This will give you a spacing that appears on the scale chart. Drive
that distance and whatever reading you get multiply by two.
Fine Tuning Your Drill Plug all the down spouts of your drill and drive the distance set out for the row spacing that you are using (we suggest driving the distance because the vibrations of the drill as it is pulled through the field, will effect the way that the seed enters the flutes on the seed cup rollers). Weigh each spout to see what it is putting out, and write this umber down on a piece of paper. When you have done all the spouts, add them together and divide by the number of spouts to get the average amount of weight that the drill is putting out. One or more of your spouts will have this number as its output. Mark that spout and use it for all the drill calibrations; for it represents the average that your drill is putting on the field. Weight Of Small Quantities In order to find the weight of small quantities
of grain or other objects, use the POUNDS PER CUBIC FOOT (lbs./ft.^3) reading
and multiply by 9.1026 to get grams, then divide this reading by 28.4 to
get ounces.
To Get The Yield Of A Test Plot Carefully measure a 3 foot by 3 foot square and collect the grain from within that area. Use a Simpler Sample or thrash the sample by hand. Clean the chaff out and weigh the cleaned sample in the scale using the pounds per acre reading. Multiply your reading by 16.133, then divide your answer by the standard bushel weight of that kind of grain. This tells you the bushels per acre represented by that plot. - 200 lbs./acre on the scale x 16.133 equals 3226.60 divided by 60 lbs./bu. equals 53.77 bushels per acre of wheat. Because yields vary throughout a field, the total output of your field will vary from the small sample plot. Samples from more plots will give you a better idea of the field's yield. Moisture Test (bake test) Fill the cup with grain and get the test weight.
Dry the grain in a microwave oven. (When the grain starts to turn
brown, no more moisture exists). Weigh the grain after drying and
get the dry weight. Use the example below to calculate % moisture.
When not in use, your scale should have the sample cup screwed in place and be hung on o hook or nail. This will keep your scale safely out of harm's way and ready when needed. You could also keep the scale in the box provided and use it like a protective case while in the field. Parts Calibration Eyebolt - 3/16 x 2 1/2"
Find out the number of seeds per pound by asking your seed seller of from label on the seed bag. Once you know the seeds per pound, you divide the desired seeds per acre by this amount, which will give you the pounds per acre that is represented by your seed per acre population. |
Species | Seeds/Gram | Seeds/Ounce | Seeds/Pound |
Alfalfa | 500 | 14,175 | 226,800 |
Barley | 30 | 850 | 13,600 |
Beans, Field | 4 | 115 | 1,840 |
Beans, Mung | 24 | 680 | 10,880 |
Beets, Sugar & Field | 55 | 1,530 | 24,480 |
Bermuda grass, Hulled | 4,565 | 129,445 | 2,071,120 |
Bluegrass, Annual | 2,635 | 74,730 | 1,195,680 |
Bluegrass, Kentucky | 2,250 - 3,875 | 63,845 - 109,885 | 1,021,520 - 1,758,160 |
Brome, Field | 465 | 13,210 | 211,360 |
Brome, Smooth | 300 - 330 | 8,475 - 9,385 | 135,600 - 150,160 |
Buckwheat | 45 | 1,275 | 20,400 |
Chickpea | 2 | 55 | 880 |
Clover, Alsike | 1,500 | 42,525 | 680,400 |
Clover, Calif. Bur. | 375 | 10,659 | 170,400 |
Clover, Ladino & White | 1,500 - 2,000 | 42,000 - 55,000 | 672,000 - 880,000 |
Clover, Hop, Large | 5,435 | 154,330 | 2,469,280 |
Clover, Hop, Small | 1,950 | 55,225 | 883,600 |
Clover, Persian | 1,415 | 40,145 | 642,320 |
Clover, Red | 600 | 17,010 | 272,160 |
Clover, Strawberry | 635 | 18,000 | 288,000 |
Clover, Sweet | 570 | 16,160 | 258,560 |
Fescue, Chewing & Red | 805 - 990 | 22,820 - 28,040 | 365,120 - 448,640 |
Fescue, Hair | 3,200 | 90,720 | 1,451,520 |
Fescue, Meadow | 495 | 14,090 | 99,440 |
Fescue, Tall | 390 - 515 | 11,115 - 14600 | 117,840 - 233,600 |
Grama Grass, Blue | 1,595 | 45,275 | 724,400 |
Lentil | 14 - 23 | 395 - 650 | 6,320 - 10,400 |
Lespedeza, Common | 750 | 21,265 | 340,240 |
Lespedeza, Korean | 525 | 14,885 | 238,160 |
Lespedeza, Serica | 820 | 23,250 | 372,000 |
Lupine, Blue & White | 7 | 200 | 3,200 |
Millet, Proso & Pearl | 180 | 5,145 | 82,320 |
Oats | 35 - 50 | 1,000 - 1,425 | 16,000 - 22,800 |
Orchard grass | 840 - 1,050 | 23,615 - 29,825 | 377,840 - 477,200 |
Rescue grass | 113 | 3,230 | 51,680 |
Rice | 65 | 1,870 | 29,920 |
Rye | 40 | 1,135 | 18,160 |
Rye grass, Annual | 395 - 445 | 11,225 - 12,560 | 179,600 - 200,960 |
Rye grass, Perennial | 465 - 595 | 13,155 - 16,895 | 210,480 - 270,320 |
Safflower | 30 | 825 | 13,200 |
Sorghum | 30 - 80 | 850 - 2,270 | 13,600 - 36,320 |
Soybeans, Med. Small | 6 - 13 | 175 - 435 | 2,800 - 6,960 |
Soybeans, Large | 4 - 79 | 137 | 2,192 |
Sudan grass | 85 - 100 | 2,355 - 3,175 | 37,680 - 50,800 |
Timothy | 2,405 - 2,725 | 68,150 - 77,250 | 1,090,400 - 1,236,000 |
Tobacco | 15,625 | 442,970 | 7,087,520 |
Trefoil, Big | 1,945 | 55,210 | 883,360 |
Trefoil, Birds foot | 815 | 23,115 | 369,840 |
Wheat | 35 | 710 | 11,360 |
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