1. Safety First.
Every machine should have an operators manual. If yours doesn’t have one, your local dealership can help you get one. This operators manual contains all the safety information you need to confidently operate your cotton stripper. Please make sure you have reviewed all the pertinent safety and operating instructions to make sure you have a safe and efficient harvest season. The easiest way to get injured on the job is to get in a hurry and not have a complete understanding of how to safely operate your equipment.
2. Make sure your cotton stripper is ready for the field.
Harvest is a busy time. When the weather is right you need to be in the field. Take time before it gets busy to make sure your equipment is up for the task. This means looking at common wear items like bats, brushes, bearings and saw blades. You should check filters, fluid levels and tire pressure.
At Hurst Farm Supply, we offer stripper inspections where we will check all of the common areas of your machine and get you a list of what we think needs to be repaired or replaced to make sure you machine is ready when you are. Many dealers offer similar services.
3. If compatible, make sure you have remote access to your harvest machine.
If you are running a CS690 or a CP690 your machine is likely JDLINK capable. Make sure your subscription is current and you are able to monitor your machine while its in the field. Currently John Deere is offering a 1 year JDLINK subscription for $300 per machine.
4. Make sure you are ready to collect harvest data.
If your cotton stripper has a yield monitoring system on it, make sure you have your display configured correctly to capture this data. For a detailed breakdown of getting Harvest Doc setup properly, please refer to the following 3 article tutorial.
5. Ask For Help
Hurst Farm Supply is here to help. Begining October 1, we will start our harvest schedule which means having extended hours including Saturdays and Sundays as well as having people on call after hours. If you need help, don’t hesitate to let us know.